Yankees ink Cuban prospect Miranda to four-year deal
Baseball Betting Lines
12/22/2006 - Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees signed Cuban-born infielder Juan Miranda to a four-year Major League contract on Friday and added him to their 40-man roster.
Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The 23-year-old Miranda, born and raised in the Cuban town of Consulacion del Sur, played on the Cuban national team from 2002-2004. He defected to the Dominican Republic in early 2004 and gained citizenship in the country last year.
The left-handed hitter held a .303 average with 27 home runs while playing for the Cuban national team. He also walked 73 times and struck out just 87 times.
"Juan Miranda has impressed our scouts with his talent and strength," said Yankees' Dominican Republic Scouting Supervisor Ramon Valdivia. "He is capable of playing the outfield and first base, but his biggest asset is his bat. He has the ability to hit for power while showing excellent plate discipline. We're excited to see what he can contribute to the future of this ball club."
Miranda will likely battle Andy Phillips and Josh Phelps for first base playing time, as Jason Giambi is expected to see much of his duty as the club's designated hitter.
If Miranda makes New York's opening day roster, he would become only the 13th Cuban-born player to appear in a game for the Yankees and the first position player since infielder Orestes Destrade donned the pinstripes in 1987.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Last year's NFC Champions and one of the favorites to win this season's AFC title get together Sunday in Seattle, as the Seahawks welcome the powerful San Diego Chargers to Qwest Field. The AFC West champion Chargers curre
<< Raptors eyeing division lead
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Raptors are in the midst of a four-game road
trip and will need to keep pace with Boston and New Jersey in the Atlantic
Division standings.
The Raptors have won four of their last five games and are tied
<< Browns, Bucs, Play for Pride, Draft Position
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In a year where it seems like every team has a shot at the
playoffs, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns meet this Sunday in a
battle for draft positioning.
With two weeks left in the regular season, Tampa Bay an
<< Titans, Bills, Seek to Maintain Momentum
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tennessee Titans didn't need rookie quarterback Vince
Young to lead them to their fifth straight win last week, because the defense
did all the work. The Titans are likely to require more of Young's services on
Sunday, wh
<< Playoffs Remain a Possibility for Rams
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The playoffs are still on the minds of the St. Louis Rams,
and they will try to do whatever it takes to stay afloat in the crowded waters
of the NFC postseason race.
St. Louis will shoot for its second straight win on Sund
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In football terms anyway, the New York Giants can relate. Not that their five-losses-in-six-weeks is comparable with the off-field issues laid upon the New Orleans Saints last season, but the fallout of what's gone on in g
Can Pats Break Jags' Home Stranglehold? >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New England Patriots will become the latest team to try
to solve the mystery of Alltel Stadium on Sunday, when they visit the
Jacksonville Jaguars in a game rife with postseason implications.
The Jaguars, who are tied
Chiefs Need Win Over Raiders, Holiday Miracle >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With a 7-7 record that includes a woeful 3-7 mark within
the AFC, the Kansas City Chiefs need a great deal of help to realize their
playoff dreams.
But first, the Chiefs must help themselves.
Herm Edwards' team travels
Colts Carry New-Found Momentum into Houston >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Indianapolis Colts will attempt to move one step closer
to securing a first-round playoff bye this Sunday at Reliant Stadium, where
the AFC powerhouses visit a Houston Texans team they have owned in recent
years.
The
Determined Bengals Await Broncos, Cutler >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Appropriately, the Denver Broncos' quest for a spot in the
AFC Playoff bracket could come down to a wild card.
He wears No. 6.
Rookie Jay Cutler will make his fourth career start when the Cincinnati
Bengals invade Inves
Work left to do: Villanova, Syracuse, DePaul, West Virginia, Providence
Notre Dame and Louisville appear to have done enough to make the move, so we'll make them locks. The Cardinals, despite a modest RPI, are trending way up and have clinched at least a tie for third in the Big East, which should be more than enough with their pair of big road wins. Villanova got back to .500 and gets back to more solid footing. Syracuse got a very important road win and crippled a fellow contender in the process. West Virginia's fate could be in its hands Tuesday at Pitt.
Work left to do:
Villanova [18-9 (7-7), RPI: 21, SOS: 5] Pounded Rutgers to get back to .500. If Cats can get their last two (at UConn, vs. Syracuse), that should be enough with strong computer numbers and a host of wins away from The Pavilion. The Cats have beaten Texas and swept the Big 5 (never easy in Philly), but have a couple of losses to bubble teams (Xavier, Drexel), too. I still think they'll be OK, possibly even at 8-8.
Syracuse [20-8 (9-5), RPI: 53, SOS: 62] History says 10 wins will be plenty, but it might be hard for the Orange to get that last one with a final two vs. G'town, which is trying to win the league title, and at Villanova, which will be desperate for a W. The relative lack of nonconference heft and the weak computer numbers are still concerns, but the Orange have won four in a row and got a very, very big win at Providence on Saturday.
DePaul [16-12 (8-7), RPI: 54, SOS: 18] Beat Cincy and should get past South Florida to get to 9-7, but then what? They have beaten Kansas and Cal (right after the DeVon Hardin injury) earlier this season, but also have lost to Bradley and Purdue, among others. They'll likely need a couple of BE tourney wins, too, but we'll see ...
West Virginia [19-7 (8-6), RPI: 58, SOS: 125] The game at Pitt on Tuesday night could decide the Mountaineers' fate (barring a deep tournament run). They can still get to 9-7 in the Big East without it by beating Cincinnati, but the nine wins would be against UConn, Villanova, St. John's, South Florida, DePaul, Rutgers, Seton Hall twice and the Bearcats. Beating bubble foes is fine, but where's the beef? Outside of beating PG-less UCLA in nonconference play (still a top quality win), there's not a lot to fall back on (besides maybe NC State). WVU vs. Syracuse would be an interesting debate, as the teams don't play in the Big East regular season. WVU has the best win, but Cuse has played the much better schedule.
Providence [17-10 (7-7), RPI: 70, SOS: 33] The Friars likely saw their at-large hopes die at home in the four-point loss to Syracuse, barring an unexpected run to the Big East semis or more. The RPI, bad already, won't be helped by playing St. John's and South Florida in the final two league games.
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American Idol Betting Season 6 Strategies
It's that time of year folks. Betting on American Idol Season 9. And we have plenty of American Idol Season 6 strategies appearing below. With the Top 24 finalists revealed, online gambling sites will be offering betting odds on each of them, including MySportsbook.com.
No other “event” has been growing as fast as wagering on American Idol. It has turned into a huge betting event with reasonably high limits and all sorts of profit-making potential for sharp bettors. Last year, MySportsbook.com experienced unprecedented traffic as a result of the American Idol betting craze.
Every week there will be odds to win American Idol, various elimination props and contestant versus contestant match-ups at the MySportsbook.com website.
Whether a fan of America’s top-rated show or watching only because of a wife or girlfriend, here are some of basic strategies to use when betting American Idol.
Odds to Win
There are a few things to consider when looking for the right win bet. First off, remember that this bet is for the long haul. Many people make the mistake of picking the performer who sang the best the previous week. This strategy leads to an underlay situation – betting a price, which is less than what it should be.
All Idol contestants struggle at some point in the competition, so you should always look for value. In last year’s competition alone, two performers who had some of the best performances early in the series were subsequently bet down to low prices - Lisa Tucker and Ace Young. After just a few weeks, Tucker had already been eliminated, while Young quickly became a huge long shot to win America’s largest talent search.
A better strategy is to look for performers who don’t necessarily get the praise from the judges, but show flashes of the talent necessary to go the distance.
Another important thing to remember when betting any contestant to win is the demographic breakdown of the voters, the viewing public and potential future CD purchasers. Unlike sporting events, American Idol is not decided on the field of play – it’s decided by the American public under the guiding influence of the shows producers.
Understand that the great state of Alabama has a mighty edge when it comes to American Idol.
Therefore, to be successful betting on American Idol, put any personal opinions or prejudices aside and think like the majority of the voting public. Remember that the typical voter is young, female and quite often, Southern.
If a contestant cannot appeal to this demographic, no matter how much talent he or she possesses, they’ll struggle for votes. Looks, demeanor and charisma are extremely important. And it’s no coincidence that every Idol winner so far has hailed from a Southern state.
Elimination Props
Every week MySportsbook.com anticipates offering a prop on who’ll be eliminated from the show each Wednesday night. A suggestion to handicap this is to gauge an overall feel for who’s the least popular contestant left in the competition. Generally the least popular performers have recently appeared in the bottom three and will have been the target of repeated criticism from the judges.
Last year, resources included dialidol.com and votefortheworst.com. Dialidol.com measures the volume of each contestant’s voting line. While by no means a perfect science, it does give a good indication of who is generating votes and who isn’t. Meanwhile, votefortheworst.com is a site that attempts to build support for the worst competitor to keep them in the competition for ‘entertainment’ value. The site has a proven track record of keeping performers around who most feel should have been voted off a long time ago.
Contestant vs. Contestant Match-ups
The best strategy for doing well on match-ups is to assess how close either of the contestants is to being eliminated. If neither is expected to be voted off of the show in the coming weeks, the value is almost always on the underdog. If both are expecting an imminent exit in the near future, the favorite in the match-up might offer value.
Watch for American Idol betting odds on each of the contestants shortly and good luck with these American Idol betting strategies.
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