07/03/2009 - San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Manny Ramirez spoke to the media Friday, prior to making his scheduled return to the majors following his 50-game suspension.
Ramirez is expected to be in the starting lineup when the first-place Dodgers play against the San Diego Padres.
Although Ramirez apologized for violating baseball's drug policy, he didn't delve into the details surrounding his suspension, but the 12-time All-Star did say he was sorry to the fans and his teammates.
He was suspended for reportedly taking the banned substance human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), a female fertility drug that can also be used as an antidote to reduce testosterone levels at the end of a cycle of steroid treatments.
"I missed the game that I love, I miss being around the guys," said Ramirez, who donned sunglasses for the news conference. "It is what it is, but I'm here, I feel great and I'm ready to play.
"I want to say I'm sorry to the fans, to my teammates that they're always there for me. I want to thank Frank McCourt (Dodgers owner) for his support and I'm here. I'm excited. I can't wait to get onto the field."
The Dodgers went 29-21 while Ramirez sat due to a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs. He'll now join a team that is 50-29 this season and holding a 7 1/2 game lead on San Francisco for first place in the National League West.
The 37-year-old Ramirez was hitting .348 with six homers and 20 RBI prior to his suspension on May 7.
Juan Pierre started all 50 games for the Dodgers in left field since the suspension started and hit .318 with 14 doubles, 21 RBI, 31 runs and 21 steals in those games.
"I know it's going to take time for me to get my rhythm, to get my timing" said Ramirez. "That's what I'm here for and I'm just going to go day-by-day."
Dodgers manager Joe Torre doesn't believe there will be an internal rift from the players with Ramirez returning.
"I think Manny coming on board is certainly going to lessen the load on some of these kids," said Torre. "I don't think it's going to be a chemistry problem. I'd be very surprised if that's going to be the case."
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<< D.C., Columbus clash for top spot in East
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - D.C. United coach Tom Soehn was excited to have
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thei
<< Cano, A-Rod homer as Yankees top Toronto
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez each homered
as the New York Yankees doubled up Toronto, 4-2, in the opener of a four-game
set.
Mark Teixeira added a hit and an RBI for the Yankees, who have won eight of
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Diaz carded a four-under 67 to complete two rounds at 11-under-pa
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Wizards will try to make move vs. powerful Houston club >>
Kansas City, KA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Wizards face a tough task
on Saturday when they host the Major League Soccer leading Houston Dynamo at
CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
The Wizards (5-5-4) are keen on making a move up the Eas
Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?
I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.
There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.
Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.
For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.
A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.
The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.
Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.
So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.
Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.
“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.
Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.
“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.
It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.
Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.
The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.
“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.
“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”
Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.
The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.
“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”
Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?
“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.
Chiefs' Treen Green out for Sunday's game
How long Trent Green will remain sidelined is unknown. Coach Herm Edwards said Monday he will miss a second straight start Sunday when the Chiefs host the San Francisco 49ers.
A two-time Pro Bowler, Green was going into a feet-first hook slide when he was knocked unconscious by a thunderous, head-snapping hit from Cincinnati's Robert Geathers.
Oddsmakers at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com currently have the Chiefs listed as 7-point favorites versus the 49ers.
The 49ers got beat by Philadelphia 38-24 as a 6.5-point underdog last week. The combined score went OVER the posted over/under total (42.5).
Alex Smith completed 27-of-46 passes for 293 yards with a touchdown. Michael Robinson rushed for 29 yards and a pair of touchdowns on five carries.
The Chiefs lost 9-6 to Denver last week as an 11-point underdog. The combined score was well UNDER the posted over/under total (38).
Larry Johnson rushed for 126 yards on 27 carries. Damon Huard completed 17-of-23 passes for 133 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.
To visit this online sports book got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.
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