$30 million effect?

The St. Louis Cardinals spring training just got worse. A lot worse. Amidst the controversy swirling around the Albert Pujols contract negotiations, the Cards were hit with another low blow on Monday. 

Ace right-hander, (More importantly fantasy baseball stud) Adam Wainwright suffered a "significant injury," during a bullpen session and is likely out for the entire season. Fox Sports reported the Cards are seeking a second opinion on their right handed hurler, but things are not looking good for the city deemed "Baseball Paradise."http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/allstar/2009-07-13-stlouis-appreciation_N.htm.

The Wainwright injury will definitely effect the team in the 2011 season. I mean this guy posted some astonishing  numbers the passed three years. From 2008-2010 check out these stats.

50-Wins, Ranks #3 among active pitchers

2.68 ERA, Ranks #2 among active starting pitchers; 1 percentage point behind Roy Halladay's 2.67 ERA

1.14 WHIP, Ranks #4 among active starting pitchers

WOW! Those numbers would create quite a void for any big league ball club. So now what do they do? Good thing you asked. The Cards will be relying heavily on veteran righty Chris Carpenter, who turns 36 in  April. Carpenter is coming off a 2010 campaign where he pitched 235 innings, hos most since the 05' season. 

They will also be counting on their young lefty Jamie Garcia. Yes, he became just the third rookie since 2000 to post a sub-3.00 ERA. But the only reason he was eligible as a rookie was because he  himself had Tommy John surgery in 2008 and only pitched 37 2/3 innings in 2009. He pitched 167 1/3 innings last year. Hope they don't push him too hard. Beyond that it gets scary.

Jake Westbrook and Kyle Lohse? No thank you. Rumors are they might be interested in Kevin Millwood now. Here are his 2010 numbers with the Orioles. He went 4-16, with a 5.10 ERA (Ouch Charlie). 

How likely do you think it is, Pujols waives his no-trade clause to go to another team if the Cards are horrible? I can only assume the man wants to compete for championships. Entering the final year of his Pujols set a Spring Training deadline for St. Louis to come up with a renegotiation for his contract. Speculation was Pujols was asking for a 10-year deal, for $30 million a year!

 After putting up the insane numbers he has for the passed 10 years the man has earned every right to renegotiate his contract. But the $30 million-a-year question is, will the Cards lose their franchise player, because their ace in the hole is gone? Only time will tell....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNJe5aIfwJo

MLB 2011 Predictions

American League 
East:
Boston- 100-62
New York- 96-66
Baltimore- 86-78
Tampa Bay- 79-83
Toronto- 70-92

Central:
Chicago- 94-68
Minnesota- 91-71
Detroit- 81-81
Cleveland- 67-95
Kansas City- 62-100

West:
Texas- 94-68
Los Angeles- 81-81
Oakland- 80-82
Seattle- 60-102

AL MVP- Adrian Gonzo- Boston
AL Cy Young- King Felix- Seattle
Rookie of the year- Desmond Jennings- Tampa Bay
Manager of the year- Buck Showalter- Baltimore

National League 
East:
Philadelphia- 101-61
Atlanta- 97-65
New York- 81-81
Washington- 79-83
Florida- 69-93

Central:
St. Louis- 91-71
Cincinnati- 90-72
Chicago- 83-79
Milwaukee- 77-85
Pittsburgh- 62-100
Houston- 57-105

West:
Colorado- 94-68
San Francisco- 93-69
Los Angeles- 77-85
San Diego- 76-86
Arizona- 62-100

NL MVP- Carlos Gonzo- Colorado
NL Cy Young- Roy Halladay- Philadelphia
Rookie of the year- Dominic Brown-  Philadelphia
Manager of the year- Mike Quade- Chicago

Playoff Predictions 
ALDS- Boston Red Sox vs. Texas Rangers
The Rangers no longer have Cliff Lee or Vlad. The Red Sox added Adrian Gonzo and Carl Crawford. Rangers pitchers can't deal with the power and speed the Sox now possess on the base path. This should be and easy series for the Sox. Sorry Rangers fans, Josh Hamilton can't do it all on his own. Bring on the Yanks!
Prediction: Red Sox 3-0


New York Yankees vs. Chicago White Sox
The big question here is how the Yankees will deal with a new AL Central foe? The Yanks no longer have the services of arguably one of the best post-season pitchers of all time in Andy Pettitte. More importantly the pin stripes have never beaten an AL Central team not named Minnesota in the division series. They say there is a first time for everything!
Prediction: Yanks 3-1


NLDS- Philadelphia Phillies vs. St. Louis Cardinals
The hype surrounding the Phillies rotation this year is well deserved, drawing comparisons to the Atlanta Braves staff of the early 90's. The Phillies 2010 "Big 3," (Halladay, Oswalt, Hamels) ended on a high note. They combined for 13-1 record in the seasons final month and all posted sub-1.83 ERAs. Oh yeah I forgot to mention they added Cliff Lee to that staff. Sorry St. Louis, better luck next year.
Prediction: Phillies 3-0


Colorado Rockies vs. Atlanta Braves
I really like Atlanta Braves in 2011 just not in this series. I don't think Tim Hudson can duplicate last year stats, posting his first sub-3.00 ERA since 2003. Tommy Hanson scares me sometimes (Both good and bad). And if Troy Tulowitski and Carlos Gonzo stay healthy together this lineup can be very scary. Gonzo had a breakout year batting .336 with 34 homers and 26 steals. Tulo was arguably the best hitter in baseball in September belting 15 home runs and 40 RBI's. If they get hot watch out Braves fans!
Prediction: Rockies 3-1


ALCS:
Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees
This is by far the best rivalry in baseball. The Red Sox have never had a lineup like this in the playoffs so I expect them to be running like crazy. Question is, can Jorge and Russell Martin throw anyone out? I don't think so. Ultimately this series will come down to pitching and I give the Red Sox a slight edge there. Tough series to call but when these two match up in October its always timely hitting and pitching. How cliche does that sound? Ha!
Prediction: Red Sox 4-3


NLCS:
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies
This has the potential to be quite the firecracker. The Phillies rotation against two of the games best young stars (Tulo,Gonzo). I love the fight in the Rockies but if the Phillies can hit the baseball they should win easily. The Rockies just don't have enough fire power to match up with this jaw dropping pitching staff.
Prediction: Phillies 4-1


World Series:
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Boston Red Sox
Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee are just flat out better than anyone on Boston's staff.  Having said that, facing just a so-so San Francisco lineup in Game 1, Cliff Lee gave up 7 runs (6 earned) and didn't last 5 innings. They lost that game 11-7. In Game 5, Lee got the call again but surrendered a three-run homer to Edgar Renteria and they lost the game and the series 4-1...(Ouch Charlie!) As dominate as Lee has been, he will be facing a much better Red Sox lineup. This has the potential to be one heck of a series. If the Phillies bats are anything like they were in last years World Series the Red Sox can and will dominate.
Prediction: Red Sox 4-3 


Boston Red Sox 2011 World Series Champs!

Super Bowl XLV Prop Bets

The other day I read that over $1 billion will be wagered on Super Bowl Sunday. $1billion! So why are fans so infatuated with betting on the worlds biggest sporting event? Prop bets baby!


Proposition bets, (Side bet, prop bet, prop, or exotic) can be anything from statistics and fortuity in a regular season or playoff game to something so utterly ridiculous it has to make you laugh out loud, literally. It's that one-of-a-kind bet we could never think of on our own. Not a huge football fan? Who cares, with over 500 different prop bets on Bodog.com, I bet (No pun intended) you will find something that will keep you glued to the television all night. 


So without further ado, here is a list of my best SB XLV prop bets. Good luck!


How many times will Fox mention "Brett Favre" on TV during the game?
Over-2.5: -160
Under-2.5: -120


This is one of my top prop bets for Super Bowl XLV. If someone is dumb enough to think that Joe Buck and Troy Aikman alone wont break the 2.5 over you're taking crazy pills. In layman's terms....Any NFL game on TV+ possible Wrangler commercial+ Aaron Rodgers getting the monkey off his back+ possible late night picture texts with Brett= Take the over!


How long will Christina Aguilera hold the note "Brave" at the end of the National Anthem?
Over 6 seconds: -150
Under 6 seconds: +110


When I first saw this prop I was all about it. Went on youtube.com and looked up some of her previous renditions of the Star-Spangled Banner. The house just won't give us a break here. Every video I viewed shows Ms. Aguilera holding the note for 5-7 seconds. With the singers home team Steelers playing in the game I would bet she would milk the note for as long as possible. 


Advice- Take the over 


How many times will Fox show Jerry Jones on TV during the game?
Over 2.5: -150
Under 2.5: +110


This is a no-brainer to me. Game is at Jerry's world. The coldest weather in Dallas in 15 years. Aikman broadcasting. Prepare to see Jerry's luxury suite all night. Thank god the Cowboys didn't make it. 


Advice- Take the over


Will B.J. Raji be on the field for at least 1 offensive play?
Yes: -185
No: +145


This is a tough call because Raji will be dominating Doug Legursky all night on the defensive line. With two weeks to prepare for the game and knowing how tough the Steelers run defense is Packers head coach Mike McCarthy may be forced to use the big man on short yardage/goal line situations. After seeing the self proclaimed "Freezer," (6'2 337lbs...yeah right like 380) drop back into coverage, intercept a pass, and take it back 18 yards to pay dirt...How do I feel?


Advice- Yes, Yes, and Yes! Teach me how to Raji!


How many yards will John Kuhn rush for?
Over-5.5: -115
Under-5.5: Even 


Let me give you Kuhn's playoff rushing totals. Six carries, 8 yards, an average of 1.3 per carry. James Starks now starting and knowing the Steelers tough run defense, I don't see the Packers having a lot of rushing attempts. With that said, I know unless Starks is hurt Kuhn isn't touching the rock. 


Advice- Take the under and pray A-Rodg is slinging the ball around all night. 


Super Bowl XLV- Total Points scored by both teams. Here are some good odds:
56-60 Points (Both Teams) 8-1
61-65 Points (Both Teams) 10-1
66-70 Points (Both Teams) 11-1
71-75 Points (Both Teams) 12-1


Best Super Bowl XLV MVP odds:
Aaron Rodgers- +175


There is just a few different ways for you to lose money on this wonderful SB Sunday. Good luck! Go Pack Go!