Hoy no hay MLB
Es la semana dedicada a el All Star Game
Los partidos regulares retornan jueves 14
En estos días voy señalando algunas apuestas, asì para esperar
= HORSE RACING =
18:15 - Ayr (Sovereignty WIN @ 2.88)
= FOOTBALL =
19:00 - IFK Norrköping - Falkenbergs FF 2-1 (PT 0-1)
- PT/RF: IFK Norrköping/IFK Norrköping @ 2.2
19:00 - GIF Sundsvall - Djurgarden 1-1 (PT 0-0)
- over 2.5 @ 1.7
- PT/RF: Djurgarden/Djurgarden @ 2.37
= MLB =
02:00 - Home Run Derby - WIN Abreu
- Andruw Jones @ 3.5
- David Ortiz @ 4
Pronóstico Quinigol Jornada 23 | 16/11/2024
5 hours ago
4 comments:
Home Run derby
Take one look at the favorite for Monday night`s Home Run Derby and you should notice something.
David Ortiz doesn`t lead the league in home runs. In fact, Boston`s designated hitter isn`t even in the top 10 among home run hitters this season, but he`s still a +280 favorite to walk away as Lord of the Longball on Monday night.
"I think what you see with something like the Home Run Derby is a lot more sentimentality," says Bodog.com oddsmaker Jason White. "It’s just betting for your favorite player than opposed to trying to win something."
White added that Ortiz has attracted a large chunk of the action, but he thinks the reason is a mixture of Ortiz`s popularity and that of the Red Sox, and the fact many bet blindly on the Home Run Derby.
"It’s almost a self-fulfilling prophecy in these types of wagers," says White. "They think David Ortiz is at such a low odds that he must be a shoe-in."
With names like Hee-Seop Choi, Bobby Abreu and Jason Bay in the mix, it`s easy to see why many believe Ortiz is a lock for this year`s event, which will feature eight players representing eight different countries instead of the traditional American League versus National League format.
Ortiz, who is representing the Dominican Republic, is just one of two players with derby experience and the only returnee from last year`s show in Houston. Although he only hit three home runs and didn`t make it past the first round, experience does factor into the line. However, White says it`s not something the public looks at.
Big Papi brings with him 21 regular season home runs and a special advantage courtesy of the VIP treatment Comerica offers to left-handed hitters, especially down the 330 foot right field line.
But there`s always one surprise in the home run derby and this year it could be Carlos Lee.
Milwaukee’s left fielder has surprised everyone but himself by nailing 22 home runs and a National League-leading 73 RBIs heading into Sunday.
The Panama native`s +400 price is very tempting considering the success Lee`s had in the Motor City. Although he has yet to go deep in the month of July, Lee has pounded six home runs, 26 RBIs, and is a career .388 hitter in 41 games at Comerica, often called a "nightmare" to right-handed hitters.
"He’s one I wouldn’t take out of it, I think he’s got a legitimate shot," adds White.
Philadelphia`s Bobby Abreu (+500, Venezuela), Pittsburgh`s Jason Bay (+800, Canada), Atlanta`s Andruw Jones (+400, the Netherlands), Detroit`s Ivan Rodriguez (+1000, Puerto Rico), Los Angeles Dodgers` Hee-Seop Choi (+1200, Korea) and Texas` Mark Teixeira (+450, United States) round out the other six competitors
Free Pick
Sport: MLB
Game: Home Run derby
Prediction: Mark Teixeira @ 4.5
Reason: The MLB home run derby goes on Monday night, and although it doesn't feature what you would call a star studded field, there are plenty of heavy hitters on the card. Here's my take on who should take this year's derby crown.
Mark Teixeira: This guy is simply locked in right now. He heads into the break having hit three dingers over his last two games, and leads the A.L. in home runs with 25. He's a switch hitter, so he should be able to take advantage of the short fence in right field. Plus, Teixeira will be representing the U.S. as this year's event which features eight different nations. This is a generous price, so get it early
Abreu: The Phillies' outfielder is having a monster season, bidding to join baseball's exclusive 40-40 club now that he has 18 homers and 21 stolen bases. That despite the fact that he had only one homer in April, making up for lost time with 11 longballs in May. Abreu's left-handed bat should be a plus at Comerica.
Bay: The Pirates' outfielder is from Trail, British Columbia, and he happens to lead Canada's native MLB contingent with 16 homers to go along with a .308 average. "Obviously, doing anything for your country, it's a little different because you have a whole country to represent rather than a team or organization," Bay said. "Win or lose, I think it's just the recognition and I'm honored to do it."
Choi: He has 13 homers, adding pop to a Dodgers club that has been riddled by injuries in the first half. It doesn't require a long memory to know how he can bunch homers, too. Over a four-game stretch from June 10-14 during Interleague Play, Choi went deep seven times -- including a three-homer and a two-homer game against Minnesota.
Jones: The Home Run Derby, as with the coming World Baseball Classic, recognizes either a player's country of current citizenship or his original homeland. In the case of the Braves' center fielder, his native island of Curacao in the Caribbean is a province of The Netherlands. So he will represent that country in this event, and also will be eligible to play for that country at the World Baseball Classic. Jones is leading the Majors with 27 homers, coming off a stupendous 13-homer May that earned him National League Player of the Month honors.
Lee: He could be the prohibitive favorite, and this could be a huge opportunity for the Brewers' left fielder to grab a major spotlight and bring further attention to his Panama homeland that has given baseball such greats as Hall of Famer Rod Carew and likely future Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera. Lee has put together a blockbuster first half. He was tied for fourth in the Majors with 22 homers, to go along with an NL-leading 73 RBIs. Lee -- the fourth Brewer to play in this event (along with Greg Vaughn in 1996, Jeromy Burnitz in '99 and Richie Sexson in 2002 and 2003) -- is a career .386 hitter with six homers and 26 RBIs in 41 games at Comerica. "It's official -- I'm in," he said eagerly when told the news Tuesday. His third-base coach, Rich Donnelly, a veteran of four Home Run Derby events and likely Lee's pitcher, predicted a victory and said, "He's got massive power. Stupid power. He doesn't come up in (batting practice) and hit every ball out; Carlos works the ball around. But when he wants to try it, he's the best I've ever seen."
Ortiz: "Big Papi" was the top vote-getter for the All-Star Game, and he returns for his second consecutive CENTURY 21 Home Run Derby. Last year in Houston, the lefty slugger hit three homers in the first round and did not advance, relegated largely to rooting for fellow Dominican countryman -- and Derby winner -- Miguel Tejada. Ortiz did, however, go deep off Carl Pavano during the All-Star Game the next night -- helping bring what proved to be an important World Series home-field advantage to Boston. Now Ortiz will represent his nation in the Home Run Derby, bringing with him some big first-half numbers that include 21 round-trippers.
Rodriguez: This will be the popular choice around Comerica Park on Monday night. Pudge helped energize a moribund Tigers club when he arrived for the start of the 2004 season, and although he has only five homers this season, he has 255 since entering the Majors in 1991. Rodriguez went deep only once in the first round of the 2000 Home Run Derby in Atlanta, but history has shown that this event can be won by any participant who just happens to find a zone.
Teixeira: The Rangers' first baseman is on pace for his first 40-homer season, tied with Manny Ramirez of Boston and Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees for the American League home run lead with 22. Fellow American Derrek Lee, who ranked second in the Majors with 25 dingers, declined an invitation because of lingering inflammation in his left shoulder. Teixeira is the only switch-hitter in the field at Comerica, which still favors lefty pull hitters for power despite shortened dimensions in left; all of his homers in 2005 have come from the left side of the plate.
Tue, Jul 12, 2005
Abreu shatters Home Run Derby record
DETROIT -- At +500 odds, Bobby Abreu won the Home Run Derby with a record-setting performance Monday night, hitting an astounding 24 homers in his first turn at bat before outslugging hometown favorite Ivan Rodriguez in the finals.
Abreu also smashed the mark for total homers with 41, besting Miguel Tejada`s 2004 total of 27 by the second round. He hit 11 in the finals, another derby record, to Rodriguez`s five in an event that lasted 3 hours, 3 minutes.
``I`m tired,`` Abreu said. ``This is a beautiful night.``
The Philadelphia Phillies right fielder was the first contestant - he also will hit leadoff for the National League in the All-Star game Tuesday night - and he gave fans a spectacular show right from the start.
Abreu homered on his first swing and didn`t stop until he obliterated Tejada`s previous mark of 15 homers in a round, set last year in Houston.
``Pretty sick,`` Boston`s Johnny Damon said.
Batting left-handed and teeing off against his personal batting practice pitcher, Phillies bullpen coach Ramon Henderson, Abreu topped out with a 517-foot shot onto the porch above the back row of right-field bleachers, sending the standing-room crowd scurrying for a souvenir.
It was the third-longest drive in the 20 times the derby has been held, behind Sammy Sosa`s 524-foot homer in 2002 at Miller Park in Milwaukee and Frank Thomas` 519-footer in 1994 at old Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh.
Abreu even chipped his bat on his 21st homer - but the ball still cleared the center-field fence.
``See that? Hit it too hard,`` he said before Phillies teammate Jimmy Rollins brought him some new lumber.
Abreu went the other way to left-center for No. 24, then finally made his 10th out after 17 minutes at the plate, ending his turn and prompting a third standing ovation.
``Just trying to put on a good show. They enjoy it, that`s what it`s all about,`` he said.
So much for spacious Comerica Park being a poor site for a power-hitting contest. In fact, the ball carried very well to right field on a pleasant, 78-degree night.
``Unbelievable. He made it look it like it`s too easy getting the ball out of this park,`` Red Sox captain Jason Varitek said.
Representing his home country of Venezuela in baseball`s new international format, Abreu stopped twice to tip his cap to the chanting crowd of 41,004 - and once when Rodriguez, the lone All-Star for the host Tigers, brought him something to drink at home plate.
``Looked like he could have hit homers all day. He had a groove, just looked really smooth,`` said Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, who hit his own famous homer in Detroit during the 1971 All-Star game at Tiger Stadium. ``I wish they would have had this when I played.``
When Abreu broke Tejada`s mark, Johan Santana and Miguel Cabrera were among the All-Stars who ran to the plate to drape the slugger in a large Venezuelan flag.
Santana said he placed a call back home to his father, who told him the country was ``paralyzed.``
With water fountains shooting high into the air in center field after each long ball, it was an awesome display by one of the most underrated stars in baseball - and maybe a bit intimidating for the other competitors. The next batter, Jason Bay of Canada, was shut out.
``Didn`t make it any easier,`` Bay said.
Boston`s David Ortiz of the Dominican Republic put on an impressive show as well, also surpassing Tejada with 17 home runs in the first round. But Ortiz was overshadowed - and eliminated when he connected only three times in Round 2.
In the semifinals, Abreu picked up right where he left off, connecting on his first two swings. He finished with six in that round, including three when he was down to his final out, which was good enough to advance.
When they got to nine outs, players were tossed special gold baseballs - much like the red-white-and-blue basketballs used for the final shot on each rack during the NBA`s 3-point shootout.
``I had fun, and I made it farther than I expected to, so I`ll take it,`` Rodriguez said. ``Bobby started off very hot, hitting long bombs, and he just kept doing it all night.``
Milwaukee`s Carlos Lee of Panama was knocked out in the semifinals. Also eliminated in the first round were Dodgers first baseman Hee-Seop Choi of Korea, Texas` Mark Teixeira of the United States and Atlanta`s Andruw Jones of Curacao, who has 27 homers - tied with Cubs slugger Derrek Lee for the major league lead.
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