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*Baseball Records & Team Rankings are as of 6/8/2009
(Our Next Major League Baseball Power Ratings Update: 6/15/2009)

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (39-20) – The Dodgers continue to sit comfortably atop the power rankings with their 39-20 record, and 8.5 game cushion over the Giants. Los Angeles just finished a four game week-end split with the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies. Los Angeles has gotten quality offense from Manny Ramirez’ replacement Juan Pierre. Pierre is leading the team in batting with a .360 mark. Chad Billingsley is one game behind Jason Marquis for the top spot in the NL in wins, with 7. The Dodgers will host the San Diego Padres for a brief two game set, before taking Thursday off, and playing a weekend set in the Lone Star state against the AL West leading Texas Rangers.

2. Philadelphia Phillies (33-22) – The Phillies make a five team climb to the # 2 position, despite just winning two of four in Los Angeles. Closer Brad Lidge continued to struggle in Dodger Stadium, the place has been a nightmare for the closer, as he is 0-3 with a 7.27 earned run average, blowing 6 saves in 19 tries. The Phillies enjoy a three game lead of the pesky and banged up New York Mets. The Phillies will have the chance to add some more cushion between them and the Mets this week, as they head to the new Citi Field for a three game set. After the Phillies leave Flushing, they will head back home and face the Boston Red Sox in a three game week-end set.

3. New York Yankees (33-23) – After getting postponed on Friday night, the Yankees split two games with the Tampa Bay Rays, with the final game set for Monday evening. The Yankees remain at # 3 in the power rankings, despite their American League best 33-23 record. The Yankees hold a slim one game lead over the Red Sox in the AL East. New York and Boston will play a three game set, starting on Tuesday in Boston. The Red Sox have beaten the Yankees five straight to start the 2009 rivalry. After the Yankees leave Boston, things will not get easier, as they come home to take on their city rival, the Mets in a three game set.

4. Texas Rangers (33-23) – The Rangers took two of three in Boston, and still fell two spots from # 2 to # 4. It was more about the play of Philadelphia and New York then it was about the Rangers. Texas leads the American League West with their 33-23 record,  by 4.5  games of the Los Angeles Angels. Texas confirmed bad news on Sunday, finding out outfielder Josh Hamilton will not return until most likely after the All Star break with the right abdominal injury. Scott Feldman and Kevin Millwood continue to pitch well for the Rangers, both with five wins, while Millwood has a team best earned run average of 2.96. Texas will start a four game series at home on Monday with the Toronto Blue Jays, and then stay home and take on the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend.

5. Milwaukee Brewers (33-24) – The Brewers used a nice weekend, winning two of three over Atlanta to surge to a 2.5 game lead in the National League Central. The Brewers remain at # 5 this week, the same spot they residing in last week. Milwaukee has used a 21-10 record against Central Division foes to assist in the first place lead. Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder continue to make their case for the All Star Game, as Braun leads the team with a .310 batting average, and Fielder has hit 15 homeruns and drove in 54 runs. Yovani Gallardo leads the team with six wins, and a 2.84 earned run average. The Brewers will start a home stand on Tuesday in which they will host the red hot Colorado Rockies for three, followed by the Chicago White Sox over the weekend.

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6. Boston Red Sox (33-24) – The Red Sox continue to keep pace with the front running New York Yankees. Boston trails by just a game in the American League East race. If the playoffs started today, the Red Sox would play at Texas, as the wildcard representative. Kevin Youkilis is tearing the cover off the baseball for Boston, hitting a team best .349, while Jason Bay is proving his worth with 16 homeruns and 55 runs batted in. The Red Sox will host their rival New York Yankees, starting on Tuesday. The Red Sox have won the first five games they have played against New York this season. Over the weekend, Boston will take on the Philadelphia Phillies, in Philadelphia. Boston remains # 6 in the power rankings.

7. New York Mets (30-25) – The Mets have jumped one position from last weeks # 8 to # 7 this week. New York has survived a plethora of injuries, with the most damage from shortstop Jose Reyes and set up man J.J. Putz. Putz is expected to miss action until possibly August. The Mets trail the Phillies by three games in the National League East. New York will get their chance to gain ground this week, as they host the Phillies for a three game set starting on Tuesday. The Mets will then travel across town for the Subway Series against the Yankees starting on Friday.

8. Detroit Tigers (30-25) – The Tigers struggles against the American League East continued, falling to 4-14 on the season. Luckily for Detroit, their 14-4 record against the West has spurred them to their 3.5 game lead in the AL Central. Minnesota is 3.5 games back, followed by Chicago (4.5), Kansas City (6.5), and Cleveland (7). Miguel Cabrera continues to swing a hot bat for Detroit, with his team leading .352 batting average. The Tigers move up one spot from # 9 last week, to # 8 this week. Detroit will play a five game series at Chicago, starting Monday, with a doubleheader, and continuing through Thursday. After leaving Chicago, the Tigers will head east to Pittsburgh and take on the Pirates.

9. Toronto Blue Jays (32-27) – After a stretch of their worst play of the season, the Blue Jays have regained form and won six of their last ten games. The Blue Jays were able to move up one spot from last week, jumping from # 10 to # 9. The Blue Jays ace pitcher Roy Halladay became the first to win 10 games, improving his earned run average to 2.52 on Sunday.  The Blue Jays are in third place in the American League East, trailing both the Yankees and the Red Sox. The difference between New York and Toronto is currently just 2.5 games. The Blue Jays will head to Arlington on Tuesday and take on the West leading Texas Rangers. Following that series, Toronto will head back north of the border and take on the Florida Marlins for a weekend series.

10. St. Louis Cardinals (31-26) – The Cardinals took a nose dive this week, falling six spots, all the way down to # 10, from last weeks post at # 4. With their four game sweep at the hands of the Colorado Rockies, and their 2-6 home stand, St. Louis drops to 2.5 games out of first place, just one full game ahead of third place Chicago. The Cardinals bats have fallen silent, scoring just 12 runs in their last five games. Chris Carpenter, along with Albert Pujols have seemingly been the teams lone bright spots. Carpenter is 4-0 on the season with a robust 0.71 earned run average. Carpenter will look for win # 5 Tuesday in Miami. Pujols continues to lead the offense, with his .333 batting average, his 18 homeruns and 51 runs batted in. Albert also leads the team in runs scored with 44 and stolen bases with 7. The Cardinals will play a three game set in Miami, starting on Tuesday, and then travel to Cleveland over the weekend.

11. Chicago Cubs (28-26) – The Chicago Cubs have surged to 3.5 games back, now in third place in the National League Central. Chicago needed extra innings in both their two wins over the Reds on the weekend. Chicago also got good news from their minor leagues as Rich Harden pitched four plus innings in Triple A Iowa. Harden was placed on the disabled list on May 18^th with a mid back strain. Chicago does not have a regular batting over .300, as Ryan Theriot leads the team with a .291 batting average. The Cubs move up one position from # 12 to # 11 this week. Chicago will travel to Houston on Tuesday, and then host the American League Central’s Minnesota Twins over the weekend.

12. San Francisco Giants (29-26) – The Giants move up two spots from # 14 to # 12, aided by their 18-9 record at home. San Francisco is still 8.5 games behind division leading Los Angeles, but are making a case to be considered for the wildcard. Tim Lincecum picked up his fifth straight win on Sunday, and  youngster Pablo Sandoval continues to hit well. Bengie Molina leads the team in both homeruns (8) and runs batted in (34). The Giants start a three game series in Phoenix on Tuesday, and then will come home to play their bay rival, the Oakland Athletics on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

13. Cincinnati Reds (29-27) – The Reds have won just three of their last ten games, and with that mark, have dropped two positions, down from # 11 to # 13. The Reds, despite recent struggles are just 3.5 games out of first, tied with Chicago in third place in the National League Central. Joey Votto continues to reside on the disabled list with stress related issue, while starting pitcher Edison Volquez is out with right elbow tendonitis. Jay Bruce is struggling for the Reds, just three hits in his last 34 at bats. The Reds hope to get back on track on Tuesday, when they play at Washington in the start of a three game set. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday the Reds will be playing at Kansas City.

14. Los Angeles Angels (28-27) – After starting the series with Detroit out right; winning 2-1, the Angels fell in the next two games. Los Angeles is now 4.5 games out of first place in the American League West, just a game ahead of third place Seattle. The Angels drop one position from # 13 to # 14 in the power rankings. Los Angeles will start a three game series in Tampa Bay on Tuesday, followed by a home series with the San Diego Padres, starting on Friday.

15. Tampa Bay Rays (29-29) – Tampa makes a two team jump, from # 17 to # 15. The Rays were postponed in their first game with the New York Yankees, and split the next two. The final game of the four game set is scheduled for Monday at the new Yankee Stadium. Tampa Bay, right at .500 is in fourth place in the American League East, five games behind the Yankees for first place. Jason Bartlett leads the team in batting, but is currently on the disabled list with a sprained left ankle. He is set to return by the weekend. After finishing the series in New York on Monday, the Rays will head home to host the Angels and Nationals in back to back series’.

16. Atlanta Braves (27-28) – At 27-28, the Atlanta Braves continue to reside in the middle of the pack. The current on the field play has not been the discussion for Braves fans lately. Atlanta elected to release Tom Glavine this week, and also traded for All Star outfielder Nate McLouth. The Braves trail the Phillies by just six games in the NL East, good enough for third place. Atlanta will start a four game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday, at home, and then head out on the road to Baltimore for the weekend.

17. Seattle Mariners (28-29) – The Mariners made a surge this week, jumping three spots from # 20 to # 17, sweeping Baltimore, and taking two of three from Minnesota. The Mariners are now just one game under .500, and five games back, in third place in the American League West. Seattle has continued to get solid offensive numbers from Ichiro Suzuki, who leads the team with his .356 batting average. Russell Branyan leads in homeruns with 13, and also in runs scored with 33. Seattle will take on Baltimore again this week, this time on the road Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The Mariners will then head to Colorado and take on the Rockies over the weekend.

18. Minnesota Twins (28-30) – The Twins took the first of a three game set with Seattle over the weekend, but dropped the next two. The Twins are two games under .500, but just 3.5 games out of first place. Minnesota moves up one spot from # 19 to # 18 this week. Justin Morneau continues to pace the team in all offensive numbers with a .329 batting average, 15 homeruns, 52 runs batted in, and 44 runs scored. Kevin Slowey continues to lead the pitching staff, as he has won eight games already this series. Minnesota will remain out west and start a four game set in Oakland on Monday, before heading to Wrigley Field for the weekend to take on the Cubs.

19. Florida Marlins (27-31) – Florida improves two spots, despite losing two of the first three to the San Francisco Giants. Florida and San Francisco will conclude their four game set Monday. Last week the Marlins were # 21, this week they have improved to # 19. Hanley Ramirez leads the team in batting, with a .330 clip, and 36 runs scored. Jorge Cantu leads with 42 runs batted in, while Dan Uggla has pounded 11 balls over the wall. The Marlins are 7.5 games behind the division leading Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East. Florida will host the St. Louis Cardinals for a three game set starting Tuesday, and then head north of the border to take on the Toronto Blue Jays for a three game weekend set.

20. San Diego Padres (26-30) – The Padres have cooled off after their major league leading win streak earlier in the season. San Diego has dropped two of the first three to Arizona, with the wrap around game set for Monday. The Padres have not only dropped five spots from # 15 to # 20, they have also fell to 11.5 games behind the Dodgers, third place in the National League West. Adrian Gonzalez continues to make his case for an appearance in St. Louis for the All Star Game, leading the team with 22 homeruns and 43 runs batted in.  The Padres will start a brief two game series in Los Angeles on Tuesday with the Dodgers, take a day off Thursday, before playing the Angels in LA over the weekend.

21. Chicago White Sox (26-30) – The White Sox took a nose dive, losing two of three to Cleveland over the weekend to drop to four games under .500. The White Sox are in third place in the American League Central, trailing Detroit by 4.5 games. Chicago fell three spots from # 18 to # 21. Paul Konerko leads the team in batting, albeit under .300, with a a .296 mark. The White Sox will start a five game series at home on Monday, including a doubleheader with the Detroit Tigers. This series will give Chicago an opportunity to climb back into the AL Central race. After the Tigers leave town the Sox will head north to take on the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.

22. Pittsburgh Pirates (26-30) – After trading outfielder Nate McLouth, Pittsburgh ownership has been under the gun, and questioned on their desire to win. Pittsburgh has had 16 straight losing seasons, and the trade of the 27 year old All Star and Gold Glove winner was unexpected. Pittsburgh are in fifth place  National League Central with the Houston Astros, 6.5 behind front running Milwaukee. The Pirates were able to move up two spots from # 24 to # 22. Pittsburgh and the Atlanta Braves will play a four game series, starting Monday in Atlanta. After leaving Atlanta, the Pirates will host the Detroit Tigers for three games over the weekend.

23.  Colorado Rockies (24-32) – Colorado has won five straight games, including four in a row in St. Louis. Rockies pitching was dynamite in the sweep over the Cardinals, allowing just 9 runs in four games. The Rockies are now 7-3 under new manager Jim Tracy, which allows them to move up four spots from # 27 to # 23. Colorado’s Brad Hawpe is batting .337 on the season with 43 runs batted in; both team leading. Ian Stewart is providing the power in the offense with 11 homeruns, and Jason Marquis leads the entire National League in wins; with 8. The Rockies will continue on the road on Tuesday, when they visit Miller Park, and take on the Brewers. Colorado will be home over the weekend, and host the Seattle Mariners.

24. Oakland Athletics (25-30) – The Oakland Athletics have suddenly become one of the hottest teams in Major League Baseball. Oakland picked up their sixth straight win on Sunday with a 3-0 win over Baltimore. Vin Mazzaro made his second major league start on Sunday allowing just five hits in 7.1 innings of work. Oakland, with their hot play move up five spots from # 29 to # 24. Oakland has moved to within 7 games of front running Texas, just two games behind third place Seattle and 2.5 behind second place Los Angeles. The Athletics will look to move their streak to six Monday when they host the Minnesota Twins. Minnesota will play three more on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, before the Athletics head across the bay to San Francisco for a three game series.

25. Houston Astros (25-30) – The Astros, one day before the 2009 MLB draft have some important decisions to make. It appears they will not be able to compete for a divisional title in 2009, as they trail the Brewers by seven games, in sixth place in the National League Central. Now Houston has to figure out who will remain in future plans. Lance Berkman, Roy Oswalt, Miguel Tejada and Carlos Lee are all aging veterans that could be shipped off before the July trade deadline. Houston was almost to make a three team jump this week, sliding up from # 28 to # 25. The Astros will host the Chicago Cubs for a three game series starting on Tuesday, and then head on the road for the only non inter league series over the weekend, with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

26. Kansas City Royals (24-32) – The Royals have continued to struggle, after their impressive month of May. Kansas City falls four more spots from # 22 last week, to # 26 this week. Even starting pitcher Zack Greinke was banged up over the week, lasting just five innings in a  9-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. Greinke is 8-2 with a 1.55 earned run average on the season. The Royals are just ½ game ahead of Cleveland for fourth place in the American League Central, trailing the front running Detroit Tigers by 6.5 games. The Royals and Indians will meet up for a three game series starting Tuesday, and then Kansas City will host the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend.

27. Cleveland Indians (25-34) – The Indians took two of three over the weekend in Chicago, but fell one position from # 26 to # 27. Cleveland continues to reside at the bottom of the American League Central standings, but now only ½ game behind the Kansas City Royals, and 2.5 behind Chicago. The Indians are still seeing great productivity from catcher Victor Martinez. Martinez is leading the team in batting average (.344), homeruns (10) and runs batted in (41). The Indians will host the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, before welcoming the St. Louis Cardinals into town on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

28. Baltimore Orioles (24-33) – Baltimore makes the biggest fall of the week, dropping seven spots from # 21 to # 28. The Orioles have lost five straight and seven out of their last ten. The Oakland Athletics pulled off a three game sweep over Baltimore over the weekend. Baltimore is a divisional worst 8-20 on the road in 2009. Highly touted rookie Matt Wieters has gotten off to a slow start, hitting just .143 on the season, with just two extra base hits. Jeremy Guthrie continues to lead the pitching staff in wins, with four on the season. Baltimore trails the New York Yankees by ten full games in the American League East standings. The Orioles will enjoy a home stand starting on Tuesday when the Seattle Mariners come to town. After Seattle leaves town the Orioles will welcome the Atlanta Braves to town for a three game series.

29. Arizona Diamondbacks (25-32) – Despite winning two of the first three games at San Diego, the Diamondbacks dropped four spots from # 25 to # 29. Arizona and San Diego will complete their four game series on Monday. Justin Upton leads the team in hitting with a .320 average, while Mark Reynolds is providing the power, with 14 homeruns, 36 runs batted in and 37 runs scored. The Diamondbacks are just ahead of Colorado, in fourth place in the National League West. Arizona trails Los Angeles by 13 games. The Diamondbacks will start a home stand on Tuesday when the San Francisco Giants come to town. Following the Giants will be the Houston Astros for games Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

30. Washington Nationals (15-40) – As the Major League Baseball draft approaches, the Washington Nationals continue to make their case to sign top prospect Stephen Strasburg. The conversation over Strasburg is dominating headlines in the nation’s capital, as the 15-40 Nationals continue to fall further and further back in the standings. Washington trails first place Philadelphia by a MLB high 18 games, just 55 games into the season. The Nationals salvaged a 7-1 win over the Mets on Saturday behind a Nick Johnson homerun. The Nationals will host the Cincinnati Reds for a three game series, starting on Tuesday, before heading South the take on the Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend.

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10. Joe Maddon – Tampa Bay Rays.
Many call Maddon a state-of-the-art manager. He has shown a knack for being smart and innovative as well as an excellent communicator. The job he did taking the Tampa Bay Rays from the bottom of the American League East to the World Series will always be remembered. The 55 year old manager may not have the best record in baseball, but look for that to improve. Maddon was considered a front runner for the Boston Red Sox managerial job in 2004, which later went to Terry Francona. Maddon always seems to have a different lineup, and keeps his entire roster fresh. Maddon barely edges out a slew of others, due in large part to the memorable 2008 run. The up side for Maddon is, he has still has room to improve and move up the ranks, as this is only his fourth full season as a manager. Maddon went 27-24 in two interim stints with the Angels.     

9. Lou Piniella – Chicago Cubs
Piniella is one of the best motivators in the game of baseball. He also does not change his style no matter who he has on his roster. Has had an outburst or two that has sparked a team to an improvement in play. If you were to rank the managers and their press conferences and the comic relief they gave – Piniella would at the top. The 65 year old “Sweet Lou” came into the 2009 season ranking 14^th all time in managerial wins. Lou has won three manager of the year awards, two in the American League (1995 and 2001) with Seattle and in 2008 with the Cubs. Lou has been above .500 in four of his five managerial posts. His start in New York lasted 2.5 seasons where he went 224-193. He was then able to move to Cincinnati, winning the World Series in his first season. He finished 255-231 in three seasons at the helm of the Reds. Lou then spent ten seasons as the manager of the Seattle Mariners. In those ten years Lou won three AL West titles, and advanced as the wildcard in another season. Lou led the 2001 Mariners to 116 wins, falling short to the Yankees in the ALCS. Lou then spent three seasons in Tampa Bay, finishing 200-285. After taking the 2006 season off, Lou was announced as the new manager in Chicago, for the lovable Cubs, who haven’t won a World Series title since 1908. The Cubs went 85-77 in 2007 losing in the NLDS to Arizona, and 97-64 in 2008 losing to Los Angeles. Since coming to Chicago, Lou is 0-6 in the postseason. All time, Piniella has won 23 postseason games, a World Series title, and made the postseason six times.

8. Charlie Manuel – Philadelphia Phillies
There is no denying Charlie Manuel’s offensive presence in the dugout in Philadelphia. His teams have absolutely been able to rake so much that the Phillies were able to win the 2008 World Series under his guidance. This season Manuel is dealing with a less than stellar starting rotation and continuing to keep them atop the National League East. May not be the best on field game decision maker, but as is a common theme with the top ten, knows how to get the best out of his players. His run-ins with Jimmy Rollins have been classic, and he has left no doubt who is in charge in the city of brotherly love. Don’t judge Charlie on his public speaking, as admittedly it is a weakness of his. The 65 year old manager got a late start in his managerial career, starting in 2000 with the Cleveland Indians. In 2.5 seasons Manuel led the Indians to a 220-191 record, including a postseason berth in 2001, only to fall to 116 game winner Seattle in the ALDS. Manuel has never finished a full season under .500, winning at least 85 games in all six of his seasons. Charlie is 13-9 in two postseason appearances as a manager.

7. Cito Gaston – Toronto Blue Jays
This year’s Blue Jays team has competed thus far in the brutal American League East. Gaston’s patient presence has been a staple from within his teams. After taking ten seasons off managing, Gaston took over for John Gibbons in the middle of the 2008 season, leading Toronto to a 51-37 finish. Toronto is Gaston’s only stop, leading the Blue Jays to two World Series titles in 1992 and 1993. His all time postseason record is 18-16, while his regular season record, coming into 2009 is 734-673. Gaston’s ball club in 2009 is low on talent, but high on energy which may allow them to compete with the big boys – Yankees, Red Sox and Rays.

6. Mike Scioscia – Los Angeles Angels
A guy that always is prepared for any occasion is Mike Scioscia. This year’s team has had to endure losing top free agents, losing key players to injury, and even dealing with an unfortunate death of a teammate. After his 12 year playing career that saw him catch 12 seasons, win two championships and play in two All Star games for the Los Angeles Dodgers, he became the manager of the Los Angeles (Anaheim) Angels in 2000. Scioscia has won 803 games, losing just 655 in his tenure as the head man in Anaheim. Five times his teams have reached the postseason, with a World Series title coming in 2002. Also in that season Scioscia was named the Manager of the Year. All time, Scioscia is 16-20 in postseason games. Anaheim front office understands the importance of having Scioscia lead the way for the team, in January of 2009 the team and Scioscia agreed to a new contract, which will keep him the manager through the year 2018. 

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5. Jim Leyland – Detroit Tigers
A man that has been around baseball for 40+ years definitely knows how to win games. Jim Leyland, the manager of the Detroit Tigers has seen it all. Managing four different clubs with a seven year hiatus mixed in, Leyland has over 1,300 career wins. Known more commonly for his smoking habit, he got his kick start in the Major Leagues as Tony LaRussa’s third base coach in Chicago. He then went to Pittsburgh and was the manager of the Pirates for 11 seasons, seeing the postseason in three of those years. He won 851 games in Pittsburgh, and then took the managerial job in Miami as the top dog of the Florida Marlins. His first year was quite the success, as Florida reached the postseason via the wild card, later winning the World Series. After a horrible 1998 season Leyland resigned as the manager of Florida, only to take the Colorado Rockies post for the next season. 72 wins in Colorado was not enough to warrant a return, and that’s when Leyland was out of managing. In 2006 Leyland led the Detroit Tigers to a World Series berth, which saw them fall to the St. Louis Cardinals in five games. Leyland has 27 career postseason wins, and three ‘Manager of the Year’ awards – two in the National League and one in the American league.

4. Bobby Cox – Atlanta Braves
A guy that gets the most out of his players, and also demands fundamentals is Bobby Cox. In a recent poll of the players, Cox was voted as the most respected manager in all of baseball. Cox has been managing the Braves since 1990, which is his second stint with Atlanta. His 19 years in Atlanta is the longest running tenure for a manager in a city. Cox leads all of baseball with the most ejections, 143, a record he took from John McGraw. You would not know that Cox is prone for ejections by talking to him. He tends to have a knack with teaching youngsters patience and the true fundamentals of the game of baseball. His starting pitching staffs in the 90’s were among baseball’s best all time. Coming into the 2009 season Cox ranked fourth all time in wins by a manager. While Cox was manager, the Braves won 14 straight division titles, winning one world series within that time.  Four other times Atlanta came up short in the World Series. Cox has won 66 postseason games to go along with his 2,327 regular season wins.  1,972 of those wins have come with the Atlanta Braves, while his other 355 came from 1982-1985 with the Toronto Blue Jays.

3. Terry Francona – Boston Red Sox
An excellent communicator, and also has been fantastic dealing with personalities of all sorts. The job he did with the “idiot” group in 2004 was masterful. After his playing days ended in 1990, Francona got his start as a MLB manager in 1997 with the Philadelphia Phillies. Francona spent four seasons in Philadelphia, with very little success. It has been in Boston where Francona has flourished, leading all sorts of different talent levels. Francona was noted as the “curse” stopper leading the Red Sox to the World Series title in 2004, to break the curse of the Bambino. In that season the Yankees led the Red Sox 3-0 in the ALCS, only to see Boston win the final four games, along with four straight over St. Louis to end an 86 year drought. In 2007 the Red Sox trailed Cleveland 3 games to 1 in the ALCS, only to win the final three, and then all four in the World Series to eliminate the Colorado Rockies. Coming into the 2009 season, Francona has a career record of 685-654 with one division title, four playoff appearances, two American League pennants, and two World Series rings.
 
2. Joe Torre – Los Angeles Dodgers
After playing in Major League baseball and compiling just short of a .300 batting average, and over 1000 runs batted in, Joe Torre began managing in 1977. Torre has had some bumps in the road during his managerial career, but has won 2,157 games, coming into the 2009 season. Torre is best known for his days with the New York Yankees, in which he led them to the postseason in every year he was in charge, and won ten American League East titles, six American League pennants, and four world series titles. Torre’s win percentage in New York was .605. Joe managerial style is very laid back, but extremely prepared. His teams not only have great talent, but they are always a couple steps ahead. Just like he has done with the 2009 Dodgers, Torre is excellent at taking adversity and turning it into a positive situation for his squad. Currently, his Dodgers have the best record in all of baseball, after reaching the National League Championship Series in 2008. Torre has won the manager of the year award in the American League twice. His first came in 1996, when he led the Yankees to a 92-70 regular season, and eventually a World Series title. The second award was in 1998 when New York won 114 games, and yet another World Series title.  All in all, Torre has won 80 postseason games, and four world championships.

1. Tony LaRussa – St. Louis Cardinals
Love or hate Anthony “Tony” LaRussa, no doubt the man knows how to lead teams to win baseball games. Despite injuries, ineffectiveness, and even (unfortunately) deaths, Tony LaRussa always keeps his teams in the postseason picture. LaRussa has won world series in both the American League and National League, with his most recent in 6 with St. Louis. LaRussa is the master of keeping everyone on the roster fresh, and always two steps ahead. LaRussa is criticized for his stance on batting the pitcher eighth, but his track record speaks for itself. Critics also point to his constant pitching changes as a negative, but again – the results he gets are outstanding. LaRussa has managed the third most games in history, and if he completes the entire 2009 season, he will move to #2, only behind Connie Mack. LaRussa has been awarded the manager of the year three times, including twice with the Athletics, 1983 and 1988. He has led teams to 100+ wins four times in his career, and has a 59-48 career record in postseason.

Other MLB managers worthy of consideration (in no particular order):

Ron Gardenhire – Minnesota Twins
Always seems to have Minnesota in the race, despite managing a small market club. His teams are always fundamentally sound and he seems to get the best out of his players. The lack of a “big” one is what is keeping him outside the top ten looking in.

Joe Girardi – New York Yankees
Too inexperience at this point to grab a spot in the top ten, but look for that to change over time. Girardi seems to be taking after his playing days which were playing hard and playing smart. If this was 2008, he would not be in consideration, but the first two months of 2009 have shown he can take a bad situation and make some positives out of it. There is no denying, he has a lot to work with. He also has a lot to prove.

Ozzie Guillen – Chicago White Sox
If we were talking about the most disliked, Ozzie would surely be within the top ten. Guillen is fiery, there is no doubt about that, but his attitude carries over to his players and he is able to find ways to win. This season he has had to deal with a lot of young kids along with some aging veterans. It will be interesting to see if he can get the Sox back to the postseason. The job he did in 2005, in taking Chicago to the World Series, and winning it was masterful.

Ken Macha – Milwaukee Brewers
Always was solid in Oakland, and now in the National League, he has the Brewers playing well with less than great starting pitching. His calm demeanor may be something Milwaukee lacked the last couple years when it seemed Ned Yost and company would fold down the stretch.

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*Baseball Records & Team Rankings are as of 6/1/2009
(Our Next Major League Baseball Power Ratings Update: 6/8/2009)

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (34-17) – The Dodgers remain the top team, despite falling in two straight games to the Chicago Cubs. The Dodgers lead the National League West by 8.5 games over the Giants and 9.0 over the Padres. This is the fourth straight week the Dodgers have been in the #1 position. Orlando Hudson continues to spark the Dodger lineup, with his .335 batting average. Despite losing in a 2-1 ball game on Friday, Chad Billingsley continues to lead the pitching staff with 6 wins, and a 2.80 era. The Dodgers will finish their series in Chicago on Sunday night, before heading back home to take on the Diamondbacks for three and the Phillies for four.

2. Texas Rangers (30-19) – The Rangers have made a six team jump and became the second team to 30 wins. Texas moves up from # 8 last week, to # 2 this week. Texas has won three straight, and four of their last five. The Rangers sit with a 5.5 game lead over the Angels within the American League West. Texas is once again without top hitting star Josh Hamilton, with a reoccurring groin problem. The Rangers have been led offensively by Michael Young, and his .332 batting average. The Rangers hope to continue getting excellent pitching from veteran Kevin Millwood. Millwood leads the team in innings pitched, with 72, with a 4-4 record and a 3.25 era. The Rangers will take Monday off, and then play back to back series in New York and Boston.

3. New York Yankees (29-20) – The Yankees have found their way to the top of the American League East Division. New York makes a six team jump from # 9 to # 3. After beating the Rangers two out of three, New York has won the first two against the Cleveland Indians. On Saturday C.C. Sabathia picked up his fifth win of the season, first against his former team – Cleveland Indians. Robinson Cano has continued his hot start, leading the team in batting with a .320 average. The Indians will finish the four game series with Cleveland on Monday, and then come home to host the Texas Rangers and divisional rival Tampa Bay Rays. 

4. St. Louis Cardinals (29-20) – The Cardinals took two of three on the road at Miller Park to put themselves back at the top of the National League Central. The Cardinals are currently tied with the Brewers, with identical 29-20 records. The lone loss in the series was a 1-0 defeat in 10 innings, in which staff ace Chris Carpenter went eight innings, allowing just one hit. St. Louis drops one spot from # 3 to # 4. Albert Pujols hit two homeruns on Saturday night for # 14 and # 15 on the season. The Cardinals offense got good news when Rick Ankiel and Ryan Ludwick both came back from the disabled list. St. Louis will finish the road trip in San Francisco on Sunday, and then come home for eight straight against Cincinnati and Colorado.

5. Milwaukee Brewers (29-20) – The Brewers fall three spots from #2 to #5 after losing two of three at home to St. Louis. Since then, Milwaukee has won two straight over Cincinnati and will look for the sweep Sunday. Milwaukee will be without shortstop Rickie Weeks for the rest of the season with a left wrist injury. Ryan Braun leads Milwaukee in batting average (.318), runs scored (33), and stolen bases (8). Prince Fielder has hit 12 homeruns and drove in 48 runs for the Brewers. Milwaukee will start a seven game road trip on Monday with four at Florida, followed by three over the weekend at Atlanta.

6. Boston Red Sox (28-22) – The Red Sox look to avoid a three game sweep at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. Losers of two straight games, the Red Sox are 4-6 in their last ten games. Boston is 17-6 when playing at home, and 11-16 when playing on the road. Kevin Youkilis leads the Red Sox in batting with a .362 mark, while Jason Bay is providing the power with 14 homeruns and 48 rbi’s. Tim Wakefield is 6-3 with a 4.55 era, leading the team in wins. After finishing the series with Toronto on Sunday, the Red Sox will play three at Detroit, starting Tuesday, and then host the Texas Rangers over the weekend.

7. Philadelphia Phillies (27-20) – The Phillies have won two straight games, both over Washington. On Sunday, the Phillies and Nationals will finish their three game set. Raul Ibanez continues to spray the baseball all over the field, with his team leading .333 batting average, along with 17 homeruns, 49 runs batted in, and 39 runs scored. Brett Myers will miss the remainder of the season with a torn labrum in his right hip. The Phillies will start a road trip on Monday at San Diego, followed by a four game set on Thursday at the Dodgers.

8. New York Mets (27-21) – The Mets, despite not being able to remain health continue to win games. The Mets have won three of their last four, despite falling on Saturday night to Florida. The Mets move up two spots from # 10 to # 8. New York currently lists Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado, Ryan Church and Alex Cora on the disabled list, while Carlos Beltran has missed recent action with a stomach virus. The Mets will start a four game series at Pittsburgh on Monday, before taking on the Nationals again, this time at home over the weekend.

9. Detroit Tigers (27-21) – Detroit has feasted off  the American League West, winning 12 of 15 games against teams from the West. The Tigers lead the American League Central by four games over the Chicago White Sox, and 4.5 over Minnesota and Kansas City. Detroit is 15-7 when playing at home in 2009, while winning just 12 of 26 on the road. The Tigers are led by Miguel Cabrera with his .355 batting average, and 37 runs batted in. The pitching has been led by 20 year old Rick Porcello, who is 6-3 with a 3.48 era. Porcello has won five straight games, allowing just five runs in five games. The Tigers will finish their weekend series on Sunday against Baltimore, and then come home and host the Red Sox and the Angels.

10. Toronto Blue Jays (29-23) – Toronto snapped their nine game losing streak on Friday picking up a win over divisional foe Boston. They repeated that on Saturday with yet another win, placing them back into a second place tie with the Red Sox. Despite a couple wins, the nine game losing streak caused Toronto to fall five spots from # 5 to # 10. Aaron Hill leads Toronto in batting average, with a .338 average, and also homeruns, with 12. Roy Halladay continues to shine, leading the starting pitching staff. Halladay is 8-1 with a 2.63 era. Toronto will continue their home stand on  Tuesday when the Los Angeles Angels come to town for a three game series, followed by a weekend set with the Kansas City Royals.

11. Cincinnati Reds (26-22) – The Reds were able to climb within 1.5 games of both St. Louis and Milwaukee, but have fallen back after losing two straight to Milwaukee. The Reds will attempt to avoid a three game sweep at the hands of the Brewers Sunday. Following the series with the Brewers, the Reds will travel to St. Louis and take on the Cardinals. Cincinnati makes a one team jump, up from # 12 to # 11. The Reds are led in batting by Ramon Hernandez, with a .291 batting average, while Jay Bruce leads the team with 14 homeruns, and Brandon Phillips has drove in 35 runs. Bronson Arroyo leads the Reds starting staff with 7 wins, while Johnny Cueto has a miniscule 2.53 earned run average.

12. Chicago Cubs (25-23) – After the rough stretch, that saw the Cubs fall under .500, the Cubs have now won two straight over the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Cubs will look to win their third straight over LA on Sunday night. Chicago has moved up four positions from # 16 to # 12. With their recent good play the Cubs have moved to within 3.5 games of both the Brewers and the Cardinals in the National League Central. Chicago has had a rough time offensively, Kosuke Fukudome leads the Cubs in batting with a .311 mark, while Alfonso Soriano leads in homeruns (12), runs batted in (25) and runs scored (36). The Cubs will start a three game series at Atlanta on Tuesday, followed by a series at Cincinnati on Friday.

13. Los Angeles Angels (24-24) – The Angels have lost two straight, and won just five of their last ten. Los Angeles has lost ground on the front running Rangers, falling to 5.5 games behind, still in second place. The Angels have fallen from # 11 to # 13. The Angels are 13-12 at home, and 11-12 on the road. Torii Hunter leads the Angels in most offensive categories with a .314 batting average, 11 homeruns, 40 runs batted in and 36 runs scored. Joe Saunders leads the Angels in wins with 6, as he has lost 3 games, and has a 3.26 earned run average. The Angels will start a road trip on Tuesday at Toronto, and then head to Detroit for a three game series.

14. San Francisco Giants (24-24) – At 24-24, the Giants have moved up six spots from # 20 to # 14. The Giants have not found a lot of offense, but with Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum and Randy Johnson leading the starting staff, defense has been the name of the game. Pablo Sandoval has been a pleasant surprise for San Francisco, batting .303 to this point in the season. At .500, the Giants sit in second place in the National League West, just ½ game ahead of the San Diego Padres, but trail the Dodgers by 8.5 games. After finishing the three game series with St. Louis on Sunday, the Giants will head east and start a three game series at Washington, followed by weekend series at Florida.

15. San Diego Padres (24-25) – The Padres remain at #15, after losing the first two games at Colorado. San Diego is in third place in the National League West, nine games behind Los Angeles. Adrian Gonzalez has carried the load offensively for the Padres, batting .282 with 19 homeruns, 37 runs batted in, and 36 runs scored. Jake Peavy leads the team in wins with five, but also has five losses. Heath Bell has been as close to a lights out closer as you can find during the first two months of the season, saving 14 of 15 games. The Padres will close out their series with the Rockies on Sunday, and then head home to take on the Phillies and Diamondbacks for three game series’, with Thursday as an off-day.

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16. Atlanta Braves (24-25) – The Braves have lost two of the first three in Arizona, and will look to split the series on Sunday. Atlanta falls three positions from # 13 to # 16, after getting beat around on the road to the Giants. The Braves are in third place in the National League East, trailing Philadelphia by 4.5 games. Chipper Jones has climbed back to above .300, and leads the team with a .303 batting average. Power has been a problem for the Braves, as Yunel Escobar leads the Braves with just five homeruns on the season. After finishing the four game series with Arizona on Sunday, the Braves will host the Chicago Cubs, on Tuesday, and then the Milwaukee Brewers for a three game home series on Friday.

17. Tampa Bay Rays (25-27) – The Rays move down three positions from # 14 to # 17, losing six of their last ten games. The Rays are in fourth place in the American League East, trailing the Yankees by 5.5 games. Tampa’s top offensive player thus far was placed on the disabled list this week, in Jason Bartlett. Bartlett leads the team with a .373 batting average, and now has a sprained left ankle. Carlos Pena leads the team in homeruns with 16, while Evan Longoria leads the American League with 55 runs batted in. The Rays, after finishing their series with the Twins on Sunday, will host the Royals for three, followed by a trip to New York over the weekend.

18. Chicago White Sox (23-25) –The White Sox have remained in the American League Central race with their 23-25 mark. Chicago picked up two straight wins this weekend at Kansas City, and will look for the three game sweep on Sunday. The White Sox moved up three positions from # 21 to # 18 with their recent good play. Paul Konerko leads the White Sox in batting with a .316 batting average, while Jermaine Dye leads in homeruns (13), runs batted in (33) and runs scored (32). Mark Buehrle leads the starting staff with six wins, to go along with just one loss, and a 2.71 earned run average. The White Sox will host the Oakland Athletics for a four game series starting on Monday, followed by welcoming the Cleveland Indians to town for a weekend series.

19. Minnesota Twins (24-27) – The Minnesota Twins have got to find a way to win on the road, losing 16 of 21 games. Luckily for Minnesota their 19-11 home record has allowed them to stay in the American League Central race. The Twins are tied with Kansas City for third place, trailing the Tigers by 4.5 games. Minnesota fell one spot from #18 to # 19. The Twins announced this week that Francisco Liriano will remain in the starting rotation, despite his 2-7 start. Kevin Slowey has been the ace of the pitching staff, with a 7-1 record and 4.11 earned run average. Slowey has struck out 44 batters and walked just 5 on the season. The Twins will finish their three game series at Tampa Bay on Sunday, and then come home to start a three game home stand on Tuesday with Cleveland. The Twins will invade Seattle for a three game series over the weekend.

20. Seattle Mariners (24-26) – The Mariners have won three games in a row, with the final two coming over divisional opponent Los Angeles. The Mariners will look to sweep the three game series on Sunday, and then come home to host the Baltimore Orioles and Minnesota Twins, with Thursday as an off-day. The Mariners, despite winning three straight moved down one spot from # 20 to # 19. Ichiro Suzuki has heated up and leads the team with a .342 batting average, while Russell Branyan provides the power in the middle of the lineup with 11 homeruns. Felix Hernandez leads the team with five wins, and a 3.41 earned run average.

21. Baltimore Orioles (23-27) – The Orioles picked up the first game in a three game set against the Detroit Tigers, falling on Saturday. Baltimore with their recent hot play have moved up five positions from # 26 to # 21. The Orioles have creeped to within one game of fourth place Tampa Bay, now just 6.5 games behind first place New York. Adam Jones leads Baltimore in batting with a .350 mark, while Luke Scott and Adam Markakis have provided the power with 11 homeruns for Scott and 40 runs batted in for Markakis. Baltimore will now head west for six straight, starting with a three game set at Seattle on Monday, followed by a weekend series at Oakland on Friday.

22. Kansas City Royals (23-26) – After the red-hot start, the Kansas City Royals have fallen to three games under .500, at 23-26. With their recent poor play, the Royals drop five spots from # 17 to # 22. The Royals are in fourth place, tied with Minnesota, 4.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers. Alberto Callaspo leads the team in batting with a .307 mark, while Mike Jacobs is providing the power, with nine homeruns and 25 runs batted in. Zack Greinke’s numbers continue to provide headlines for Kansas City, as he is 8-1 with a 0.84 era, striking out 81 batters, while walking just 12 on the season. Greinke’s lone loss was on May 9^th, where he pitched 8 innings and lost 1-0 to the Angels. The Royals and White Sox will conclude their series on Sunday, and then will head to Tampa Bay for a series starting on Tuesday, and at Toronto on Friday. 

23. Florida Marlins (23-27) – At 23-27, the Florida Marlins come in 23^rd in the power rankings, which is one spot below where they sat last week – # 22. The Marlins are led by Hanley Ramirez, and his .320 batting average. Dan Uggla leads in homeruns with 9, while Jorge Cantu has driven in 37 runs. Josh Johnson leads the team in wins, with four, 4-1 on the season. Johnson has struck out 64 batters, while walking just 18 on the season. Florida is in fourth place in the National League East, trailing the Phillies by 5.5 games. The Marlins will start a seven game home stand on Monday when the Milwaukee Brewers come to town for a four game series. Over the weekend, the Marlins will host the San Francisco Giants.

25. Arizona Diamondbacks (22-28) – Eric Byrnes picked up a game winning hit on Saturday to lead the Diamondbacks to a 4-3 win over the Atlanta Braves. Arizona will attempt to win the series on Sunday. The Diamondbacks are in fourth place in the National League West, trailing the Dodgers by 11.5 games. Justin Upton leads the Diamondbacks in batting with a .329 mark. Arizona will start a road trip on Monday, with three against the front running Los Angeles Dodgers. While in California, the Diamondbacks will then play a weekend three game series at the San Diego Padres. Arizona moved down one spot from # 24 to # 25.

26. Cleveland Indians (21-30) – Despite losing two straight games, the Cleveland Indians are 6-4 in their last 10 games. Cleveland has climbed to within 7.5 games of division leading Detroit, despite being in last place. The Indians have made a three team improvement, moving up from # 29 to # 26. Cleveland’s Victor Martinez has cooled down as of late, but he still leads the squad with a .350 batting average. Carl Pavano leads the starting pitching staff with five wins, but he also has four losses and a 5.50 era. The Indians will finish their four game series with the Yankees on Sunday and Monday, and then travel to Minnesota for a three game set, followed by  three at Chicago.

27. Colorado Rockies (20-28) – Colorado fired manager Clint Hurdle and replaced him with former Dodgers and Pirates manager Jim Tracy. Colorado sits in fifth place in the National League West, and 12.5 games behind divisional leader – Los Angeles. Colorado remains at # 27 in the power rankings. Clean-up hitter Garrett Atkins has struggled all season for Colorado, coming into Saturday’s game with a .193 batting average. Brad Hawpe leads the team with a .343 batting average. The Rockies will travel to Houston on Monday to battle the Astros in a four game set, and then play four straight with the St. Louis Cardinals.

28. Houston Astros (19-28) – Houston has struggled as of late, losing eight of their last ten. With that streak, Houston has dropped three spots from # 25 to # 28. The Astros have not found a way to beat Central Division opponents, as they are just 10-21 against divisional opponents. The Astros are 9-15 at home, while 10-13 on the road. Houston is in last place in the National League Central, two games back of fifth place Pittsburgh, and nine games behind Milwaukee and St. Louis. The Astros will host the Colorado Rockies for a four game series starting on Monday, and then host the Pirates over the weekend.

29. Oakland Athletics (18-29) – The Athletics continue to scuffle, and have fallen one more spot from # 28 to # 29. Oakland has lost four straight games and are 3-7 in their last ten games. The Athletics lost two games on Friday to Texas, in a doubleheader, followed by Saturday’s 14-1 drubbing. Oakland is in fourth place in the National League West, 11 games behind the division leading Rangers. Oakland will continue their road trip on Monday when they make a stop in Chicago to take on the White Sox. The Athletics will be back home on Friday to take on the Baltimore Orioles.

30. Washington Nationals (13-35) – Washington continues to remain # 30 in the power rankings. The Nationals have lost five straight games, and 2-8 in their last ten games. Washington took a three game sweep at the hands of the New York Mets, and need a win on Sunday to avoid a sweep against Philadelphia. The Nationals are in fifth place in the National League East, 14.5 games behind front running Philadelphia. Nick Johnson appears to be on the trading block for Washington, despite leading the team in batting average, with a .337 mark. Adam Dunn leads the team in homeruns with 16 and runs batted in with 42. After leaving Philadelphia on Sunday the Nationals will come home to host the Giants for three and the Mets for three.

The NBA Playoffs have provided some extremely exciting games during the 2009 playoffs in what has become one of the best postseasons in recent memory. The Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics battled in perhaps one of the best opening round series of all-time. The Orlando Magic conquered Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers who were big favorites to win the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile out West, some familiar faces have taken down the Conference in the Los Angeles Lakers. Now we are down to only two remaining teams as Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic will battle Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in a best of 7 series for an NBA Title. The stakes are not only high on the court, but also high in the sports betting world. All major sports books are providing various types of props and ways to bet on the 2009 NBA Finals are we will break down some interest bets to consider before Game 1 takes place this Thursday night. We take the opportunity to make some money off these interesting odds and betting lines provided by Betus.com.

NBA Finals Prop Bet #1

Who will be the 2009 Finals MVP?

Kobe Bryant -300
Dwight Howard +275
Pau Gasol +600
Rashard Lewis +850
Hedo Turkoglu +1200
Lamar Odom +2500

Predicting this year’s Finals MVP will not be an extremely difficult task. In fact, it would be pretty safe to say that this is a two horse race. Kobe Bryant will definitely be the most lethal scoring threat on the floor. Bryant who is arguably the best pure shooter in the NBA will be the leading favorite to take home the Finals MPV honors this season. Bryant has been knocking down 30 points per game during the playoffs while shooting 47% from the field. Bryant has high probability to average 30 points during the Finals which make him rightfully the leading candidate for MVP. However, Dwight Howard has already dethroned one King during the playoffs and he could play spoiler to Bryant’s MVP opportunities as well. Howard has dominated the inside game averaging 15.4 rebounds per game and posting 22 points per game during the playoffs. Howard has also knocked down 62% of his shots from the field that leads the 2009 post-season. The Magic’s big man has been very impressive during the last few games and his ability to not only score points, but dominate the glass give him an extra category to help him pull off the MVP upset. Considering the betting odds are so heavily favoring Bryant, we will place some extra cash with Howard and hope for the very profitable payoff.

Pick – Howard +275

NBA Finals Prop Bet #2

Series Total Games – 5 ½ Over -220, Under +175

The 2009 playoffs have been filled with back and forth series and we believe the stage is setting up to be another similar scenario in the Finals. The Orlando Magic have a strong inside game lead by Dwight Howard aided by some outside shooting the looks pretty dangerous at times by Rashard Lewis and an emerging Mickael Pietrus. The Lakers not only have one of the most dangerous shooters in the NBA, but a cast of outside shooters that can get hot on any given night. These two teams are going to find ways to give each other troubles and there is not much of a chance that this will be 4-5 game series. Throw in the fact of how wild everything has played out thus far in the post-season and you can rest assure there are a lot of fireworks left to be displayed. Simple fact is here, that the home court will be huge to each team as it normally is during the playoffs. The Lakers are sure to benefit from the first two being at home, but Orlando should be able to hold their own ground as well. There are those that believe that the Lakers high scoring offense may be too fast paced for Orlando. While that may be true in some ways, the Magic have been able to score more points lately as well. Orlando simply is too good to be shut out or dominated in this series and we don’t believe there is much of a chance for the series to be held under 6 games.

Pick – Over -220

NBA Finals Prop Bet #3

Who will win the first game and win series?

Magic to win game and win series +550
Magic to win game and lose series +500
Lakers to win game and win series -190
Lakers to lose game and win series +500

This particular prop bet is one that should open a lot of eyes. There are so many ways that could make a big payout if just the Lakers lose Game 1 or lose the series. However, that will be difficult considering Game 1 is inside the Staples Center and the Lakers seem to be the rather sizeable favorites for the Championship. However, people are quick to forget that the Magic were 2-0 against the Lakers during the regular season which included a victory on the Lakers home court. The odds are for going against the Lakers in this situation are just very inviting especially considering how well Orlando has played over the last few weeks. Going back to the previous article where we predicted a back and forth series, that would also play favorable to this prop bet. If Orlando is to come out and stun the Lakers in Game 1, either way the series ends is +500 or better odds. The difficult part of this bet is deciding which outside chance bet to take. However, the Magic winning Game 1 before Kobe and company get hot is just too profitable to not take a gamble towards making some extra cash.

Pick – Magic win game and lose series +500

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At The Bottom of This Article is The Full List of Odds For The 2009 US Open

The U.S Open will return to Bethpage Black Golf Course in New York this year as the top golfers in the world take center stage in the tour’s 2nd major of the season. The U.S Open has historically always been the toughest major for scoring amongst competitors. The PGA Tour made their stop at Bethpage Black back in 2002 and the course was extremely difficult for the world’s top golfers. Tiger Woods prevailed over Phil Mickelson by shooting a 72 hole 277 which equaled 3 under par. Woods was actually the only player to finish in red figures on the tough par 70 course. Phil Mickelson ended up at even par for the 4 round contest, but the rest of the field was well above par in scoring. The PGA Tour returns this year to a slightly different looking Bethpage Black. The course went through renovations and redesigns since the last time they hosted the U.S Open. The course is now even longer ranging at 7,496 yards making it one of the longest U.S Open’s in history. Bethpage Black will also host the longest Par 4 in history this year as number 7 will play an enormous 525 yards. The course has also undergone physical changes with restoration of nearly all greenside bunkers and reshaped greens. Despite all the changes in the course and difficulties these players will face; the true question is who will be able to conquer Bethpage Black?

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Tiger Woods would of course be the favorite considering he won the event back in 2002, but Woods has not exactly been Tiger like since his return from knee surgery earlier this year. Tiger has not exactly been playing poorly, but he has not been as dominate like the world has grown to expect either. Woods won the 2008 U.S Open off that heroic playoff with Rocco Mediate. The world’s number 1 golfer won the event with a badly injured knee which was possibly one of his best performances of his career. Woods will be a 5/1 favorite to win the event slightly ahead of Phil Mickelson who is receiving 8/1 odds to win the event. Mickelson is coming off a disappointing performance at the Players Championship, but did have a top 5 finish in Augusta at The Masters. Mickelson along with Woods both benefit from the long golf course consider they can carry the ball a good distance. Another player that could very well emerge from the crowd and take home a major title is Padraig Harrington. Harrington come on strong last year in Wood’s absence from the sport winning two major events in the British Open and the PGA Championship. Harrington is another player that is solid on the long courses and he proved back in 2002 that he can play well at Bethpage Black when he posted an 8th place finish. Harrington’s game is far more advanced at this point in his career and he would definitely be a bet to consider.

The U.S Open has historically has been subject to falling to the unknowns among the PGA ranks. The US Open has been the event to turn determined young players into household names. Michael Campbell is a prime example. Before the 2005 U.S Open at Pinehurst, Campbell failed to make the cut in his first 5 tournaments on the season. However, Campbell broke putting together the best 4 rounds of action conquering Pine Hurst at even par which earned Campbell his first major victory and turned him into a household name overnight. In 2007, Angel Cabrera was another lesser known name to finally capture the spotlight. Cabrera had been on the tour for numerous years, but had failed to win a major championship or truly contend. However, Cabrera posted a +5 over 4 round score that also earned him his first major championship in one of the toughest U.S Open’s in history at the Oakmont Country Club. Heading into the 2009 U.S Open we would like to pick out some names that could emerge into overnight success stories. Cabrera might be another pick worth consideration at very profitable 50/1 odds. Cabrera won the Masters back in April and are amongst one of the longest hitters on Tour which will be needed at Bethpage.

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One particular name that comes to mind when trying to locate a underdog would be Paul Casey. The 31 year old British player has had a great start to 2009 winning at the Shell Houston Open back in April and has also not finished outside the top 35 in event this season. Casey finished 20th at the Masters and was runner-up at the Accenture Match-Play Championship. Casey is a 33/1 long shot to win the event and this could just be the Tournament that he finally captures his first Major Championship. Another name that could finally breakthrough could be Camilo Villegas. Villegas earned some impressive finished with two top 10 in both the U.S Open and PGA Championship in 2008 which equaled his best finishes in a Major. Villegas has not exactly played poorly over the last few weeks finishing in the top 25 in 3 of his last 4 events. Villegas is another player standing at 33/1 odds for the event, and worth consideration for the U.S Open.

Also we found an interesting Prop Bet surrounding the PGA’s number 1 ranked golfer Tiger Woods. This prop bet is gaining a lot of popularity due to Tiger’s less than terrific start and we decided to make a play on this bet as well;

Will Tiger Woods win a major this year?
Current Prop. Odds: Yes -200, No +150

There maybe some people that will take their chances against Woods, but not us. Woods proved last year in the U.S Open that he finds a way to raise his level of play in the Major Championships even if the odds were against him with a bad knee. Woods may not have the wins at this point in the season to compare with previous seasons, but he is not playing bad golf. Woods may still need time to get back to the top of his game after not swinging a club for nearly 9 months, but no way he does not find a way to win a Major Championship in 2009. Tiger has geared himself for the Major events since his arrival to the PGA Tour and we will take the -200 that Woods brings home at least one Major Title this season.

Below are the current futures odds to win the 2009 US Open for the entire field.  Check back or save the page to your favorites for updates as the odds change for the 09′ USOpen. These are the current odds are from BetUS Sportsbook.  You can also check out BetUS and you will find a variety of other props and match-up lines for the 2009 US Open.  Bet the US Open at BetUS and get a 100% Signup Bonus (up to $500) courtesy of Bankroll Sports when clicking this link.

Current odds to win the US Open From BetUS:

Current matchup odds for the US Open from BetUS Sportsbook (Get a 100% Bonus Above):

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*Baseball Records & Team Rankings are as of 5/24/2009
(Our Next Major League Baseball Power Ratings Update: 5/31/2009)

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (30-14) – The Dodgers continue to hold the top spot, and the difference continues to expand. Los Angeles became the first team to win 30 games on the season Saturday against the Angels. The Dodgers continue to get solid power numbers from Casey Blake and Andre Either during the absence of Manny Ramirez. Closer Johnathan Broxton has been excellent, with a 5-0 record, and 11 saves, and just 2 blown saves on the season. The Dodgers lead the Padres by 8.5 games for the NL West lead. Los Angeles boasts the best home record in baseball, at 18-4, but have played well on the road as well, winning 12 of 22. After the Angels leave town on Sunday the Dodgers will start a seven game road trip on Monday at Colorado, and then a four game set at Wrigley Field on Thursday against the Cubs.  

2. Milwaukee Brewers (26-17) –  All the work the Brewers did to dispose of the Cardinals last week have went to waste this week, losing two straight to the Twins. With St. Louis winning five straight, the Cardinals and Brewers are once again tied atop the division. Milwaukee has a 12-7 record at home, and 14-10 when playing on the road. The Brewers have tortured fellow National League Central opponents winning 17 of 25 against them, including the three game sweep in St. Louis. Milwaukee picked up some insurance this week in the outfield, grabbing Jody Gerut from San Diego, in return for Tony Gwynn Jr. Ryan Braun continues to sparkle for Milwaukee, hitting a team best .336, and leading the team with 31 runs scored. The Brewers will complete their series with Minnesota on Sunday, and then host back to back Central foes in the Cardinals and Reds. The Cardinals will be in town Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, while Cincinnati will start a three game set Friday.

3. St. Louis Cardinals (26-17) – The Cardinals have made an eight team jump from last weeks spot at #11. After getting swept at home to the Brewers, the Cardinals were able to real off a three game sweep over rival Chicago, and have won the first two against state opposition Kansas City. The starting pitching for St. Louis has done something that will be remembered for ages. All five starting pitchers picked up a win in the last five games, allowing just one earned run in 36 innings. In the Cubs series, Chicago scored just 2 runs in three games, while Kansas City has been shutout in the first 18 innings of the series. Chris Carpenter came back strong on Wednesday and went five scoreless innings. Carpenter is now 2-0 on the season, and pitched in 15 innings, not allowing an earned run. The dominance does not come as a surprise to Tony LaRussa and Dave Duncan, as they saw the starters start the season 14-2, before the 1-10 string hit. The Cardinals offense still tries to get by, without outfielders Ryan Ludwick and Rick Ankiel and third basemen Troy Glaus. The Cardinals will finish their series with Kansas City Sunday, before heading on the road for three at Milwaukee and then three at San Francisco over the weekend.

4. Detroit Tigers (24-17) – The Tigers had their seven game winning streak snapped on Saturday evening, but despite that, Detroit holds a four game lead in the American League Central. Detroit moved up four spots from # 8 last week to # 4 this week. Detroit won games with their pitching, allowing over six runs just once in the streak. Rick Porcello leads the Tigers staff with wins, winning five and losing three to start the season. Miguel Cabrera is hitting a team leading .370, with 33 runs batted in. Fernando Rodney has saved all eight opportunities he has had this year for Detroit. The Tigers will finish their three game set with Colorado on Sunday, and then face divisional foe Kansas City on the road, before heading to Baltimore for a four game weekend set.

5. Toronto Blue Jays (27-19) – The Blue Jays drop three spots from # 2 to # 5 with their recent struggles, that have seen them drop five straight games and six of their last ten. Toronto was swept by divisional foe Boston on the road, and they have dropped the first two at Atlanta. Toronto leads the American League by a slim ½ game going into Sunday’s games. The Blue Jays continue to play without catcher Michael Barrett starting pitchers Jesse Litsch and Dustin McGowan. Toronto will continue their long road trip on Monday in Baltimore, and then take Thursday off, before going back home to host the Boston Red Sox, in what they hope is revenge from the beating they took at Fenway.

6. Philadelphia Phillies (23-18) –  The defending World Series Champions have made their way up to # 6, four spots up from last weeks # 10 rankings. Philadelphia has won seven of their last ten games, despite falling on Saturday, behind a Brad Lidge blown save. The Phillies have struggled at home winning just 8 of 20 games, while they have thrived on the road, compiling a 15-6 record. Raul Ibanez has continued his torrid pace, leading the team in batting average (.350), homeruns (17), runs batted in (42) and runs scored (37). Those numbers place him in the top five in batting, the leader in homeruns and rbi’s and second in runs scored in the entire National League. For a team that has three offensive MVP type’s already, Ibanez has made the Philadelphia lineup even more potent. The Phillies have just a ½ game lead over the New York Mets in the National League East. Philadelphia will close their road series at the new Yankee Stadium on Sunday, and then make the trip back to Philadelphia to host divisional foes Florida and Washington, with an off day on Thursday.

7. Boston Red Sox (25-18) – The Red Sox have had two straight chances to over take the Toronto Blue Jays atop the American League East. Both times, the New York Mets knocked them off, to keep Boston ½ game behind Toronto. Despite sweeping Toronto in a three game series, the Red Sox have dropped from # 3 to # 7. Boston had a lead on Saturday until closer Jonathan Paplebon blew the save, and the game, and the Mets came back to win 3-2. Friday’s defeat was a 5-3 loss at the hands of Mets ace Johan Santana. American League MVP in 2008 Dustin Pedroia continues to hit, leading the team with a .327 batting average. The Red Sox will look to avoid the sweep on Sunday, and then travel to Minnesota for a four game series, followed by three north of the border in Toronto.

8. Texas Rangers (25-17) – Part of the Rangers success in 2009 has been winning games at home. Texas is 14-6 at home. The other part is beating up on divisional foes. The Rangers have won 10 of 12 against other AL West opponents. Texas has won two straight and seven of their last ten. Texas didn’t always play well this week, taking a three game sweep at the hands of the Detroit Tigers. The Rangers lead the American League West by three games over Los Angeles, and six over Seattle. Michael Young and Ian Kinsler continue to provide offense for the potent Rangers offense. Young leads the team with a .345 batting average, while Kinsler has a team leading 32 runs batted in, and 31 runs scored. The Rangers will look to take the three game sweep at Houston on Sunday, before hosting the New York Yankees for a three game series on Monday and Oakland Athletics for three on Friday.

9. New York Yankees (25-18) – There isn’t a hotter team in baseball right now than the New York Yankees. The Yankees have won 12 of 15 games since third basemen Alex Rodriguez returned from the disabled list. Rodriguez is only hitting .200 since his return, but 7 of his 10 hits have homeruns. The Yankees have surged into a second place with the Boston Red Sox, just ½ game behind Toronto for the lead. The Yankees are 14-8 at the new stadium, and 11-10 on the road. The Yankees are still playing without their top two catchers as Jorge Posada is out with a right hamstring strain and Jose Molina has a strained right quadriceps. The Yankees will finish the three game set with Philadelphia on Sunday, and then play back to back road series’ at Texas and Cleveland, with an off day on Thursday.

10. New York Mets (23-19) – At 23-19 on the season, the New York Mets are just ½ game behind Philadelphia for the top spot in the National League East Division. The Mets have battled their share of injuries as closer Francisco Rodriguez is out for a few days, and shortstop Jose Reyes has been out a few games with an injury. The Mets are also without Carlos Delgado, Oliver Perez and Alex Cora, all on the disabled list with various injuries. The Mets offense has been lifted by Carlos Beltran, who is batting .364 with 6 homeruns, 29 runs batted in and 30 runs scored. Johan Santana leads the starting pitching staff with 6 wins, and only 3 losses. The Mets will finish their three game set at Boston, before coming back home and hosting the Washington Nationals and Florida Marlins.

11. Los Angeles Angels (22-20) – The Angels make a three team improvement from last week, jumping from # 14 to # 11. Los Angeles is three games back in the American League West, trailing the Texas Rangers. The Angels picked up a 3-1 win over the Dodgers Friday, only to fall on Saturday 5-4. The Angels will finish their three game series with the Dodgers on Sunday, and then go back home and host the Chicago White Sox and Seattle Mariners for three game sets.

12. Cincinnati Reds (22-20) – The young offensive sluggers for Cincinnati are learning the importance of consistency. Once this happens, Dusty Baker and his Reds will be a force to reckon with in the National League Central. Cincinnati, despite the inconsistency have stayed alive through two months in the division. Coming into Sunday’s game with the Indians, the Reds are two games over .500, and just 3.5 games back of Milwaukee and St. Louis. The Reds remain at # 12 in the power rankings. Joey Votto leads the Reds in batting, also leading the entire National League, with his .371 clip. Jay Bruce leads the team in homeruns with 12, while Brandon Phillips has knocked in 34 runs. The starting pitching staff has been anchored by veteran Bronson Arroyo, who has won six games in 2009. The Reds will finish their series against the Indians on Sunday, and then welcome the Houston Astros to town on Monday, and then get a shot against the division leading Milwaukee Brewers in Milwaukee over the weekend.

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13. Atlanta Braves (22-20) – Probably the most over-looked team in all of baseball is the Atlanta Braves. Quietly the Braves have crept to within 1.5 games of the lead in the National League East. With all the talk of the Phillies and Mets in the East, the Braves have hung around. Atlanta has won two straight games over the American League East leading Toronto Blue Jays, and will look to sweep the series on Sunday. Atlanta makes a three team jump from # 16 to # 13. Chipper Jones has heated up, raising his average to .316 on the season, while the power for the Braves continues to be non existent. Kelly Johnson leads the Braves in homeruns, with just four. After Toronto leaves town on Sunday, the Braves will head out west to play the Giants in a three game set, and then stop in Arizona on Thursday for a four game weekend series.

14. Tampa Bay Rays (23-22) – The defending American League Champions seem to heating up a bit, winners of three straight games and seven of ten overall. The Rays have made a five team jump from # 19 to # 14. Tampa fell in the first two games at Oakland, but picked up a win in the last game, and have won the first two over state foe Florida. Jason Bartlett continues to hit the ball around the park, batting for a team leading .376 batting average. Carlos Pena leads the team with 15 homeruns and Evan Longoria leads all of baseball with 48 runs batted in. The Rays will finish the series with Florida on Sunday, and then take to the road at Cleveland for a four game set, before hosting Minnesota over the weekend.

15. San Diego Padres (21-22) – Making the biggest jump of the week is the San Diego Padres. The Padres move up 11 spots from # 26 to # 15, winning eight straight games. All the wins for San Diego have come at home, where they are 16-6 on the season. The winning streak has help aid the Padres into second place in the National League West, but still 8.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. Adrian Gonzalez continues to make a run at the All Star game, as he leads San Diego in batting average (.281), homeruns (16), runs batted in (30) and runs scored (29). Closer Heath Bell has saved 12 games, in 12 tries. The Padres will look to finish a perfect nine game home stand on Sunday against the Cubs, and then take the road to Arizona and Colorado.

16. Chicago Cubs (21-20) – The biggest loser of the week is the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs have lost six straight games, and dropped from # 5 down all the way to # 16. More importantly for Chicago, they have fallen back to fourth place, four games behind Milwaukee and St. Louis. The Cubs were swept by the Cardinals during the week, only scoring two runs in three games. Since in San Diego, Chicago’s offense has not picked up, scoring just one run in two games. The Cubs got good news on Friday, but bad news as well. Chicago activated Carlos Zambrano from the disabled list, but also placed starting pitcher Rich Harden on the disabled list. Harden joins third basemen Aramis Ramirez on the list. The Cubs will look to win one game on the six game road trip on Sunday in San Diego, and then hope the friendly confines help the bats get back on track, as they will host Pittsburgh and Los Angeles for seven straight.

17. Kansas City Royals (21-22) – The Royals are searching for their bats, as they have scored just three runs in their last three games. All those runs came in the same game, a 8-3 loss to Cleveland on Thursday. Friday and Saturday have not been kind to the Royals, who have been out scored by state rival St. Louis 10-0. The Royals have dropped four spots from # 13 to # 17 with their current losing streak. Kansas City is in second place in the American League Central, four games behind first place Detroit. Zack Greinke picked up a no decision in Thursday’s loss, as his season era went up to 0.82. Greinke has won 7 of his 8 decisions in 2009.  The Royals will look to win one in St. Louis on Sunday, before heading home to host the Tigers and White Sox in back to back series’, taking Thursday off.

18. Minnesota Twins (21-23) – Despite winning three straight, the Minnesota Twins have lost six of their last ten games, and fallen three spots from # 15 to # 18. The Twins picked up a 20-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night, and followed suit on Friday with a 11-3 win over Milwaukee, and picked up another win Saturday 6-2. The Twins are 16-9 when playing at home, but a dismal 5-14 on the road. Minnesota has struggled against American League East foes, winning just 3 of 15 times against them. The Twins are in third place in the Central Division, trailing the Detroit Tigers by 4.5 games. Justin Morneau leads the Minnesota offense in batting average (.343), homeruns (12), runs batted in (36) and runs scored (35). The Twins will look to sweep the Brewers on Sunday night Baseball, before hosting the Boston Red Sox for four, and then head to Tampa Bay for a three game weekend set.

19. Seattle Mariners (20-24) – The Mariners cannot seem to find any positive consistency, as they have not won two straight since April 24^th and 25^th. The Mariners are six games behind the Texas Rangers, in third place in the American League West. Ichiro Suzuki leads the team in hitting with a .315 batting average, while big man Russell Branyan leads in homeruns with 10. Felix Hernandez leads the starting pitching staff, but has just four wins on the season. The Mariners and Giants will play the rubber game of a three game series on Sunday, and then Seattle will make trips to both Oakland and Los Angeles (Angels) this week.

20. San Francisco Giants (20-22) – If the Giants could play their entire season at home, they would have a chance to compete with the Dodgers atop the NL West. Problem is, they don’t. The road has been unkind to the Giants, who have won just 7 of 21. San Francisco dropped three spots from # 17 to # 20. Despite the win on Saturday, the Giants have won just two of their last ten games overall. After getting swept at divisional foe San Diego, the Giants fell in the first at Seattle, but bounced back on Saturday. The Giants are in third place, ½ game behind San Diego, and nine full games back of the Dodgers. The Giants, after finishing up in Seattle will head back home and look to get back on track against Atlanta and St. Louis this week.

21. Chicago White Sox (19-23) – The White Sox made their best efforts to grab Jake Peavy to join the starting rotation, but were not able to land him when Peavy declined a trade to the Windy City. The White Sox make a one team jump up from # 22 to # 21 winning four of their last five games.  The lone loss in that span was a 20-1 butt whooping at the hands of divisional foe Minnesota. The White Sox have shut out the Pirates 6-0 in the first two games of the three game series. Chicago will play Pittsburgh for the final time on Sunday, and then head west and take on the Angels Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. After an off day on Thursday, the White Sox will play at Kansas City over the weekend.

22. Pittsburgh Pirates (19-24) – Despite losing three straight games, the Pittsburgh Pirates actually moved up three spots from # 25 to # 22. Pittsburgh is seven games back in the National League Central, trailing the Brewers and Cardinals. Pittsburgh has struggled on the road, winning just 8 of 23 games. On Friday, Zach Duke pitched a complete game in just 88 pitches, but took the loss to the White Sox 2-0. Freddie Sanchez is Pittsburgh’s top hitter, batting .294 on the season. The Pirates will look to avoid the sweep Sunday at Chicago, before visiting the Cubs starting Monday, and coming home on Friday to host the Houston Astros.

23. Florida Marlins (19-25) – The Marlins continue to struggle after the red hot start. Florida falls another five spots this week from # 18 to # 23. The Marlins have lost four straight, including the final two against Arizona, and the first two against state rival Tampa Bay. The Marlins are 8-14 at home, while playing .500 (11-11) on the road this season. Florida has been beat up by Central foes, going just 2-10 against them. Florida has fallen to fourth place in the National League East, 5.5 games behind front running Philadelphia. Hanley Ramirez leads the Marlins in batting average and homeruns with a .323 clip and 8 blasts. The Marlins will look to pick up one win over the Rays on Sunday, and then head out on the road against divisional foes – Philadelphia and New York (Mets), with an off day Thursday.

24. Arizona Diamondbacks (19-24) – The Diamondbacks made a five team jump over the week. Instead of being the second worst, they have jumped to # 24. Arizona has won four straight and six of their last ten. In their recent win streak at Florida and Oakland, the Diamondbacks have outscored opponents 25-20. Felipe Lopez leads Arizona in hitting with a .323 mark, while Mark Reynolds has knocked 12 out of the park. Reliever Tony Pena leads the team in wins, with a 4-1 mark, and a robust era of 1.27. Arizona will finish their series with the Athletics on Sunday, and then head home for seven straight home games, starting with three with San Diego and finishing the weekend with the Atlanta Braves for four games.

25. Houston Astros (18-23) – The Astros fall five spots from # 20 to # 25 after their current three game losing streak.  Along with the losing streak, Houston has also lost six of their last ten games. The streak has sent the Astros to the bottom of the National League Central division standings, tied with Pittsburgh, seven games back. The Astros have struggled at home winning just 9 of 23, while playing .500 ball at home. Another down fall for the 2009 Astros is their record against National League Central foes. The Astros have went just 9-17 against the division. Hunter Pence leads the team in batting with a .351 mark, while Carlos Lee leads with 29 runs batted in. The Astros will look to avoid the three game sweep on Sunday against Texas, and then start a road trip on Monday at Cincinnati, and a weekend trip for three at Pittsburgh.

26. Baltimore Orioles (18-25) – Baltimore takes a three team tip from # 23 to # 26 with their recent struggles. Despite those struggles, the Orioles have been able to right the ship some and win two straight at Washington. Adam Jones continues to lead the offense, along side Nick Markakis and Brian Roberts. Jones leads in batting average (.362) and homeruns (9), while Markakis leads in runs batted in (36), while Roberts leads in runs scored (37) and stolen bases (10). Brian Bass, a relief pitcher leads the team in wins with 3, while closer George Sherill has saved 9 of 11 games. The Orioles will look to finish the sweep of Washington on Sunday, and then come home and host Toronto and Detroit, with the Tigers and Orioles playing four over the weekend.

27. Colorado Rockies (17-25) – The Rockies were able to stop the Detroit Tigers seven game winning streak on Saturday, topping them 4-3. Colorado remains at the # 27 position, sitting in last place in the National League West. The Rockies are a league worst 12 games behind first place in their division. The Rockies have gotten solid hitting from first basemen Todd Helton, who is hitting .343, and off season pick-up Jason Marquis has been solid, leading the team with five wins. Colorado will finish their series with the Tigers on Sunday, and then head back to the Mile High City to host the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, with an off day on Thursday.

28. Oakland Athletics (15-25 – Things have not gone as planned for the Oakland Athletics when they acquired Matt Holliday from the Colorado Rockies. The Athletics do not have a batter that is hitting over .300 on the season, with Kurt Suzuki leading the team with a .298 clip. Dallas Braden leads the team in wins, but has just a 3-5 record, with a 3.67 era. Oakland remains at # 28, just ahead of Cleveland. The Athletics will finish their three game set with Arizona over the weekend, and then host the Seattle Mariners for a three game set starting Monday. Oakland will take Thursday off, before traveling to Texas for  Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with Friday’s as a doubleheader.

29. Cleveland Indians (17-27) – Victor Martinez has stayed healthy through the first two months of the season, which has been a pleasant surprise for Indians fans. Unfortunately, his numbers have done very little as far as putting the Indians in the win column. Martinez is batting .391 on the season, and his driven in 30 runs. Cleveland has not capitalized, starting the season ten games under .500 and nine games back of the Detroit Tigers. Off-season pick-up Kerry Wood has saved six games for Cleveland, but has an ERA of 7.71 with 10 walks on the season. The Indians have played poor of late, and dropped five spots from # 24 to # 29. The Indians will finish their series with state rival Cincinnati on Sunday, and then host Tampa Bay on Monday for a four game series, and then welcome the Yankees in for a weekend series.

30. Washington Nationals (12-30) – The Nationals remain the worst team in Major League Baseball, and the distance between them and the next worse is growing. The Nationals are inching closer and closer to 20 games under .500, and they haven’t even played 45 on the season yet. Washington is a 11.5 games out of first place. Christian Guzman has been one of the bright spots offensively for the Nationals, hitting at a .360 clip, which ranks him fourth in the National League. Adam Dunn leads a group tied in fourth in the NL in homeruns with 12, while Ryan Zimmerman is fifth in RBI’s with 34. The Nationals will finish off their three game series with Baltimore on Sunday, and then hit the road against the top two teams in their division. On Monday  the Nationals will play at the new Citi Field in New York, and then over the weekend Washington will visit Philadelphia for three.

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The NBA lottery selection for the 2009 NBA Draft took place Tuesday night from Secaucus, New Jersey. The selection show officially molded what order the teams would select their picks for the festivities that will take place on June 25th. The Los Angeles Clippers came out smelling like a rose after landing the overall first pick in this year’s draft. The Clippers were held at 17% chance to win the overall pick and the luck just happened to fall their way. Now since we know the orders the teams will select their picks we can now break down how the NBA Draft could shape out with our own 2009 mock draft. We break down the top 10 picks and how we expect them to turn out on June 25th in New York.

1. L.A Clippers – Blake Griffin (Oklahoma)

Blake Griffin is the extreme overwhelming favorite to be taken first overall this year by the Clippers. Griffin dominated the college ranks last season like no other sophomore in recent memory. Griffin averaged 22.7 points per game for the season which led the Big 12. Griffin perhaps was even more impressive in the way he dominated the glass. The 6’10 sophomore led the nation averaging 14.4 rebounds per game. The LA Clippers will jump on the opportunity to grab Griffin who has all the expectations to be among the best in the NBA in a very short time.

2. Memphis Grizzlies – Ricky Rubio (International)

The Grizzlies major need is a guard mainly someone to handle the basketball. Ricky Rubio will likely be the selection to fill that desperation. Rubio is a gifted young 17 year old who has a ton of upside. The point guard out of El Masnou, Spain has great ball handling, strong defense, and can shoot the ball fairly well. The Grizzlies will likely bypass the opportunity to grab Hasheem Thabeet and grab Rubio to control the ball. However, not exactly sure how big of a scoring threat Rubio will develop into. He has all the makings of a solid guard, but perhaps not a great one.

3. Oklahoma City – Hasheem Thabeet (Connecticut)

Oklahoma City would love to add a huge scorer to the lineup. However, they simply can not afford to lead Hasheem Thabeet slip by. The 7’3 center out of Connecticut is a beast on the defensive side of the ball. The junior averaged 4.5 blocks this season. Thabeet also averaged stout double-double type numbers with 13.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. The tall center may not be an immediate huge threat on the offensive side of the ball, but could become a Kevin Garnett type of defensive player and surely the scoring will develop as time passes.

4. Sacramento Kings – Jordan Hill (Arizona)

Many people think the Kings may go after a guard in this position, but there may be more need from some strength in the paint. Jordan Hill was a player who really came on strong for the Arizona Wildcats through the end of the season. The junior forward averaged 18 points on the season along with a strong 11 boards. Hill could give the Kings some depth on the inside and become an eventual playmaker on the inside. Sacramento already has a solid scorer in Kevin Martin on the outside and believes they will give up the opportunity to go after a guard.

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5. Washington Wizards – James Harden (Arizona State)

The Washington Wizards owned the worse record in the Eastern Conference this season and will get the chance to add some strength to the lineup with the 5th overall pick. The Wizards likely seek a guard preferably someone that can knock down shots in this position. Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison were very effective at the forward positions this year, but they really lacked the outside scoring threat. James Harden could fill that void at the shooting guard position. Harden averaged 20 points per game this season while shooting just under 50% on the season. Harden can also shot the ball from behind the arc rather well which should make him a perfect fit for the Wizards at the number 5 selection.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves – Brandon Jennings (International)

Minnesota has plenty of needs on the court and could go in many different directions with their selection. However, we expect Brandon Jennings to be the most suitable expectation. Al Jefferson holds down the middle fairly strong for the Timberwolves and they may look to add an outside threat to take some pressure off Randy Foye. Brandon Jennings has great speed and a knack for getting to the basket. Jennings should become a solid player who can beat most defenders off the dribble right away.

7. Golden State Warriors – DeMar DeRozan (USC)

DeMar DeRozan does not have overpowering qualities that some of our previous selections maintain, however he is perhaps one of the most solid all around players on the board. DeRozan averaged 14 points in his freshman campaign at USC as he matured throughout the season. DeRozan knocked down 52% of his shots on the season. The big thing surround DeRozan is perhaps need a good bit of time to develop. We don’t expect the 19 year old to come in the league dominating, but expect him to be a solid starter in a year or two.

8. New York Knicks – Stephen Curry (Davidson)

The New York Knicks made a lot of early season moves to try and grab some up and coming talent to the roster. The Knicks will get their chance at another up and coming star if Stephen Curry is still on the board at the number 8 selection. Curry led the nation this season with averaging a lucrative 28.6 points per game. Curry made a name for himself when he led a less than talented Davidson team to the sweet sixteen in 2008. Curry has the best shooting stroke of anyone in the 2009 class. If someone does not take a chance at him, surely New York will at the number 8 pick.

9. Toronto Raptors – Gerald Henderson (Duke)

Gerald Henderson is among the latest entries to add themselves to the 2009 NBA Draft. Henderson exploded in the second half of the season at Duke. Henderson actually tied with Kyle Singler at exactly 16.5 points per game this season to lead the Blue Devils. Henderson has molded into a Grant Hill type of star that also came out of Duke and entered the NBA. The junior has a solid shooting strong and some descent size that will probably take a small forward position. Henderson could find his way into the starting lineup in Toronto considering they have a need for scorers. However, after a big improvement in his junior season we wonder how much growing potential is left?

10. Milwaukee Bucks – DeJuan Blair (Pittsburgh)

The Bucks could surprise a lot of people with this selection, but we have them taking the young sophomore talent out of Pittsburgh in DeJuan Blair. The Bucks are a team that was really beaten up against the glass last season. Andrew Bogut averaged 10.3 rebounds for Milwaukee but there many are some issues with how he will hold up in the future. DeJuan Blair is a big strong forward who can not only chance a game on the boards, but also a rather solid scorer as well. Blair has the strength to overpower defenders and make an early impact in this league. While many will have Blair going around the mid first round range, we think there could be a surprise at the number 10 pick.

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