I saw a book Monday morning that had the Angels at 5/1,and on Monday night now it is 7/2. LOL..DOWN A FULL POINT AND A HALF. Funny thing is the odds on the A'S,MARINERS,AND RANGERS stayed the same(amazing how they only adjust one.) They probably can't CONTAIN the BOSOX,or CHISOX IN THE PLAYOFFS.So,I wouldn't bet them to go farther than winning the division.They could though if the pitching got hot(remember they didn't have a healthy Colon in the playoffs last year. )Problem is that they don't have the offense they had in 2002.

Gander please, you must have a short memory. Varitek is a gutless coward and punk and not at all a tough guy. YOu sure have a short memory Tim. Two years ago a Red Sox pitcher plunked Arod who glared back at him and "big tough Varitek followed him down the line jawing like the punk he is". Next day Sheffield gets plunked, know what your ***** hero Vartitek did when he looked at the pitcher? he stayed in a crouch behind the plate and never moved a muscle. Just like a boy scout, And Gander don't you dare tellme don't remember that. What a *****, if I ever saw that guy in public I'd spit on him and call him a *****. He was such a guy the night before what happened when Sheff got plunked? Know what happened? What happened is that Varitek knew that Sheffield would literally rip his arm off of his body and start beating him over the head with it. NOBODY messses with Sheff, not if they wanna live. You can worship that fraudulent tough guiy all you want(Varitek) but hes a nothing and hes sure not a tough guy.

I sure as heck wouldnt spit on Varitek if I saw him in public. Not unless I felt like going down.

Coward is what Varitek is. All you would have to do is tell him that you knew Sheff, then he would offer to buy you dinner. YOu don't remember that? Come on Tim, Manny and Ortiz rock but after that incident I have always thought of Varitek as a punk. he hid under the bed like a kid afraid of monsters one night after going after Arod like he was Hulk Hogan. Blah.

Oracle,my boys gotta play Tampa starting Friday.I saw the Yanks lost to them on Sunday,and have had trouble in the past with them.They just get "up" for you guys or what?

Typical Yankees, they get up to play the big teams and play down to the bad teams level in the first half of the season. This has gone on for 4 years now. The yankees did the same thing last year and actually got swept by Tampa in the first half of the season!!!!! They were almost last into the all star break last year and still won the divison with a brutal schedule. This year they have by far the easiest schedule of any of the 4 top teams in the 2nd half of the year. They have 23 games with Baltimore and Tampa(more than 25% of all teh games they play!!!!!!)and when Cano comes back soon, and then Sheff for a Spetember push, they are gonna be very hard to beat. They also finish the season with like a 7 game homestand, thats huge.

Yankees at least won the series against Tampa. They blew a 5-0 lead on Sunday and should be within 2 of the Red Sox, instead they lie 3 behind.
Red Sox took 2 of 3 from the White Sox, the same exact team who beat up on them good last postseason. So I dont necessarily buy into the strength of schedule thing. Many of the top teams like the Yankees, Red Sox and White Sox play better against the stronger teams and let their guard down against the cellar dwellers.

Like every year, we are looking at a fantastic AL East battle, great wildcard races and what figures to be another bang up post season. I love baseball!

Me too Tim. But schedule does matter in the 2nd half of the season more than the first. In the first half noone is out of the races in the first two months and everyone is playing hard, even the bad teams. Come the 2nd half when the bad teams are clearly out of contention and not playing with as much zest its a different story. The Yanks have 23 games with Tampa and Balitmore and Id be stunned if they won less than 15 of them, most likely more. I think the way they have played without the two big guns and recently without Cano has been very good. Cano is a big guy to them. Hes sterling in the field and hits for average and occasional power. They will be getting him back within a couple of weeks. Thats a huge asset. Sheff's supposedly healing on schedule/ahead of schedule and should be back in early Spetember. I still think that 3rd baseman Duncan that everyone wants who is down in Clombus goes bye bye with a pitcher the Yanks don't want(Farnsworth, Myers, or Proctor) to another team for a picther and hitter. That kid will never see daylight behind Arod anyway. WHy not trade him for some players to help you win now. I think whatever AL team wins the AL wins it all. NL just doesnt impress me. Mets were supposedly so great and look what the Yanks and Boston did to them. The West is a joke and Cards are nowhere near as strong as they were last year.

American League West -FINALLY GETTIN' THE ODDS ABOUT WHERE I THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE.


OAK Athletics 4/5


LA Angels 3/1


TEX Rangers 15/4


SEA Mariners 8/1

8/1...6/1...11/2...5/1....9/2....7/2...3/1....12/5...19/10

OAK Athletics 6/5


LA Angels 19/10


TEX Rangers 100/30


SEA Mariners 10/1

OAK Athletics 5/4

LA Angels 7/4

TEX Rangers 100/30


SEA Mariners 10/1

Why do the odds have to be this confusing? Why cant they be based on one or two numbers, like horse racing. 5/2 or 3/1.

It's a way to show small changes in odds.As far as horse odds go,Oakland stayed at 6/5,and the Halos just went from 9/5 to 8/5.

6/5=$2.20 changed to 5/4=$2.25(including the dollar wagered)




19/10=$2.90 changed to 7/4=$2.75

It just gets really confusing. They should keep it as simple as possible and base all bets off one system of odds, most easiest to understand are win odds in horse racing. No need to make it any more confusing. When will those dummies in Vegas ever learn?

ACTUALLY,THEY LET YOU DISPLAY IT ANY ONE OF 3 WAYS.I just had it on fractions,but you can do it this way:

OAK Athletics +125

LA Angels +175

TEX Rangers +333

SEA Mariners +1000

OR this way:

OAK Athletics 2.25

L.A. Angels 2.75

TEX Rangers 4.333

SEA Mariners 11.00

Buddy, your Angels are doing you no favors losing two in a row to the Royals.

Royals played the Red Sox very tough. The Sox swept em but won 3 games by a total of 4 runs. 2 of the games finished 1-0.

Look for the Royals to make a huge run at the wildcard, LOL!

"Buddy, your Angels are doing you no favors losing two in a row to the Royals."



Hittin' me when I am on the deck huh? O.K., OVER 2 MONTHS TO GO.A team that has had a tough year(and goes on a winning streak,)is never really sure that they won't return to doing the things that hurt them.It's there in the back of their minds,and the 1st bad start from their ace pitcher(their leader)can put that fear and pressure on the next starter,and the pressure is passed on each day to the next starter in line.Three poor starting pitching performances(all caused by Lackey melting in the heat of a day game on Wednesday.)Santana is no leader.Colon is no leader.They were each expected to beat K.C...,but they are not stoppers.I can say the same thing for the offense(they are followers..if the pitchin' is good,they will hit...)Make no mistake,this team begins and ends with one,John Lackey,and they may not win again until he pitches a big game on Monday night.Sure this fat guy for K.C. PITCHED a gem on Friday,but Wednesday and Thursday's opposing pitching was only adequate,and the Angels did what losing teams do..leave men on base etc.Garrett Anderson has hurt this team very badly(If you can ask why this team is only .500 this year, I can tell you that this guy has been a huge lead weight that they are having to drag around.) Cabrera is a good hitter,but is under a great deal of pressure(trying to make up for the dead weight of Anderson.)The last 3 days he has pressed,and started to swing at stuff he wasn't swinging at the previous 2 weeks.Swinging very,very hard too. The team has struggled with bad defense all year(something I believe is somewhat due to their defensive leader-Erstad- being hurt.)Let me ask you,how they won,and why they lost in the playoffs last year? They beat a very good Yankee team how? After a poor performance in game 1,LACKEY GAVE UP 5 HITS AND JUST 2 RUNS IN GAME 2.Randy Johnson gave them game 3.In game 4,Lackey gave up just 2 hits and one run in 5 innings.They lost the game,but their ace(their leader)pitched very well.What happened in game 5? Santana struggled,but never quite gave up,and they took the series.Keep going.Where do you see the collapse?No not in the 1st game against the Chisox,and not in the 2nd game.3 losses to that point.How many runs had they given up in those losses? 4,3,and 2.So,where is the breakdown? Gee lets see.Game 3 against the Chisox.LACKEY goes out in the 1st inning and has nothing:

S Podsednik singled to right. 0 0
T Iguchi sacrificed to third, S Podsednik to second. 0 0
J Dye doubled to deep center, S Podsednik scored. 1 0
P Konerko homered to left center, J Dye scored. 3 0
C Everett grounded out to second. 3 0
A Rowand flied out to right. 3 0
3 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors

The series was over after the leader of the club did this.Why? Santana goes as Lackey leads.In game 4 ,what did he go to the mound and do:

S Podsednik walked. 0 0
T Iguchi hit by pitch, S Podsednik to second. 0 0
J Dye flied out to center, S Podsednik to third, T Iguchi to second. 0 0
P Konerko homered to left center, S Podsednik and T Iguchi scored. 3 0
C Everett flied out to right. 3 0
A Rowand struck out swinging. 3 0
3 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors

In game 5,although Byrd pitched o.k.,the Angel offense had given up way back in game 3(after their leader came to the mound with nothing.)This team will win when Lackey leads,and will lose when he struggles.Biggest game of the year (for them) is Monday Night at Tampa Bay.If Lackey comes out there ready to go,then they have a chance,because they will fight if he fights.They will give up if he doesn't have it.He is their only real leader.There are 3 winners on this team.Lackey,Erstad(hurt,)and KROD.Possibly Young Weaver,but not enough experience yet under pennant chase pressure(to know.)That is it.The others don't lead,and will accept losing.This is how they went from winning 8 in a row,to losing 3 in a row(their leader went to the mound with nothing.)Sure,I would like to see Escobar go out there tonite and pitch well.Same for baby Weaver tomorrow,but I know the game of the year is Monday Night in Tampa Bay.It is all on the line,and Lackey needs to go take that mound,and dominate all night long.That is gunna right this team,and it wont be right until he does it.






__________________

"Kansas City has won 13 of its last 19 games at Kauffman Stadium."

This doesn't help.Gander did you see this Luke Hudson pitch against your Redsox last Monday? Probably ready to throw the game of his life(like that fatboy did yesterday.)

Hittin' me when I am on the deck huh?

LOL...I just love to see the passion you show is all. I got no dog in this fight, so I am pulling for you to win the bet.