Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting
07/11/2010 -
HOUSTON (AP) -Former Astros All-Star Jeff Bagwell is taking over as Houston's hitting coach after the team fired Sean Berry on Sunday.
Berry became ``a victim of circumstances'' as the Astros' offense has sputtered this season, general manager Ed Wade said. Still, Wade believes the offense can do more and hopes Bagwell can help that happen.
``We know we can get better, but we also know there are players here that should be better and hopefully with a different voice in Jeff Bagwell, they'll recognize the measure of accountability that they have in this whole process so we will get better,'' Wade said.
The move gives Houston hitters a chance to work with one of the most beloved and successful players in franchise history.
In 15 seasons with the Astros, the former first baseman set franchise records with 449 home runs and 1,529 RBIs. Bagwell was the National League rookie of the year in 1991, the NL's most valuable player in 1994 and a four-time All-Star.
Berry, who has been the hitting coach for the past five seasons, was given a chance to remain with the franchise in a development role. He hadn't yet decided if he'll accept that opportunity.
Wade knows great players don't necessarily make good coaches, but believes Bagwell will be successful after what he's shown working with the team as special assistant to the general manager since retiring in 2006.
``He's very levelheaded,'' Wade said. ``He communicates very well, particularly with regard to the nuances of the game. We've seen him have a significant impact on some of our minor league hitters with the information he's able to convey. So he's got the interest and the passion in doing this and we think it's appropriate to give him the opportunity to see if it works or not.''
Bagwell was not in uniform for Sunday's game against the Cardinals and will join the team Thursday in Pittsburgh for a workout before the start of Friday's series with the Pirates.
``Fans love Bagwell so that's the first thing. He's a legend here,'' center fielder Michael Bourn said. ``(He) did a lot of damage here so of course he knows how to hit. So I'm pretty sure he has some (things) he could point out to us and he's probably been seeing some things from up top. So we'll see what it does for us.''
The Astros entered Sunday's game with the second worst batting average in the majors (.237), the worst on-base percentage (.295) and are tied for 28th with just 57 home runs this season. Only Seattle and Pittsburgh have fewer hits than the 691 Houston has managed this year.
Star slugger Lance Berkman entered Sunday's game hitting .252 and cleanup hitter Carlos Lee is batting .238. Each has 12 home runs apiece. Second baseman Jeff Keppinger has the best average in Houston's starting lineup at .279.
Berkman said it stings to know the struggles of the offense cost Berry his job.
``I haven't hit and Carlos hasn't hit like he can and others haven't and it's not Sean's fault,'' Berkman said. ``It's one of those things that when things aren't going well with the players, you have to shake something up and the most expendable pieces a lot of times are the coaching staff.''
Though he was disappointed to see Berry leave, Berkman is looking forward to working with Bagwell.
``Jeff has always been one of my mentors in the game and I'm excited that he's going to be around more,'' Berkman said. ``I told him (Saturday) that he helps me more than anybody even when he's not around just from all the things that he told me during the time that we played together. So it will be great to have him around and have his expertise available.''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.
<< Czechs complete Davis Cup quarterfinal win over Chile
Coquimbo, Chile (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ivo Minar won the second reverse singles
match for the Czech Republic on Sunday to complete a 4-1 rout of host Chile in
the Davis Cup quarterfinals.
Minar posted a 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 victory over Cristobal
<< Kuo to replace Heyward at All-Star game
NEW YORK (AP) -Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Hong-Chih Kuo has been selected to replace injured Atlanta Braves outfielder Jason Heyward at the All-Star game.Heyward is on the 15-day disabled list because of a deep bone bruise in his left thumb. He wi
<< Royals' Greinke scratched from start
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Royals scratched reigning
American League Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke from his scheduled start
Sunday against the Chicago White Sox.
The right-hander is experiencing discomfort
<< Astros name Bagwell hitting coach
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Astros have named Jeff Bagwell
their new hitting coach, replacing the fired Sean Berry.
Bagwell had been serving as a special assistant to the general manager since
his retirement in 2006. He
Dodgers' Kuo to replace Heyward on All-Star team >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Hong-Chih Kuo
has been named as the replacement for Atlanta outfielder Jason Heyward on the
National League All-Star team.
Heyward was a fan-elected starter for the team,
World Cup final scoreless at halftime >>
Johannesburg, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Netherlands and Spain are
scoreless through 45 minutes of the FIFA World Cup final at Soccer City
Stadium on Sunday.
Spain threatened a few times in the early going and nearly
Twins salvage series finale with Tigers >>
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Michael Cuddyer went 2-for-3 with a two-run
double and scored a run, as the Minnesota Twins defeated the Detroit Tigers,
6-3, in the finale of a three-game series at Comerica Park.
Jason Kubel chipped i
Santana, Mets salvage series, shut out Braves >>
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Johan Santana tossed seven scoreless innings
and Ike Davis supplied a solo home run, as the New York Mets beat Atlanta,
3-0, to salvage the finale of a three-game series at Citi Field.
Santana (7-5) sca
The most popular sports to bet on are NFL and college football along with NBA and NCAA basketball. There are multiple betting opportunities within those sports, beginning with the basic wager on a game’s outcome (also called betting the side). College Football Point spreads are used in both football and basketball in an attempt to even the attractiveness of each team in a match-up. ( See our article detailing how and why point spreads are made)
But you could also simply bet on the money line, or straight-up winner of the game. Oddsmakers use the money line so that more money must be risked on the favorite or expected winner and less money on the underdog to balance the action on both sides. While money line gambling is an attractive option for football and basketball bettors who only care about picking a winner, it is the primary option for those bettors who enjoy wagering on MLB baseball and individual sports like boxing, tennis, golf and racing events such as NASCAR. ( More details on playing the Money Line)
Another bet across all major team sports including football, basketball, baseball, and hockey involves wagering on the amount of scoring in a game, called an Over/Under total. For example, the Over/Under total on Super Bowl XXXIX was 48, which means a bettor could wager whether there would be more or less than 48 points scored by both teams combined in the game.
The final score of Super Bowl XXXIX was 24-21; the scoring of both teams added up to 45, which means the game went Under . So Under bettors won, and Over bettors lost.
Sports gambling doesn’t end there. Betting sides and totals are the most common wagers available everywhere, but many sportsbooks also offer future bets on big upcoming events like who will win next year’s Super Bowl and what movie will win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
The main advantage of futures is that you can get appealing odds by betting far in advance. For example, with NFL futures you often can get much higher odds on a team by betting before the season even starts. A NFL future bet on a team to win the Super Bowl odds might be 20/1 in the preseason; but by midseason, their odds might decrease to 10/1 if they turn out to be legitimate championship contenders.
Involves one individual wager, whether it be on your team to cover the point spread, to win the game straight-up on the money line, or to go over/under the total.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting