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Cubs look ahead after Piniella says he will retireBaseball Betting Lines07/21/2010 - CHICAGO (AP) -Just like a long line of predecessors, Lou Piniella thought he could lead the Chicago Cubs to that elusive championship and end a drought that dates to 1908. Barring an epic turnaround, he can forget about that. General manager Jim Hendry will get another shot, though. New owner Tom Ricketts made that clear Tuesday, saying there won't be a change at the top after Piniella announced he's retiring at the end of the season and ending a long, colorful career. ``Jim is our general manager, full stock,'' Ricketts said. ``He will be leading the effort to find our new manager for next year and will be our general manager going into next year.'' Hendry, the GM since 2002, has come under scrutiny amid mounting losses the past two seasons. Big contracts to players such as Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Zambrano - not to mention signing Milton Bradley, who got banished late last season and ultimately traded to Seattle - have only added to the criticism. Even so, Ricketts is counting on Hendry to lead the team out of the wilderness. ``I said at our opening press conference that Day 1 was Square 1 for everyone in the organization,'' Ricketts said. ``I think from that day going forward, we had a very good offseason. I think Jim delivered on bringing in some players who contributed a lot this season. And we had a good offseason, no question. ``I think the second thing that I've seen the last eight months that gives me 100 percent confidence in Jim is that we have a good organization,'' he continued. ``The way that you win consistently in baseball is to draft well, to develop players well and to bring those players up to the major leagues to give you flexibility in your payroll and trades. I think we have the organization in place. I have the highest confidence in everyone in our organization, and I think that speaks well of Jim.'' Piniella sees hope for an organization that's gone more than a century without winning it all. ``Sooner or later, they'll break that barn door down and win a world championship,'' he said. That was the plan when Chicago hired Piniella after the 2006 season. The Cubs won the NL Central in 2007 and 2008 before things fell apart, but without a title, Ricketts said no era could be viewed as a success. ``Our goal is to win a World Series,'' he said. ``Our goal is to put a team on the field that can win the World Series every year. I can't envision an era without that and still calling it a success.'' Now, they're trying to pick themselves up while Piniella plans to move on after 18 years in the majors as a player and another 22 as a manager. Yankees manager Joe Girardi, the man Piniella beat for this job, has an expiring contract. So does the Los Angeles Dodgers' Joe Torre. Bob Brenly, who managed Arizona to a championship in 2001 and interviewed with the Cubs four years ago, is in the team's broadcast booth. Bench coach Alan Trammell and pitching coach Larry Rothschild have both managed in the majors. There's a popular choice at Triple-A Iowa, where Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg is managing, and Hendry said the former MVP is in the running. ``He's done a very good job in the system the last four years,'' Hendry said. ``I have a lot of respect for the way he's handled himself. A Hall of Fame player working in the minor leagues, he deserves to be a candidate.'' Sandberg is interested. ``I need to focus on what I'm doing here in Des Moines with these players and what my job is right now,'' he said. ``If the time came, if I was considered for that job in Chicago, I think that'd be a terrific thing just to be considered. The whole goal of any minor leaguer is to get to the major leagues, and I think that includes coaches and managers like myself.'' The 66-year-old Piniella, who made five trips to the World Series in his career and has three championship rings, is 1,827-1,691 overall and 308-271 with the Cubs after Tuesday's 14-7 win over Houston. He trailed only Tony La Russa, Bobby Cox and Torre in victories among active managers. ``Lou is an emotional guy and I know he's been frustrated because they reached the postseason and it looked like they were going to do it on a regular basis,'' Torre said. Known for his dirt-kicking tirades, Piniella had mellowed with Chicago. He made it clear Tuesday he was tired of the daily grind but didn't rule out consulting for the Cubs or another team. Piniella began managing in 1986 with the Yankees and lasted three years, including a stint as general manager. He managed the Reds from 1990-92, leading them to a World Series championship in his first season. He also got national attention during his time there for a clubhouse wrestling match with reliever Rob Dibble, who downplayed the incident and said ``we've been family ever since.'' After Cincinnati, Piniella had a long run in Seattle, where his teams won at least 90 games four times and 116 in 2001. Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez, who played for Piniella with the Mariners, called him ``a Hall of Fame manager and a great player.'' Woody Woodward, who hired Piniella when he was Seattle's GM, said, ``He came out here and made believers out of the Northwest.'' Now, after three tough years in Tampa Bay and two in Chicago after a good start, Piniella's career will likely end on a disappointing note. ``Everybody knows he's not going to let up,'' All-Star outfielder Marlon Byrd said. ``It's Lou Piniella. Have you seen one year where he's let up in his playing career or his managing career?'' --- AP Sports Writers Luke Meredith in Des Moines, Iowa, Howie Rumberg in New York, Beth Harris in Los Angeles, Gregg Bell in Seattle and Joe Kay in Cincinnati contributed to this report.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
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Brandon Roy Favorite to Win 2007 NBA Rookie of the Year Portland TrailBlazer’s guard, Brandon Roy, is MySportsbook.com’s overwhelming favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year odds. Despite missing 20 games due to an injury earlier this season, Roy has definitely put up the best numbers of his 1st year peers. In 32 games, Roy is averaging 15.3 PPG, 4.2 boards and 3.5 assists in over 33 minutes of play per game. While most rookies breakdown as the season progresses (see Morrison), Roy is only getting stronger as his playing time and scoring average has increased each month. Be sure to log on to MySportsbook.com to bet on the NBA. With the regular season about to hit the homestretch, it is important to point out that MySportsbook.com has the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry. To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTINGNCAA Football BettingMany fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.) "To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good." Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida. Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October. USC Trojans - 10.5 wins A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention. Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2 "There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach." Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1 The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines. Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1 If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J. Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines . |
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