Should Philly have tanked versus Atlanta?

As a Phillies fan, I’ve been waiting all season for October. Ever since Philadelphia added Cliff Lee to its rotation, a postseason appearance was basically a formality for this squad.

But even though the Phillies won 102 games this year, it was game No. 162 that worries me the most. Philadelphia didn’t roll over for NL East rival Atlanta in the final game of the schedule, and eliminated the Braves’ shot at the NL Wildcard with a win in extra innings Wednesday.

That allowed the St. Louis Cardinals, a team that went 6-3 versus the Phillies this season, to waltz into the Wildcard spot and face Philadelphia in the Division Series starting at Citizens Bank Park Saturday.

Oddsmaker and pundits have the Phillies as sizable favorites over the Cardinals. However, St. Louis brings a ton of momentum into October after storming back from a 10.5-game hole in the Wildcard race to win 23 of its final 31 games – including taking three of four in Philly last month against the likes of Halladay, Hamels and Worley.

I think it would have been much safer to tank that final game of the season, and at least give Atlanta a chance to make the Wildcard in a play-in game versus St. Louis. The Phillies could have drawn the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS – a team they went 3-3 against in the regular season but have far less to fear from than the Cardinals’ veteran lineup.

Perhaps Philadelphia’s pride got in the way. Maybe the Phillies relished the opportunity to snu... [More]

Time to break up with baseball betting

Ah, summer love.

And I’m not talking about that shit John Travolta was singing about in Grease.

I’m talking about that relationship we’ve all had at one point in our lives over the summer months, that wasn’t so much about “love” but about having someone to go to late in the game – like a solid closer in baseball – if you know what I’m sayin’?

For the most part, summer relationships are there to kill time and fill the space between the end of the school year and the start of it. For a young man, the fall, especially in your university run, is like the NFL Draft for potential girlfriends. There's talent at every corner and every class.

The summer months, while they’re carefree and lack the daily grind of school, are more like the CFL Draft – you really need to put in some serious scouting if you want to find a gem.

And chances are, at one point, you’ve dropped your summer gal just in time for the school season, and its buffet-style dating options. It’s a cruel reality in the relationship game, one that is mirrored in the world of sports betting each and every fall.

Baseball has been sports bettors’ summer fling since the NBA Finals wrapped in June. She’s been there every day to get you through this slow period in action, but you were never really in love with her and most days, didn’t even feel like having her around.

Sure, you had some good times. Like that five-game parlay you nailed in July or jumping on the Pirates before t... [More]

Chicago pulls its Sox up for interleague play

There hasn’t been much to cheer about on the South Side of Chicago this season.

The White Sox have one foot in the basement of the American League Central and have burned loyal backers for almost nine units heading into Wednesday action.

But, grey skies are going to clear up for the ChiSox: Interleague play is on the way!

Chicago has been one of the best bets during the league-crossover contests, posting an 87-57 record versus National League foes since 2003 – a winning percent of over 60 percent.

Last season, the Pale Hose went 15-3 against NL opponents like Florida, the Cubs, Pittsburgh, Washington, and Atlanta. In 2009 and 2008, they put up identical 12-6 records versus the Senior Circuit and, since 2003, have only posted two losing years during Interleague play (4-14 in 2007 and 8-10 in 2004).

Sure, teams change year from year and the White Sox’s success against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who they host this weekend, or the remaining NL teams on their sked isn’t guaranteed. But Chicago seems to be finding its stride after a slow start, winning seven of its past 10 games heading into Wednesday’s tilt with the Texas Rangers.

The ChiSox picked up a lot of momentum and much-need confidence during a recent West Coast road trip. They have been getting solid work from their staff this month (2.94 ERA in May) and have been producing a bit more offense during this streak (4.1 runs last 10 compared to 3.81 for the season), which seems to ma... [More]

The Curious Case Of Manny Ramirez

Even four years removed from Fenway Park, Manny Ramirez was still making headlines in the middle of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry.

News of Ramirez’s sudden retirement broke through the back-and-forth slugfest between the AL East foes like a shattered bat flying into the stands Friday. The NESN broadcast screeched to a halt when the story broke and got even more off track when news that another failed drug test had prompted the then-Tampa Bay Ray to call it quits.

According to reports, Ramirez was informed about his second positive test and, instead of serving another suspension or face disciplinary actions, the 38 year old decided to retire. For Rays fans, this might have come five games too late, after Ramirez was a terrible 1 for 17 with four strikeouts in his short stint with Tampa Bay.

Ramirez had become a shell of his former self in recent years, lacking the scary power that used to rain down on unfortunately-parked cars on Lansdowne Street during his time in Boston.

Ever since testing positive for hCG while with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2009, for which he served a 50 game suspension, Ramirez was on a steep downward slide, eventually signing with Tampa Bay as a DH before the start of the 2011 season. The move was a desperate one by a franchise that just watched its top talents leave for big bucks in better baseball markets.

Ramirez was once one of the most-feared sluggers in the bigs, along with being its most colorful character. His... [More]