What Bettors Need to Know: MLB All-Star Game
By JON KUIPERIJ
Baseball's best will gather in Anaheim for the 2010 MLB All-Star Game Tuesday, also determining which league will have home-field advantage in this year's World Series.
The National League owns a 40-38-2 advantage over the Junior Circuit in the all-time series, but the American League has dominated recent meetings.
The replacements
A more fitting nickname for this year's Midsummer Classic might be “The Replacements”. At least fourteen of this year's selections will not be competing in the All-Star Game, eight of those from the American League.
For the AL, Justin Morneau, Victor Martinez, Dustin Pedroia, Clay Buchholz and Mariano Rivera are all sidelined by injuries, while Trevor Cahill, C.C. Sabathia and Jered Weaver won't be available because they pitched Sunday.
Taking their place will be some familiar names (Paul Konerko, Andy Pettitte, Justin Verlander) and some lesser knowns (John Buck, Ian Kinsler, Andrew Bailey and Rafael Soriano). Adrian Beltre is a question mark for Tuesday's contest after hurting his hamstring in the last game before the break. Joe Mauer also comes into the game a bit banged up.
The NL will be without Chase Utley, Jason Heyward, Jose Reyes, Troy Tulowitzki, Yovani Gollardo and Billy Wagner. Rafael Furcal, Jose Reyes, Heath Bell and Hong-Chih Kuo have been selected as replacements.
Beating up big brother
The AL currently enjoys a 13-game unbeaten streak in the midseason showcase, including the 7-7 tie debacle in 2002, and has lost the All-Star Game only three times since 1988.
The AL isn't exactly outclassing its National League opponents, however. The past four games have been decided by one run, including a 15-inning affair two years ago.
One other thing for bettors to keep in mind is that the National League has never won an All-Star Game that was aired on FOX, the network that will carry Tuesday's contest.
Talking totals
Though the All-Star Game features the best hitters in the game, it's far from a perennial slugfest.
An average of just seven runs per game have been scored in the past four contests. Occasionally, the big bats do come out to shine. From 2002-2005, the All-Star Game averaged 13 runs per game.
Game of shadows
Hitters will be dealing with more than some of the game's top arms Tuesday, especially in the early going.
First Pitch at the All-Star Game will fly shortly after 5 p.m. local time at Angel Stadium, meaning the first few innings will likely be affected by shadows from the setting sun. Angel Stadium in Anaheim is considered by many to have the most difficult shadows of any park in baseball.
"If you have a guy who's a real hard thrower with crisp breaking stuff and you put him in the shadows, it will amplify his stuff," Angels manager Mike Scioscia told the New York Times during last year's playoffs.
Arms race
It’s hard not to like the pitchers that NL manager Charlie Manuel will have at his disposal Tuesday.
The National League staff will include three former Cy Young Award winners in Tim Lincecum, Roy Halladay and Chris Carpenter and 15-game winner Ubaldo Jimenez looks like a lock for the Cy Young honors this season.
Also in the pen are big-name starters Adam Wainright, Tim Hudson and Josh Johnson, as well as relievers like Brian Wilson, Matt Capps, Arthur Rhodes, Heath Bell and smoke-throwing closer Jonathan Broxton.
The AL’s staff is inexperienced, by comparison. Besides veterans Cliff Lee, Jon Lester, Justin Verlander and Andy Pettitte (C.C. Sabathia isn’t eligible to pitch), the starters available to Joe Girardi are first-time all-stars David Price, Fausto Carmona and Phil Hughes.
Matt Thornton, Jose Valverde, Andrew Bailey, Rafael Soriano and Joakim Soria are excellent late-inning options.
All-Star Game preview
By Brian Edwards
VegasInsider.com
The National League hasn’t tasted a victory at the All-Star Game since 1996, when the NL captured a 6-0 win at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. Since then, the AL has cashed tickets at an incredible 12-0-1 clip. Remember, Commissioner Bud Selig called the 2002 game at Miller Park in Milwaukee a tie when it went extra innings and both teams were basically out of arms. That situation prompted all bets to be refunded.
In tonight’s All-Star Game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, most books are listing the AL as a minus-120 favorite with a total of 8 ½ ‘over’ (minus-115). Gamblers can take the AL on the run line (minus 1 ½ runs) for an attractive plus-170 payout (risk $100 to win $170).
We should note that the AL has won by just one run in each of the last four Midsummer Classics, including last season’s 4-3 victory. We’ve seen seven combined runs or less in three of the last four All-Star Games.
Colorado RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (15-1, 2.20) will get the starting nod for the NL, becoming the first Rockies’ player to ever garner that honor. Jimenez has single-handedly kept his club in the NL West race during the first half of the season.
“It's just a huge honor for me to be out here," Jimenez told the Associated Press. "Hopefully we can put everything together and break the losing streak."
The rest of the NL’s pitching studs include Florida’s Josh Johnson, who has an MLB-best 1.70 ERA. Also, Atlanta RHP Tim Hudson will make his first All-Star appearance since coming to the Braves. He went to a pair of All-Star Games for the AL when he was with the Oakland A’s.
The AL will counter Jimenez with Tampa Bay LHP David Price, who owns a 12-4 record and 2.42 ERA. The AL also has arms like Boston’s Jon Lester, Texas’ Cliff Lee, New York’s Phil Hughes and Detroit’s Justin Verlander.
NL skipper Charlie Manuel has Florida’s Hanley Ramirez set as his lead-off batter, followed by Martin Prado of the Braves. Prado leads the NL in batting average (.332) and his making his All-Star Game debut. St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols will hit third, while Philadelphia first baseman Ryan Howard is in the clean-up spot (although he’s the DH in this game).
Batters 5-9 in the NL order look like this: New York’s David Wright, Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun, L.A.’s Andre Eithier, Milwaukee’s Corey Hart and St. Louis’ Yadier Molina.
The AL lineup starts with a pair of mainstays on this roster, Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki in the leadoff spot and New York’s Derek Jeter in the two-hole. Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera, who is a legitimate triple-crown candidate this season, will bat third and be followed by Texas slugger Josh Hamilton.
The rest of the AL lineup, in order, consists of Texas DH Vladimir Guerrero, Tampa Bay 3B Evan Longoria, Minnesota C Joe Mauer, New York 2B Robinson Cano and Tampa Bay OF Carl Crawford.
The winner gets homefield avantage in the 2010 World Series.
**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**
Boston slugger David Ortiz won last night’s Home Run Derby over runner-up Hanley Ramirez of the Marlins. Most books closed Ortiz with plus-350 odds, so bettors were paid $350 on $100 wagers.
Three injured players were voted into the All-Star Game but will not play: Atlanta rookie Jason Heyward, Philadelphia second baseman Chase Utley and Minnesota designated hitter Justin Morneau.
New York’s C.C. Sabathia, Oakland’s Trevor Cahill and Los Angeles’ Jered Weaver cannot pitch since they started on Sunday.
Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution discusses how the Braves need Yunel Escobar to step up after the All-Star break.
David O'Brien of the AJC says Jason Heyward is glad he came to the All-Star Game even though he can't play because of an injured thumb.
vegasinsider.com
Having fun with the 2010 All-Star Game
By Doug Upstone
Of the various All-Star events, baseball’s is the best since the game is still in its purest form compared to the others. Basketball and hockey are defenseless matches designed for entertainment, football, not really sure what that even is with its special rules. Baseball is about pitching and hitting, just like it is for 162 games during the season, only with the sports brightest stars.
This year’s “Mid-Summer Classic” returns to Anaheim for the first time since 1989, when the host team was known as the California Angels. That season the Kansas City Royals Bo Jackson was the star of stars, taking home the MVP trophy.
The All-Star contest has had unusual runs of domination during its previous 80 conflicts (AL leads 40-38-2). Starting in 1950, the National League dominated the action, winning 33 of 40 games played, with one tie. Though the American League has not approached that length of dominance, they have controlled the action with 12-0-1 mark since 1997.
It is not a coincidence the American League has made the National League it own personal punching bag for over a decade. In reviewing the two All-Star rosters, the American League has more balance in terms of creating base hits and power, while the National League is lagging in the power department. The situation is made worse as three of the senior circuit’s top vote-getters are on the disabled list. (Chase Utley, Placido Palanco and Jason Heyward)
The National League is a +110 underdog based on recent history and being the visiting team. Nevertheless, they will have a number of quality arms to toe the rubber with the likes of Ubaldo Jimenez, Josh Johnson, Tim Hudson and others.
The total of 8.5 could be a very inviting wager, as only five of the last 19 All-Star games have matched or gone below the number. However, playing in California does create different circumstances, since there will be ample sunlight early in the contest because of the start time, followed by a period in the middle innings when pitchers should have edge before the lights take full effect after dusk.
One of the best aspects of the All-Star game that few know about is Ichiro Suzuki’s pregame speech. Ichiro has always made this a personal battle and his pre-game comments are legendary in the American League locker room, both for their intensity and hilarity, trying to find the right English words to convey his enthusiasm and desire for winning.
Sports betting enthusiasts will have the opportunity to make several different wagers besides the side and total at online sports betting outlets and it can be fun to check out the various prop bet options available and pick up extra cash while enjoying the game.
Given how the AL has controlled their baseball brethren from the other league, it’s difficult to bet against the junior circuit and an Over play is also a logical conclusion to make. However, with pitching so dominant this season, I’ll suggest it carries over and make a small wager on the Under.
Enjoy the game!