Turner Field: Don?t bet on home field

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Turner Field: Don?t bet on home field
by Matthew Ross


I recently had a chance to take in a Nationals-Braves game at Turner Field in Atlanta, Georgia, home of the Braves for the last ten seasons. While esthetically this park is appealing, it?s the lack of home field advantage that really caught my attention.

As a bettor, you look for characteristics and tidbits about cities and parks, so that you can file them away for future reference. Any nugget of info, no matter how trivial it can seem, cannot be overlooked when placing a bet on an event.

Take Turner Field. It was one of the first ?new retro? parks that have become all the craze in the Major Leagues. Backed by solid corporate sponsorship, deep-pocketed owners and a great location, it?s a venue that has all the makings of a real advantage for the Braves. Unfortunately, for anyone who has ever been there, you know right away that it should NEVER factor in your Braves game wagers.

A good home crowd is energized and packed before the game starts- this Friday night fan base I was a part of was still sauntering in into the fifth inning. An intimidating home crowd boos the opposing stars and wildly cheers the home heroes- Braves fans couldn?t care less who the opponent is and can barely bring themselves to clap politely when their Atlanta boys come up to the dish. The mark of a good team fan base can be felt with good spontaneous cheering, and euphoria when the good guys score- Braves fans barely make noise when their team scores and constantly need prompting by the scoreboard to remind them to make any sounds.

So what happened in Hotlanta? Did the fans get complacent with all the winning seasons? Is this just not a great sports town? Well, it?s probably a combination of both. Fortunately, Atlanta is off to a tough start to this MLB campaign and it could give spectators a different perspective on winning, perhaps reminding them just how precious success really is. Division title after division title is impressive, but it?s having supporters that stick with you through thick and thin that?s the mark of a good sports scene. Remember how many fans came to Atlanta baseball games in the 80?s before things turned around? We won?t see a drastic falloff like that, but spectators may stay away in droves this summer if the team does not pick it up.

So where does this leave the average bettor who wants to throw some action on a Braves home game? All we?re saying is don?t ever factor in the Braves crowd in your wagering decision. Factor in the pitcher, the opposing pitcher, the trends and streaks, heck even the weather! But do not think for a moment that visitors will be threatened, intimidated or at a disadvantage thanks to Braves fans.

After all, we even saw Nationals fans and personnel wildly cheering for their team right in Brave country and you didn?t hear one peep out of the home side. Where?s the sense of pride? If you?re getting some value with the money line or run line with the visiting team at Turner field this summer, don?t hesitate to go for it. Gosh knows the Braves fans won?t be stopping you.

Comments or Questions? Email Matthew@BetUS.com.

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Schilling still haunts Orioles
by Mark Rothstein



Could be a hall-of-famer



Glenn Davis last stepped to the plate in a Major League Baseball contest on May 23, 1993. Who cares, you ask? Well, fans of the Baltimore Orioles would care to forget all about Davis? forgettable tenure with the team, but that?s hard to do when you have a constant reminder of one of the worst deals in franchise history sitting in your division.

That reminder is Curt Schilling, who was a developing young fireballer back in 1991 when the O?s dealt him, along with outfielder Steve Finley and pitcher Pete Harnisch, to the Houston Astros for the slugging Davis. Schilling, Finley, and Harnisch went on to be productive Major League players; Davis hit 24 home runs over three years and retired.

Schilling returns to Baltimore this week when his Red Sox head down the coast for a three-game series that begins on Monday. And along with dredging up memories of trades gone wrong, Schilling has given Baltimore batters fits at the plate all season long.

In two starts against the Orioles this season Schilling has a perfect 2-0 record. On April 8 the righty limited the O?s to one run on three hits over seven innings in a victory, while on May 5 he gave up three runs on eight hits in seven innings in another win over Baltimore. Boston had been favored in those games, and Schilling delivered the goods.

On the season Schilling is 5-2 with a 3.76 ERA, and he?s struck out 50 batters and walked only nine in 52 2-3 innings pitched. However, the Red Sox ace hasn?t been at the top of his game in his last four outings - he?s given up 17 runs in 24 2-3 innings over that span, and has a 1-2 record since getting knocked around by the Tribe on April 25.

Those numbers might be a cause for some concern for Red Sox fans, but O?s fans wish their ?ace? was performing even to that level. Rodrigo Lopez has been awful all season, allowing at least four runs in each of his eight starts, and compiling a 1-5 record and a 7.03 ERA. Lopez gave up four runs on eight hits in a 5 2-3 inning outing against Boston on April 9, and also allowed four runs in 5 2-3 innings in another loss to the Sox May 5.

It?s not just Lopez that?s had trouble against Boston though; the Orioles are 0-6 against their division rival in 2006, getting swept in three-game sets in early April and early May. Lopez took the loss in two of those games, while the other four members of the Orioles? staff (Kris Benson, Erik Bedard, Bruce Chen, Daniel Cabrera) were all defeated as well.

Chen and Bedard should get a chance to exact some revenge in the next few days; Chen is slated to start Tuesday, while Bedard is scheduled to be Wednesday?s starter. Lopez will get the ball on Monday in the series opener; his spot in the rotation wouldn?t be secure on most teams, but Baltimore?s staff has bigger problems (eg. Chen) right now.

The last time the O?s came out on top of the Red Sox? That was September 2, 2005, or 12 meetings ago. Add it all up, and Baltimore?s outlook for this series is pretty grim. Bettors looking for action on this set might be tempted to wager on totals instead; in their six meetings this year, the Sox and O?s have split the OVER/UNDER results at 3-3.

With Boston?s two games against the Texas Rangers on the weekend getting rained out, their rotation has been shuffled around. Originally scheduled to start on Monday, Schilling now looks like he will be pushed back to Tuesday, with Josh Beckett taking the mound in the opener. Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield is the probable Wednesday starter.

The Red Sox and New York Yankees are currently tied atop the American League East division with identical 21-14 records. Boston has picked up a win in seven of its past 10 games, and is 10-8 on the road this season. The Orioles are 4.5 games back of Boston in the division, and have lost six of their last 10. At home Baltimore is 13-10 on the year.





Comments or Questions? Email FaceOff@BetUS.com.

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Lakers may have the last laugh
by Eric Williams



Bryant and Jackson a team



Yes, the Miami Heat are still playing and the Los Angeles Lakers had their season abruptly halted nearly two weeks ago in the first round of the NBA playoffs by the high-powered offense of the Phoenix Suns, but when it comes to comparing the respective possibilities for each franchise fielding a championship caliber team, the Lakers probably aren?t as far behind the Heat as most people might think.

It was widely assumed after the blockbuster trade that sent Shaquille O?Neal to the Miami Heat two seasons ago, that the Heat, with O?Neal and superstar-in-the-making, Dwayne Wade, would contend for a championship title much sooner than the Lakers, who were in the process of rebuilding their entire roster around Kobe Bryant ? and without former head coach, Phil Jackson at the helm.

While the Heat did meet the Detroit Pistons in last year?s eastern conference finals ? and the Lakers missed the playoffs for the first time in over a decade ? this season has been a totally different tale for both franchises.

I wrote in my NBA preseason column that I thought the Heat would take a step backwards this year with the acquisitions of Antoine Walker and Jason Williams and that certainly appears to be the case. The resignation of head coach Stan Van Gundy (whether forced or not) was a blow to the team I think that was been amazingly understated, maybe because of Riley?s reputation.

At any case, the Heat are a team that appears to have almost as many holes as it does answers at this point. Of course it helps to have two superstars in O?Neal and Wade, but the Heat will still have to go through the Detroit Pistons to make it to the title series.

The Lakers, on the other hand, overachieved mightily this season and gave the Phoenix Suns all they could handle before bowing out in the seventh game of the opening round. With the return of Phil Jackson, and the dominant play of Bryant, the Lakers had a resurgent season that they have to feel good about going into the offseason.

"We have to make some large decisions about this team, about who stays and what we build our team around," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "But we feel comfortable that we have a nucleus and that we can go from there. Hopefully, we can find some additional pieces that will make us a little bit better next year."

The Lakers, who have been off the mark the last two seasons with their free agents signings, will look to acquire either a starting guard or power forward and possibly both. The Lakers will have the No. 26 pick in the NBA Draft as part of the O?Neal trade, as well as the standard salary-cap exceptions available to each team in the league. They will have a midlevel exception worth around $5 million and a biannual exception worth $1.75 million.

There will be several veteran point guards and power forwards available that would be able to make a big difference on a team that is clearly in need of some leadership at the point and a low post banger.

The Lakers had better spend their money wisely though. Just last season, they picked up one of my most favorite players in the league in Aaron McKie when they could have had Raja Bell instead. They also went out and signed Vlade Divac two seasons ago and that move turned out to be a total failure. They are also still handcuffed with Brian Grant?s enormous contract until after next season, so if they are to improve on this year?s promising season, they had better be on the mark with their free agent acquisitions.

The Heat will also have some decisions to make, although not as many as the Lakers. O?Neal was noticeably slower this season than at any time in his illustrious career ? and the end is apparently in sight. He should have at least three or four more seasons left so, that isn?t Miami?s most pressing need. What the Heat still need is a backcourt partner to pair with Wade.

If Pat Riley truly believes that Jason Williams is the answer, then I can unequivocally say, that he is sadly mistaken. Walker also has seen better days and is nearing the end of his productive days as well. Miami does have Udonis Haslem, Wade and O?Neal as their core, but they will still need to address their backcourt.

Gary Payton is near the end of his career and the Heat really need to begin looking for a new point guard as well as a backup to Wade at the ?two.?

The loss of Alonzo Mourning due to an injury earlier this season, left the Heat without any interior defensive presence, so that is an area they may need to shore up as well. At this point, I?d have to realistically say that the Heat are probably a little bit ahead of the Lakers as far as fielding a championship caliber team, but not by much.

After the Lakers highly publicized breakup ? and last season?s ensuing season, O?Neal appeared to firmly have the upper hand in his personal vendetta with Kobe Bryant. Now, Bryant and the Lakers are showing signs of, not only resuscitating the past success of one of the league?s most storied franchises ? but of beating the Miami Heat and Shaquille O?Neal to the championship punch. Stranger things have happened, that?s for sure.