AL Central: The aftermath of the Call Heard 'Round the World

Baseball Betting Lines

06/04/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Major League Baseball's latest, and perhaps most compelling, argument for more instant replay came during the ninth inning of Detroit's 3-0 win over the Cleveland Indians Wednesday night.

Tigers' right-hander Armando Galarraga was one out away from a perfect game when Indians' shortstop Jason Donald dribbled a ground ball to the right side of the infield. First baseman Miguel Cabrera went to his right, fielded the grounder and flipped it to Galarraga, who clearly tagged the bag a step ahead of the runner.

Cabrera, Galarraga, and 17,000-plus fans at Comerica Park began to celebrate -- until Joyce shook the baseball world by signaling Donald safe, thus ending Galarraga's bid for perfection.

While Joyce's blown call will go down in baseball history, Galarraga's gem, unfortunately, will not. Still, to truly appreciate what transpired on that epic night in Detroit, you have to look at the path Galarraga traveled leading up to Wednesday's performance.

That journey began in 2008, when he led the team in wins as a rookie. But the next season he struggled mightily, and by the fall he was out of the rotation altogether. Entering Spring Training this season, the team's fifth starter spot was a battle between Galarraga, Dontrelle Willis and Nate Robertson.

However, Galarraga's struggles continued and he was the first candidate sent to Triple-A Toledo, where he spent the first five weeks of the season until being recalled on May 16. Meanwhile Willis, who eventually won the job, was dealt to Arizona this past Tuesday. That move opened the door for Galarraga to rejoin the rotation for another chance to prove himself.

Mind you, Galarraga had never even pitched nine full innings in any of his previous 56 starts. But armed with a more crisp slider and pinpoint control of his fastball, he went right to work on the Indians' lineup.

When all is said and done, one could argue that Galarraga will be better remembered for the events of Wednesday night, more so than had he became the 21st big league pitcher to record a perfect game. After all, we're talking about what is already widely regarded as one of the most controversial blown calls in the history of the game. Then again, don't try to sell that to Galarraga.

All throughout Detroit, and most of the country for that matter, he will be remembered as the only pitcher to toss a 28-out perfect game.

Unfortunately for the 28-year-old Venezuelan, that asterisk-laden honor will have to be his consolation prize. Well that, and a new cherry red Corvette, which was presented to him prior to Thursday's game from the folks at Chevrolet for his performance and sportsmanship in handling the gaffe. As a show of class and compassion, Galarraga presented the lineup card for Thursday's matinee to an emotional Joyce, who was working the game as scheduled as the home-plate umpire. The previous night, after watching the replays in the umpires room, Joyce offered a personal apology to Galarraga, which the Tigers' right-hander graciously accepted.

Now the buck is passed to commissioner Bud Selig, who joined the masses in acknowledging the game should have ended differently. Selig released a statement on Thursday that read, "Given last night's call and other recent events, I will examine our umpiring system, the expanded use of instant replay and all other related features."

Cowboycasion Baseball Betting News

<< Cavaliers GM Ferry resigns
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry has resigned, the team announced. Ferry had been the team's GM since June 2005, and the Cavaliers, led by LeBron James, made the playoffs in every season durin

<< NL West: There's no need to freak out on Lincecum
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tim Lincecum loses back-to-back starts and the entire city of San Francisco goes into a panic. Oh my word, the two-time defending National League Cy Young honoree is mired in a slump and may need Life Alert for the rest

<< Manhattan's Pickett going pro overseas
Riverdale, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Manhattan guard Rico Pickett will leave the school to pursue a professional career overseas, the school announced Friday. Pickett was an All-MAAC selection last season as a junior, leading the confe

<< Belmont Stakes - Bet on one of the "Dudes"
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nick Zito's Ice Box is the 3-1 morning line favorite for this Saturday's Belmont Stakes, but his come-from-the-clouds style might not be well-suited to the 1 1/2-mile race. Only one horse since 1998

<< Torrealba returns to Padres
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Diego Padres reinstated catcher Yorvit Torrealba from the restricted list Friday. He was placed on the restricted list Monday to attend to personal matters. To make room, the Padres optioned ca

Trio of FBS transfers joins Georgia State >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Georgia State football program continues to stockpile FBS transfers, adding former Georgia Tech offensive linemen Joseph Gilbert and Clyde Yandell, and former Auburn tight end Bailey Woods, GSU head coach Bill

Fowler ties 36-hole record, Woods improves at Memorial >>
Dublin, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rickie Fowler fired a six-under 66 and matched the 36-hole scoring record Friday at the Memorial Tournament. Meanwhile, Tiger Woods secured his spot on the weekend after missing the cut his last time out.

Braves aim for 10th straight win in clash with Dodgers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atlanta Braves winless starter Kenshin Kawakami will try to get in on the action when he takes the mound for Friday's second portion of a four-game set against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chavez Ravine. Kawakami hasn't won

Houston heads across the country to take on L.A. >>
Carson, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Three days after suffering a heart wrenching last-second loss to Red Bull New York in Harrison, NJ, the Houston Dynamo travel across the country to take on the undefeated Los Angeles Galaxy at The Home

Giants bring up Burrell >>
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Francisco Giants recalled outfielder Pat Burrell from Fresno on Friday and optioned outfielder John Bowker to their Triple-A affiliate. Burrell, 33, was previously released by the Tampa Bay Rays aft

FOOTBALL BETTING

Sportsbook Betting

After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

NFL Betting Lines

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.