By Michael Shapiro Updated 12:56 pm, Wednesday, August 5, 2015 The flurry of deals before Major League Baseball’s July 31 trade deadline made some teams so much better that it was reflected in changes to their odds to win the World Series. The Toronto Blue Jays, who acquired superstar shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and ace pitcher David Price, went from 15-1 to 10-1 to win the title, according to Jay Rood, who directs MGM’s sports book. Toronto “got one of the more dominant pitchers in the game,” Rood said, which helped move the line. Kansas City also added big-name talent (starting pitcher Johnny Cueto from the Reds and utility man Ben Zobrist from Oakland), but because bettors had already placed a lot of money on the Royals before the trades were made, MGM’s line on them remained at 7-2. Latest entertainment videos Now Playing: Now Playing 'Empire' spring premiere on March 28 Fox 26 Houston 'American Horror Story' Kathy … [Read more...] about Big baseball trades can change teams’ odds to win Series
Baseball
How trades affected baseball teams’ odds to win World Series
Betting on baseball: How trades affected odds to win title By Michael Shapiro Published 2:10 pm, Wednesday, August 6, 2014 One of the best ways to gauge trades made by baseball teams before last Thursday's deadline is by watching how their odds for winning the World Series fluctuated. The A's made two trades - the bigger of which included giving up outfielder Yoenis Céspedes for Boston starting pitcher Jon Lester and outfielder Jonny Gomes - and saw their odds improve slightly. Before the deadline, the A's odds at Wynn Las Vegas were 11-to-2 to win the title; after the trades, they dropped to 5-to-1. Before the season, the A's were 14-to-1 to win the title. If you'd watched ESPN after Oakland acquired Lester, you might have thought the A's were a virtual lock to win the American League pennant, but Johnny Avello, director of race and sports operations at Wynn, says the team has many hurdles to overcome. Among them: the loss of Céspedes and Oakland's tight … [Read more...] about How trades affected baseball teams’ odds to win World Series
Augie Garrido, Vallejo native and NCAA’s winningest baseball coach, dead at 79
By Jim Vertuno Updated 6:08 pm, Thursday, March 15, 2018 window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-5', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 5', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); Photo: HARRY CABLUCK, AP Image 1of/5 CaptionClose Image 1 of 5 Augie Garrido’s teams won five national titles. Augie Garrido’s teams won five national titles. Photo: HARRY CABLUCK, AP Image 2 of 5 Cal State Fullerton coach Augie Garrido is lifted by his 1984 NCAA national championship team as they celebrate after a 3-1 victory over Texas in the College World Series. Cal State Fullerton coach Augie Garrido is lifted by his 1984 NCAA national championship team as they celebrate after a 3-1 victory over Texas in the College … [Read more...] about Augie Garrido, Vallejo native and NCAA’s winningest baseball coach, dead at 79
Ervin Santana still can’t make a fist or grip a baseball post-surgery
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Tuesday will mark six weeks since Ervin Santana’s surgery on his right middle finger, but he has yet to resume gripping a baseball, much less throwing one. “It’s just exercise right now,” Santana, the Twins’ top starter the past three seasons, said Sunday morning. “We just take it one day at a time. The good thing is each day we see progress.” The swelling in Santana’s knuckle continues to diminish, but it’s still not completely out of the area. He still can’t make a fist with his pitching hand, for instance, which will be a key step before he’s allowed to practice his pitch grips. From there, he will have to begin a throwing program with light tosses as he tries to stay on a timeline originally slated for 10 to 12 weeks following Feb. 6 surgery in New York City. He spends more than an hour each day just moving his finger in various directions. During his down time, he received heat and … [Read more...] about Ervin Santana still can’t make a fist or grip a baseball post-surgery
Baseball fields to be named for civic all-stars
Three baseball fields in Minneapolis will be named for Twin Cities sporting figures. Two fields, funded by Major League Baseball and the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, will be named for Hall of Famer and former Twin Rod Carew, and for Star Tribune sports columnist Sid Hartman. Another will honor Eddie Phillips, businessman and grandson of the founder of the Jay and Rose Phillips Foundation, one of Minnesota's largest philanthropies, and a generous supporter of baseball in the city. The foundation contributed $1.3 million for renovations at Farview Park in north Minneapolis, where Eddie Phillips Field will be located. The Pohlad Family Foundation and the Twins Community Fund contributed $800,000 to the effort. Eddie Phillips, who had been a catcher on the Stanford University baseball team, was known in business for developing luxury consumer brands from vodka to gelato. He also engineered a $10 million donation to the Mayo Clinic for research into Alzheimer's disease, … [Read more...] about Baseball fields to be named for civic all-stars