7-11-11

[Mr. IWS]

New Guys!

Don’t be afraid to post services if you come across any. Anything you contribute will be appreciated, and your user reputation will grow (the green dots under your name.)

Note:

ALL PLAYS POSTED ARE UNCONFIRMED UNLESS YOU BUY THEM YOURSELF. THERE IS BAD INFO PASSED AROUND FROM TIME TO TIME, SO PLAY AT YOUR OWN RISK

[timbob]

Arthur Ralph Sports

674- 509 57 % Run over 3 YEARS

Free one TUES Under 8 1/2 All Star Game Under the total

[timbob]

Mighty Quinn

Mighty's back! But not for long.

After his vacation to nowhere (July 2-10) ended Sunday, Mighty now must appear Monday morning at 9 o'clock sharp.

Yup. Jury Duty.

Since Mighty's answered the call for nearly 40 years and has yet to be selected for a case, he has his fingers crossed that this could be the week.

Being named jury foreman would be the icing on the cake.

Mighty's deficit holds at 2,404 sirignanos.

[timbob]

Hondo

Hondo closed out the first half yesterday the same way he started it -- with a pair of wins. Sadly, he was unable to duplicate that success in the middle-portion of the program, so after victories with the Twins and Giants, he still has IOUs totalling 1,675 alous.

Tonight, none other than Howard "Howie Hoops" Kussoy, the legendary Marvel of March Madness, recommends that Mr. Aitch swing for the fences with Prince Fielder (4-1) and Matt Kemp (7-1) in the Home Run Derby -- five units apiece.

Meanwhile, on the animal-racing scene, Vic C, one of the foremost Post punters, suggests a win wager on Feliciti Dancer in the seventh at Parx as well as an exacta box in the same race with Felicity Dancer and Ladder to the Moon. Two units on each.

[timbob]

Soccer Crusher
Play of the Day:
EtoileFC + HomeUnitedFC UNDER 2.5
This match is happening in China

[timbob]

bestpropicks

Costa Rica +2.0

[timbob]

Homerun Derby Information

With the National League playing host to Monday's Home Run Derby, and subsequently the All-Star game, the powers that be couldn’t have picked a better park than Arizona’s Chase Field.

Out of every major league setting, Chase Field ranks fifth in home run rate at 1.283 (according to MLB ballpark factor), watching 101 balls clear its outfield walls so far this season. Those numbers are tops among NL stadiums, setting the stage for some huge dingers Monday night.

Of course, it helps when the derby roster is stocked with some of the biggest swingers in baseball.

American League captain David Ortiz selected reigning home run champ Jose Bautista, Boston teammate Adrian Gonzalez, and Yankees rival Robinson Cano. National League captain Prince Fielder picked two-time contestant Matt Holliday, Triple-Crown threat Matt Kemp, and teammate Ricky Weeks.

That field has combined for 155 home runs heading into Saturday, with the AL holding an 80-75 edge over the NL. Since 2000, the Junior Circuit leads the Senior 6-5 in the derby, with Ortiz breaking the tie after rocking 32 total round-trippers and beating Hanley Ramirez in the final round last year.

According to oddsmakers, the AL will take the home run derby again this summer, pricing an American League player to win at -130, while a National League champ would pay off at +111. If MLB bettors have a good feeling about one of this year’s contestants, they might as well double-down on the derby with the league prop.

Here’s a closer look at the field for the 2011 MLB Home Run Derby:

Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays - 31 home runs (+330)

The Jays’ slugger is proving he’s no one-year wonder, leading the majors with 31 big-flys this season. Bautista heads into the contests with one of the hottest bats in the majors. He homered in all three games versus the Phillies last weekend and heads into Saturday with five homers in his last eight outings.

Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers - 22 home runs (+367)

Fielder won the derby in 2009, launching 23 total home runs and edging Nelson Cruz in the final, paying out at +500. This season, Fielder has depended on Miller Park to provide much of his pop, hitting 14 of his bombs at home. However, he’s been comfortable in his limited trips to Chase Field, hitting four home runs in 54 career at-bats in Arizona – which is about one per series.

Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals – 14 home runs (+367)

St. Louis’ slugger is red hot entering the weekend, with four home runs in his last five games heading into Saturday. That, however, didn’t help Holliday in last year’s derby when he entered the contest with four home runs in the week before the break. He managed only five home runs and finished fifth. He placed third in the 2007 derby and in 167 career at-bats at Chase Field, he’s only hit four big-flys.

David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox – 19 home runs (+383)

Ortiz entered the 2010 Home Run Derby priced at +300 in what would be his fourth try at the ASG HR crown. Big Papi finally came through, hitting 32 total four-baggers, including 11 dingers in the final round. He’s sitting with one more home run than he had at this point last summer, and is paying a bit more in the odds. He’s also gone yard in two straight games heading into Saturday’s slate. At this price, Ortiz is a great bet to become the first back-to-back derby winner since Ken Griffey Jr. in 1998 and 1999.

Adrian Gonzalez, Boston Red Sox – 17 home runs (+725)

Gonzalez is flourishing in the Red Sox lineup and leads the majors in most statistical categories. But he’s not really known as a big swinger, with just one home run in his last 11 games heading into Saturday. He mustered just two home runs in his lone derby appearance in 2009 (priced at +500). That said, he punished the D-backs every time he visited Chase Field as a member of the Padres, smashing 13 home runs in 169 career at-bats there.

Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers – 22 home runs (+737)

Kemp is flirting with history, chasing after the NL Triple Crown, but has fallen off the pace in the home run category. He’s failed to record a round-tripper in 10 straight games, heading into Saturday, and carries that power outage into Monday’s derby in Arizona. However, fellow NL contestants Fielder was in a skid before he won the derby in 2009 and Kemp has had plenty of looks inside Chase Field. He has four home runs in 124 career at-bats in the desert.

Robinson Cano, New York Yankees – 15 home runs (+888)

Cano is another slugger making his derby debt Monday. His totals have benefited from playing in the home-run friendly new Yankee Stadium, hitting 11 of his 15 HRs in the Bronx this season. He’s only had 12 at-bats at Chase Field during his six years in the bigs and has failed to go yard in those limited chances. However, if guys like Cal Ripken Jr. and Bobby Abreu can win the derby, so can Cano.

Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee Brewers – 17 home runs (+1,167)

Leadoff hitters aren’t really known for their home run prowess, but thanks to some favoritism from his Brew Crew buddy Fielder, Weeks will be digging in Monday night. Since being selected, Weeks is doing his best to come through for his teammate, hitting back-to-back jacks heading into Saturday. He’s stepped into the batter’s box at Chase Field 55 times in his career and recorded three home runs. Week is, however, coming off a career-high 29 dingers in 2010 and is on pace for another big year at the plate.

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Noteworthy info: The retractable roof at Chase Field will be closed for the majority of the All-Star events in Arizona, in order to protect fans and players from the desert heat. However, the Home Run Derby is the only event that will peel the lid off the field. Event planners will close the roof for the first two rounds of the derby, but open it for the finals. The heat and open air will change the dynamic of the park and help the ball carry further in the final round.