Tradition, pageantry, and all out excitement will fill the air when the 2009 college football season kicks off in just a few short weeks. The anticipation has been building all summer for college football enthusiast around the nation. After such an exciting and competitive year in 2008, the 2009 season expects to be even better considering the circumstances. All 3 Heisman Trophy Finalist are back including previous winners Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford not to mention the Florida Gators will be seeking their 3rd National Title in the last 4 years. Also, the South Eastern Conference will seek their 4 straight National Championship and look to continue their dominance among the nation’s most elite football conferences. Like many others you probably can not wait to see how your favorite team and players will fair in the upcoming season. We go a step further by trying to bring you predictions of the top teams in America heading in to 2009. We bring you an in-depth preview by predicting this year’s Top 10 teams before the rankings are released.

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#1 Florida Gators –

How can you not bet on the Florida Gators? Two National Titles in 3 years and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow is back for his senior campaign. The offense was nearly untouchable in the SEC last season averaging a lucrative 43 points per game ranking 4th in the nation. The Gators may not have the explosive talent of Percy Harvin back, but Tebow will have plenty of talented targets in his sights. Expect wide receiver Riley Cooper to have a breakout year on the outside. The Gators have so many talented players just ready to explode on offense. However, the strength of this team will definitely be on the defensive side of the ball. Whether you are tired of hearing about it or simply not accepted it, the SEC is the premier defensive conference in America. The Gators defense nearly has everyone back from the unit that held the so called “unstoppable” Oklahoma offense to just 14 points in the National Championship Game a year ago. Linebacker Brandon Spikes may very well be the best defensive player in the country and he will be on of the key figures in what appears to be an even better defense in 2009.

#2 Texas Longhorns –

The Longhorns should still be bitter about last season’s outcome considering they likely should have been playing for a national championship. However, Texas will be a force to be dealt with again in 2009 and they may be out for some payback. QB Colt McCoy posted great numbers with 3,849 yards and 34 scores. McCoy will also get the pleasure of taking aim towards his favorite target Jordan Shipley. Shipley who is the Longhorns most prominent receiver was granted an NCAA medical hardship waiver at the end of last season giving him an extra year of eligibility. The extra year of eligibility is huge in a year where the Longhorns would have lost all of their big time receivers. However, Texas now will not only have Shipley but a number of talented receivers ready to get in on the action. Defensively, you can not replace defensive end Brian Orakpo. The Longhorns defense will not be bad, but we do question the front four and how effective they will be getting to the quarterback. Also, it would be nice to see someone step up in the back field on offense considering McCoy led the team in rushing with only 561 yards last season.

#3 Oklahoma Sooners –

The Sooners return another outstanding group of players heading into 2009. The Oklahoma offense was one of the best in recent memory last year averaging an insane 51 points per game. Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford is back along with some other very big names. Bradford who is coming off a ridiculous 4,720 yard and 50 touchdowns junior campaign will also get tight end Jermaine Gresham back in the mix. Gresham caught a team high 14 touchdown passes last season and appears to have a very bright future with Bradford back under center. However, surprisingly the running game is just as important as their dangerous air assault. Running backs Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark in 2008 and will have a chance to do the same again this season. Both tailbacks provide Oklahoma with as much danger on the ground as Bradford does with his arm equaling a lethal combination. However, the offense may lack a down the field threat with the young receivers who will step in and must overcome losing a ton of talent on the offensive line.

#4 USC Trojans –

If the Trojans could slightly mirror last year’s defensive unit, then they would have nothing to worry about. However, the defense that ranked #1 in the nation will only return 3 starters on that side of the ball. Usually that would throw up all types of red flag, but there is perhaps no team in the nation that can reload talent like USC. The big hurt that the Trojans will feel is losing quarterback Mark Sanchez. The reason is not necessarily because Sanchez was irreplaceable, but rather of the lack of experience that USC is left with. The offense will return an impressive 9 starters giving opposing defenses a lot to worry about. However, to be a great football team you got to have reliability behind center and the Trojans will be searching for either Aaron Corp or Mitch Mustain to step up big in 2009.

#5 Oklahoma State Cowboys –

Could this be the upset team of the year? Well if you are familiar with the Oklahoma State offense it would not be much of an upset. This may sound crazy, but the Cowboys could have the best offense in the Big 12 this season. Quarterback Zac Robinson, running back Kendal Hunter, and wide out Dez Bryant provide the most dangerous trio of explosion in the country. Oklahoma State ranked 6th in the nation last year in total offense averaging 469 yards per game and there is no reason to think they can not be better in 2009 with the big 3 returning. The Cowboys offense will give them the opportunity to beat any team in the land. Unfortunately Texas and Oklahoma reside in the same division meaning the idea of winning the Big 12 outright is trimmed. However, the Cowboys could likely decide who does win the Big 12 if in fact they do not win it themselves.

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#6 – Alabama Crimson Tide –

The Crimson Tide were actually suppose to be a young talented team with their best years ahead in 2008. Instead, they were the only team to go through the SEC regular season undefeated. Alabama may have stumbled at the end of the season losing to Florida in the SEC Championship and Utah in the Sugar Bowl. The early out pouring of wins has left Tuscaloosa with unlimited amount of expectations. Julio Jones remains probably the best young receiver in the country. However, who will be throwing Jones the football? The likely candidate will be Greg McElroy. McElroy has very little experience, but he will inherit one of the best receiving groups in the country. The ability for the offensive line to rebuild and McElroy to establish ball control will determine the amount of success for the Tide. Crimson Tide fans should not worry much about the defensive side of the ball. The SEC’s best defense returns 9 starters and will be primed again for another fantastic season.

#7 – Ohio State Buckeyes –

The Buckeyes lost a good deal of talent at the end of last season that will be hard to replace. However, watching how the team progressed throughout the 2008 season should cause a bit of concern for the rest of the Big Ten. The Buckeyes offense really spread their wings during the latter part of the season behind freshman sensation Terrelle Pryor. Pryor legs add a big threat to the Buckeyes offensive attack and if his passing skills can continue to develop he could be a nightmare for any defense. However, Pryor lost some very talented receivers last year and it will be interesting to see who will step up. The defense lost some key players as well like Malcolm Jenkins and James Laurinaitis, but will likely reload confidently. The Buckeyes success will all be in the hands of the offense. Remember this is the team that was 36 seconds away from upsetting Texas in the Fiesta Bowl at the end of last season. If they can get the offense clicking early in the year, then they will be a team to watch out for.

#8 – Ole Miss Rebels –

We picked the Rebels to be a surprise story in the SEC last season and we forebode similar types of warning again this year. Ole Miss strived under new coach Houston Nutt turning the program from a 3-9 into a 9-4 season that was capped off by a thrashing over Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl. The offense that the Rebels displayed at the end of last year may be an eerie tale of what is to come in 2009. Ole Miss averaged 45 points per game in their final 4 games of the season. Quarterback Jevan Snead is on the verge of a breakout year and he may just be the best pure passer in the conference. Dexter McCluster will be used in all types of situations and is a guy you must contain. The defense looks to be very strong as well especially up front. The Rebels rush defense ranked 4th in the nation last year holding opponents to just 85 yards per game and that does not look to change in 2009.

#9 – Penn State Nittany Lions –

The Nittany Lions were one single game away from playing for last year’s National Championship. In fact, they were a single point away from their devastating defeat from Iowa late in the season. Penn State could have one of the better offenses in the Big Ten with the return of QB Daryll Clark and tailback Evan Royster. Royster rushed for over 1,200 yards last season while Clark threw for over 2,500 through the air. Look for Stephfon Green to be a bigger help with the offense as well. The Nittany Lions will have the most complete offense in the Big Ten, but they must be able to execute accordingly. The defensive front lost a load of talent that will be hard to replace. The losses of Aaron Maybin, Josh Gaines, and Maurice Evans cause a lot of concern on the defensive side of the ball. The rush defense which was the Nittany Lions biggest strength a season ago may be their biggest weakness in 2009.

#10 – LSU Tigers –

The Tigers downfall toward the end of last year was very surprising to college football fans. LSU lost 3 of the last 4 games of the regular season which included a heroic comeback to salvage a win over Troy. The problem was obviously the play behind center which kept the Tigers offense in neutral for the majority of the season. Freshman quarterback Jarrett Lee recorded 16 interceptions on the year before losing his job to another freshman by the name of Jordan Jefferson. Jefferson was not overly impressive, but did manage to hold on to the ball and will likely be the best back by the team the season starts. The return of Brandon Lafell at wide out gives the offense many reasons for excitement. Also, running back Charles Scott had a big junior season and will prime for another big year as a senior this season. The defense will have to replace a lot of guys up front including Tyson Jackson who was selected as the number 3 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. However the Tigers look to be back on the right path, but the question is will they get back to the top of the SEC West this season?

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At The Bottom of This Post is The Full List of Odds to Win the 2009 British Open

The PGA Tour will host the 3rd Major of the season starting this Thursday at the British Open. The spectacular links event will take place at Turnberry on the Ailsa Course in Turnberry, Scotland. The British Open has long been the oldest and most traditional major sporting event in the world. Dating back to the 1860s, the British Open has long held its reign as one of golf’s most prestigious events. The winner receives the infamous Claret Jug that has all the previous winners inscribed in the trophy. Padraig Harrington has won the last two British Opens and has the chance to become only the 2nd player in history to win 3 straight Open events. However, Harrington will have to hold off Tiger Woods and a hungry field of competitors all playing for one of golf’s most historic prizes.

Turnberry has hosted 3 previous British Opens over the last 30 years dating back to the first event in 1977. Tom Watson won that event posting 12 under par. Turnberry hosted two more events in 1986 and 1994. The two other winners included Greg Norman who shot even par back in 86 and Nick Price who also posted a 12 under in the most recent visit in 1994. The course has received a bad reputation for not being as challenging as other British Open courses. However, the course has received an upgrade in difficult over the last few years. The par 70 course has been added with 21 new bunkers and extended around 300 yards. The course now measures out at 7204 yards which is fairly lengthy for a par 70 style course. However to win at Turnberry, players do not have to hit bombing 350 yard drives. Instead the course is rewarding to good decision making and smart shots. Basically meaning that their will be plenty of competitors who will be in contention this weekend.

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Leading favorite Tiger Woods will seek his 4th Claret Jug and his first major victory of the season. Woods is no stranger to being a favorite at the majors, but has surprisingly yet to play extremely well in any major this year. Woods won the AT&T National just two weeks ago and will be riding momentum into the event. Woods has won every event this season (3) last player before a major this year. However, the results have yet to stick with him into the majors. Woods is a +200 favorite to win the event and we will give you a few reasons why this major could be different than the others this season. The main reason Tiger is rightfully such a big candidate to win this coming weekend, is he appeared to be a totally different golfer at the AT&T National. Unlike his other two wins where he blistered a final round 65 at the Memorial or grinded out a 5 under victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Woods was in complete control of his golf swing at the AT&T National. Woods placed shots where ever he wanted controlling his aggressiveness when only he needed. That type of control with his shots will be vital at Turnberry. Also, the Ailsa course has long rewarded great putting. If you have followed Woods over the years, then perhaps you know that no other golfer stands a chance if he gets the flat stick rolling. It’s easy to pick Woods as a winner, but we have warned you before taking bets on him in events so far this season. However, it looks like the pieces are starting to fall into place with his swing for the first time back from knee surgery.

Outside of Tiger, most would agree Padraig Harrington should have a great opportunity this weekend. Despite poor playing this season, Harrington has been tremendous in the Open Events. Surprisingly, the odds indicate how Harrington has been playing and he is a huge +3000 underdog. That may be just worth the smallest of bets heading into this Thursday. Phil Mickelson will not be playing in the event. Mickelson who is always a big name to bet on in the majors will miss the event as he will be with his wife who is trying to recover from breast cancer surgery. Anthony Kim stringed together some strong rounds of golf at the AT&T National. Kim was tied with Tiger going into the final round before losing his composure on Sunday. However, Kim is loaded with talent making him a promising figure in golf’s future. Kim will be a +2500 long shot at the Open Championship.

Other talented golfers who are bound to score big victories in the near future include Englishman Paul Casey. Casey has won 3 events this season once on the US Tour and twice more on the European Tour. Casey is ranked 11th on the money list this season even though he has kind of fell of the radar over the last few weeks after missing cuts at the AT&T and US Open. Casey will also be receiving +2500 odds to win the event. Other names to watch out for include David Duvall. That’s right Duvall made his presence felt at the U.S Open finishing tied for 2nd only 2 shots off the win. The turnaround in Duval’s career has been remarkable to watch, but he is swinging the club very nicely heading into the event. If there is any player in the field that is dangerous when swinging confidently it is David Duval. Ricky Barnes is another youngster to consider this weekend. After coming off his best major finish in history tied for 2nd place, Barnes is ranked 5th in putting on tour in 2009. Considering how vital putting will be this weekend, Barnes could make another strong run at victory. Finally one last veteran to have on your radar this weekend is 54 year old Greg Norman. As crazy as it may sound, Norman plays as well as anyone on the open links courses. Norman finished 3rd at last year’s British Open proving he can still contend with the youngsters on Tour. Norman won this exact event at Turnberry back in 1986 and at amazing +20000 odds he is definitely worth a small wager for the most unexpected of winners at the 2009 British Open.

Current odds to win the British Open From BetUS:
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Current matchup odds for the 2009 British Open From Sportsbook.com:

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*Baseball Records & Team Rankings are as of 7/6/2009
(Our Next Major League Baseball Power Ratings Update: 7/13/2009)

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (51-30) – Midway through the 2009 season, the Dodgers look to be head and shoulders ahead of everyone else in the National League. Manny Ramirez came back on Friday, going 0-fer in his first game, but hitting a homerun in his second game back. The Dodgers lead the Giants by 6.5 games in the National League West. Andre Either leads the team in homeruns and runs batted in with 15 and 53, and also leads in walk-off hits (4). The Dodgers will finish up their weekend series at San Diego on Sunday, and then head east, taking on the Mets, Tuesday through Thursday and then visit Milwaukee over the weekend before the All Star Break.

2. Boston Red Sox (48-32) – Losers of two straight games, the Boston Red Sox sit just one full game ahead of the Yankees for first place in the American League East. The Mariners have beat the Red Sox late in the game for both the wins. Kevin Youkilis leads the team with a .306 batting average, while Jason Bay leads in homeruns (19) and runs batted in (70). Boston will finish their series with the Mariners at home on Sunday, and then welcome to Athletics and Royals into town before the All Star break.

3. New York Yankees (47-33) – The Yankees have won two straight games and nine of their last ten to sneak within one game of the Red Sox for first place in the American League East. The Yankees are 25-15 at home and 22-18 on the road this season, while feasting on teams not in the Central Division; 23-9. Derek Jeter leads the team in batting with his .308 batting average, while Mark Teixeira leads in homeruns and runs batted in with 20 and 61. Left hander Andy Pettitte leads the pitching staff with eight wins, while closer Mariano Rivera continues to shine, with 21 saves. The Yankees and Blue Jays will finish their series up on Monday, before heading to Minneapolis to take on the Twins – Tuesday, Wednesday and  Thursday. After leaving Minnesota, the Yankees will head west and finish the first half of the season in Anaheim, taking on the Angels.

4. Los Angeles Angels (44-35) – The American League West has developed into an extremely tight race, as the Angels and Rangers are deadlocked at nine games over .500, and the Mariners sit just 2.5 games back. The Angels have won two of three over the weekend over the Baltimore Orioles. Saturday’s game saw Vladimir Guerrero hit just his third homerun of the season to lead the Angels to a 11-4 win. Chone Figgins leads the Angels in batting with a .316 mark, while Torii Hunter continues to provide the power numbers (17 homeruns), (62 runs batted in). Brian Fuentes, the teams first year closer, has saved 23 of 26 saves on the season. The Angels and Orioles will close their four game series on Sunday, and then the Angels will welcome the Rangers and Yankees to town before taking the All Star break.

5. Texas Rangers (44-35) – The Rangers got a homerun and three runs batted in from Andruw Jones Saturday night to assist in a 12-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rangers are tied in first place with the Angels, both with records at nine games over .500. Centerfielder Josh Hamilton is on his way back from an injury. He is scheduled to start his rehab back, but his return to Arlington is not known at this time. Nelson Cruz continues to have a great breakout season, leading the team in homeruns with 20. Texas and Tampa Bay will play their Sunday Night game, before the Rangers head on the road to Anaheim for three games, and Seattle for four to finish the first half of the season.

6. San Francisco Giants (44-36) – The Giants have emerged into one of the hottest teams in baseball, and have jumped to within 6.5 games of the Dodgers, and more importantly are the current leaders for the National League Wildcard. The Giants are a sizzling 26-12 when playing at home. Tim Lincecum picked up another win Saturday evening, throwing seven more scoreless innings. Lincecum, along with Matt Cain, Randy Johnson and Barry Zito are the majors best starting rotation. Lincecum on the season is 9-2 with a 2.23 earned run average. Young offensive stud Pablo Sandoval leads the team in batting average with a .333 mark. Sandoval also leads in homeruns with 12. The Giants will look to finish a three game sweep over the Astros on Sunday, and then welcome the Florida Marlins for three and the San Diego Padres for four leading up to the All Star break.

7. Detroit Tigers (44-36) – The Tigers sit 2.5 games ahead of the Chicago White Sox for first place in the American League Central. Detroit fell on Saturday to divisional rival Minnesota 4-3, but picked up an 11-9 win on Friday. Miguel Cabrera leads the Tigers with a .324 batting average, while Brandon Inge has popped 18 homeruns and drove in 52 runs. Justin Verlander leads the starting rotation with a 8-4 record, and a 3.54 earned run average. Verlander has struck out 130 batters, while just walking 35 on the season. Detroit and Minnesota will finish up their three game series on Sunday, and then the Tigers will host the Royals and Indians for three game sets.

8. Tampa Bay Rays (44-38) – The Tampa Bay Rays, after winning seven straight games, have lost three straight. Tampa could not finish the three game sweep of Toronto, and have now fallen in the first two to the Texas Rangers. Carl Crawford leads the team in batting with a .318 mark, while Carlos Pena has knocked out 23 homeruns. Evan Longoria leads the team in runs batted in with 63. Jeff Niemann leads the starting pitching staff with a 7-4 record, and 4.14 earned run average. The Rays and Rangers will finish their series on Sunday, before Tampa takes Monday off and then host the Toronto Blue Jays for three games, starting on  Tuesday, and then welcoming the Oakland Athletics over the weekend.

9. Milwaukee Brewers (43-38) – The Brewers, tied with St. Louis, are currently on top of a division with no clear cut favorite. Milwaukee failed to sweep the three game series with the Mets on Wednesday, falling 1-0, and then dropped the first two to divisional rival Chicago. The Brewers snapped the three game losing streak on Saturday, blasting the Cubs 11-2. Prince Fielder is having a MVP type season for the Brewers, hitting .310 with 21 homeruns and 75 runs batted in. Yovani Gallardo leads the starting pitching rotation in wins with 8, also with a 2.75 earned run average. The Brewers and Cubs will conclude their four game set on Sunday, and then the Brewers will take Monday off. St. Louis and Los Angeles will come to Miller Park this week to finish the  first half of the season.

10. St. Louis Cardinals (44-39) – On Saturday, the Cardinals modest three game winning streak was snapped by Micah Owings and the Cincinnati Reds. The Cardinals, at 44-39 are tied with Milwaukee at the top of the competitive National League Central. The Cardinals are 24-20 at home and 20-19 when playing on the road this season. On Friday, Albert Pujols hit his fourth grand slam of the 2009 season, and tenth in his career. Pujols is 6-7 with 20 runs batted in, when hitting with the bases loaded this season. Pujols’ .336 batting average is .010 from keeping him from leading all three triple crown categories. His 31 homeruns and 82 runs batted in lead the NL. The Cardinals and Reds will play the rubber match of the three game series on Sunday, and then St. Louis will take Monday off. A three game series with Milwaukee will start on  Tuesday, and then the Cardinals and Cubs will play four games in three days over the weekend.

11. Philadelphia Phillies (41-37) – The Phillies, one year after winning the World Series have not found any consistency within their offense, or their starting pitching. Despite their woes, Philadelphia still sits in first place in the National League East, as the halfway mark looms. The Phillies are seven games under .500 on the road at 15-22, while they are 26-15 when playing away from Philadelphia. The Phillies have won two straight, both over the Mets. Raul Ibanez continues to lead the team in batting, and homeruns, but is on the disabled list still with a strained left groin. The Phillies will look to sweep the Mets on Sunday, and then host the Cincinnati Reds for four straight games, followed by hosting the Pirates for three over the weekend.

12. Colorado Rockies (42-38) – After coming off possibly the best month of June in franchise history, the Rockies find themselves in contention for 2009 postseason. Colorado, at 42-38, is just 8.5 games out of first place in the NL West, but more importantly just two games behind NL Wildcard leader- San Francisco. The Rockies have slowed down their pace as of late, winning just five of their last ten games. On Saturday, Colorado fell 11-7 to the Diamondbacks. The Rockies are led in hitting by right-hander Brad Hawpe, who is hitting .331. Ian Stewart leads the team in homeruns with 15. Colorado, after finishing the three game home series with Arizona, will welcome both the Nationals and Braves into town this week to finish the first half of the season.

13. Seattle Mariners (42-38) – The Mariners felt the most recent road trip could be a make/break time for the ball club, and after going 5-3 against the Dodgers, Yankees and Red Sox, the Mariners find themselves in contention in the American League West. The Mariners have a chance to sweep the Red Sox, on the road, on Sunday. Seattle, in third place, is just 2.5 games behind both Texas and Los Angeles in the AL West. The Mariners are 21-15 at home, and 21-23 on the road. Ichiro Suzuki is making a case for AL MVP, with his .365 batting average. Power hitting Russell Branyan has done his job hitting 20 homeruns in the first 80 games of the season. Felix Hernandez has been the staff ace thus far, winning eight games, and compiling an earned run average of 2.62 on the season. Seattle, after finishing the series at Boston on Sunday, will head back home, and host the Baltimore Orioles for three and Texas Rangers for four.

14. Chicago White Sox (42-39) – The White Sox seven game winning streak was snapped on Saturday night by the Kansas City Royals. Chicago’s seven game winning streak sparked them into second place in the American League Central Division, just 2.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers. Chicago has won 20 of 40 games at home, and 22 of 41 when playing on the road. The White Sox are led in batting by outfielder Scott Podsednik, with his .312 batting average. Mark Buehrle has been the staff ace thus far in 2009 with a 8-2 record, and a 3.09 earned run average. The White Sox and Royals will play the final game of the three game series on Sunday. After taking on the Royals, the White Sox will take Monday off, host Cleveland for a three game series, and then head to Minnesota for a weekend series.

15. Toronto Blue Jays (42-40) – The Blue Jays have fallen to fourth place in the American League East, despite being two games above .500. Toronto has lost two straight games and seven of their last ten games overall. Toronto has been led in hitting by a resurging third base men Scott Rolen. Rolen leads the team in batting with a .331 batting average. Aaron Hill leads in power numbers, popping 19 homeruns, and driving in 56 runs batted in. Roy Halladay, despite missing a few starts with an injury continues to be a front runner for AL Cy Young, with a 10-2 mark, and a 2.79 earned run average. Toronto and New York will play both Sunday and Monday, before the Blue Jays head to Tampa Bay, for a Tuesday-Thursday series. The final games before the All Star Break for Toronto will be on the road at Baltimore, over the weekend.

16. Minnesota Twins (42-40) – The Twins, at 42-40, are in third place, three games behind the Detroit Tigers in the American League Central. Minnesota, has won six of their last ten games coming into Sunday’s game. The Twins are 25-16 at home, and just 17-24 when playing on the road. Saturday’s win was a comeback win, in which Justin Morneau led the comeback. Francisco Liriano did not pick up the win, but pitched well again, in his third straight start. The Twins and Tigers will finish their three game series on Sunday, and then the Twins will host the New York Yankees (Tuesday-Thursday) and the Chicago White Sox over the weekend.

17. Florida Marlins (42-40) – The Florida Marlins are taking full advantage of the struggles of the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets. As half the season has come to an end, the Marlins find themselves at 42-40, two games above .500. Florida is also just one game behind first place Philadelphia. Hanley Ramirez is making a case for runner up in the MVP voting (behind Albert Pujols) with his .346 batting average, and 60 runs batted in. Dan Uggla leads Florida in homeruns with 15. Josh Johnson leads the starting rotation in wins (7) and earned run average (2.76).  The Marlins and Pirates have split the first two games of a four game series, and will play the final game on Sunday, before Florida heads west to take on the Giants and Diamondbacks.

18. Cincinnati Reds (40-39) – The Reds, are another team that sits just above .500, and still in contention in the divisional race. Cincinnati is just two games out, behind Milwaukee and St. Louis in the NL Central. The Reds picked up a 5-2 win behind Micah Owings on Saturday, a day after blowing a 3-0 lead to the Cardinals on Friday. The Reds starting pitching staff has been excellent, with Johnny Cueto, Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, Edison Volquez, and Micah Owings, as of late. Jay Bruce leads the team in homeruns with 18, while Brandon Phillips is the leading RBI guy, with 53. The Reds and Cardinals will play the rubber game of the three game series on Sunday, before Cincinnati heads to Philadelphia for four and New York for three to conclude the first half of the season.

19. Chicago Cubs (39-39) – The Chicago Cubs, at .500, are still alive in the NL Central. Chicago sits just 2.5 games behind the Brewers and Cardinals, in fourth place in the NL Central. The Cubs have not found any consistency from their offense, but have seen a surge from first basemen Derrick Lee as of late. Lee leads the team in homeruns (14) and runs batted in (48). Ryan Theriot leads the team in batting with a .287 batting average. The Cubs’ three game winning streak came to an end on Saturday, as the Milwaukee Brewers blasted them 11-2. The Brewers and Cubs will finish their four game series on Sunday, before the Cubs host the Braves for three and then the Cardinals for four, including a Sunday doubleheader to end the first half of the season.

20. Atlanta Braves (39-41) – The Braves, despite being two games under .500 are just three games out of first place in the National League East. The Braves have not had excellent offensive numbers, but have had solid pitching from Derek Lowe, Jair Jurrjens, and Javier Vazquez at the top of their rotation. The Braves and Nationals will play the rubber match of their three game series on Sunday, and then Atlanta will head to Chicago for a three game series and then to Colorado for four to end the first half of the season.

21. New York Mets (39-41) – The Mets, with all their injuries have continued to plummet in the National League East standings. New York has dropped to two games below .500, but are just three games out of first place. The Mets have lost two straight games, and seven of their last ten games. Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Jose Reyes, John Maine and J.J. Putz lead a long list of injuries for New York. The Mets are led in homeruns by aging veteran Gary Sheffield, with 10, while third basemen David Wright leads in runs batted in (42) and runs scored (51). The Mets will look to avoid a three game sweep at Philadelphia on Sunday, and then head back to Citi Field and take on the Los Angeles Dodgers for three, starting on Tuesday. Over the weekend, the Cincinnati Reds will come to town.

22. Houston Astros (38-41) – After creeping to just one game under .500, the Houston Astros have suddenly lost their bats. Houston has been outscored 22-0 in their first two games in a series in San Francisco. Miguel Tejada leads the team in batting with a .325 batting average, while Lance Berkman has hit 17 homeruns and drove in 48 runs. Wandy Rodriguez has been the staff ace, with a 7-6 record, and a 3.21 earned run average. After Houston finishes in San Francisco on Sunday, they will come back home, four seven straight against Pittsburgh(3) and Washington(4).

23. Baltimore Orioles (36-45) – The Baltimore Orioles are the lone American League East team that is out of contention. The Orioles are in fifth place, and 12.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox. Baltimore is 24-20 when playing at home, but a dismal 12-25 on the road. The Orioles are pleased with their production from outfielder Adam Jones, who leads the team in batting average, at .307. Luke Scott leads the team in homeruns with 16, while Aubrey Huff has drove in 55 runs, and Brian Roberts has scored 60 runs. The Orioles will look to split the four game series with the Angels on Sunday, and then head to Seattle to take on the Mariners in a three game set. Over the weekend, the Orioles will host the Toronto Blue Jays to finish the 2009 first half of the season.

24. Pittsburgh Pirates (37-44) – The Pirates, are seven games below .500, but are just six games out of first place in the National League Central. Pittsburgh are 22-17 at home this season, while they have struggled on the road, winning just 15 of 42 games. Zach Duke or Freddy Sanchez look to be the choices for the National League All Star team, Pittsburgh representative. Duke is 8-6 on the season with a 3.13 earned run average, while Sanchez is batting .316 on the season. The Pirates will look to win the rubber match of a three game set in Miami on Sunday, and then continue the road trip Monday-Wednesday at Houston, before playing three at Philadelphia over the weekend.

25. San Diego Padres (35-45) – The Padres picked up their fourth win in twelve tries over the first place Los Angeles Dodgers. San Diego has got to find a way to win more games on the road, as they are just 12-26 on the season. The win for the Padres snapped a three game losing streak for San Diego. The Padres are led in homeruns and runs batted in by Adrian Gonzalez with 24 and 51. San Diego and Los Angeles will finish their three game series on Sunday, before the Padres will finish the first half of the season on the road, at Arizona and San Francisco (for four).

26. Kansas City Royals (34-46) – After the hot start, the Royals have fallen to twelve games below .500, but are just 10 games out of first in the American League Central. Kansas City is 21-24 at home, while 13-22 on the road. The bright spot for the Royals has been staff ace Zack Greinke, and his 10 wins. Greinke is 10-4 with a 2.00 earned run average on the season. Kansas City and the White Sox will finish their four game series on Sunday, with the Royals looking to split the series. After the Royals finish up the series, they will head to Detroit and Boston, finishing up their first half season with series against first place squads.

27. Oakland Athletics (33-46) – The Athletics are marred in the middle of a two game losing streak, and have won just two of their last ten games. Oakland is in last place in the American League West, sitting 11 games behind the Angels and Rangers. Kurt Suzuki leads the team in batting, but is only hitting .282 on the year. Jack Cust leads in power numbers with 14 homeruns and 42 runs batted in, also adding 42 runs scored. Oakland will look to avoid the sweep in Cleveland on Sunday, and then head east and take on the Red Sox for three, and the Rays for four games.

28. Cleveland Indians (33-49) – The Indians cannot seem to find consistency, and are 33-49 barring down on the end of the first half. Cleveland sits 12 games back of the Detroit Tigers in the American League Central Division. The Indians are 19-24 at home, and 14-25 on the road. The Indians snapped a five game losing streak on Friday, led  by Shin-Soo Choo’s four hits and seven runs batted in.  Victor Martinez leads the tribe in power numbers of (14 homeruns) and (57 runs batted in). Carl Pavano has led the starting pitching staff, with seven wins, but also seven losses and an earned run average of over 5.30. The Indians look to sweep the Athletics on Sunday, and then head on the road to face fellow divisional foes Chicago and Detroit.

29. Arizona Diamondbacks (32-49) – At 32-49, the Arizona Diamondbacks have been the most disappointing team in 2009. Arizona is a MLB worst 19 games out of first place in the National League West, and have won just 15 of 33 games at home. Arizona is 2-8 in their last ten games, but did pick up a Saturday win over the Rockies. Felipe Lopez is the lone Arizona hitter batting over .300, with a .301 mark. Mark Reynolds may be on the trading block, despite leading the team in homeruns (23), runs batted in (58), runs scored (52) and stolen bases (13). Dan Haren leads the team in wins (7), innings pitched (115), and earned run average (2.19). Arizona and Colorado will finish their series on Sunday in Denver, before Arizona comes home and hosts the Padres and Marlins to conclude the first half of the season.

30. Washington Nationals (23-55) – The Washington Nationals are 18 games out of first place in the National League East. Washington will be one of the very few sellers as the trade deadline looms. Washington has won just 9 games on the road this season, losing 29. The Nationals have struggled against divisional foes winning just 7 of 38 games this season. Christian Guzman leads the team in batting with a .316 batting average, while Adam Dunn has hit 22 homeruns and drove in 59 runs. The Nationals will look to win the series on Sunday against the Atlanta Braves, before heading out west to Colorado and Houston to finish the first half of the season.

There is just something special about going under the lights at one of the most famous super speedways in the world while celebrating our nation’s Independence Day. The dream scenario is exactly what will play out this Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway. The best drivers in the world will take to the 2.5 mile high banked track at speeds of over 200 miles per hour while racing merely inches a part. Over the past few weeks, NASCAR has been highlighted with a lot of big news with Tony Stewart grabbing his first points win as a driver/owner and rookie Joey Logano becoming the youngest driver in the history of the sport to win with last week’s victory at Loudon, New Hampshire. The big stories are sure to continue this Saturday night as drivers go door to door in restrictor plate style racing that allows cars to run all bunched together at amazingly high speeds. Restrictor plate racing has always been popular among the fans, but the night race at Daytona every July 4th weekend has become one of the most popular sporting events year round in NASCAR. As fans anticipate the upcoming race, major sports books like Betus.com have already released early betting opportunities for one of the bigger races of the year. We break down some of the best betting scenarios to take advantage of before this Saturday night.

Prop Bet #1 – Tony Stewart (-115) vs. Jeff Gordon (-115)

This match-up is fairly interesting considering how both drivers have exceeded expectations thus far in the year. Gordon maintained the points lead after grabbing early victory at Texas this season and has been a consistent front runner the entire season. Stewart has had a huge impact this season taking over what is now Stewart-Haas Racing. Who could have imagined in Stewarts first season taking over the team, he would have an All-Star victory and leading the points. Despite how they have run this season, they are both great drivers on the super speedways. Stewart has two top 10s in his last two trips to Daytona and went through an impressive stretch from 2003-2006 only finishing outside the top 10 once at Daytona International. Gordon has 6 victories to his resume at Daytona including 15 other top 10 finishes. However, Gordon has not done much of anything at Daytona in his fast few attempts, but still remains excellent in restrictor plate racing. When breaking down this Saturday night’s race, there is simply no reason to bet against Tony Stewart for the race much less against Jeff Gordon. Stewart has been on fire lately, winning at Pocono and was the car to beat last week at Loudon before rain shortened the event. Stewart may not get the recognition he deserves for being superb at the super speedways, but he could likely be the best driver at restrictor plate racing outside of Dale Earnhardt Jr. If you would like some extra assurance, Jeff Gordon’s back problems remain a big issue as well. Gordon has been getting weekly treatments to avoid back surgery. Daytona is a very fast track that presents a lot of g-force in the driver’s seat and that could take a toll by race end. Expect Stewart to be the man to beat in the field.

Pick – Tony Stewart -115

Prop Bet #2 – Dale Earnhardt Jr (-115) vs. Carl Edwards (-115)

Dale Earnhardt Jr is NASCAR’s most popular driver, but he has been a part of a lot of criticism throughout the season for under performing. While the Hendrick cars have been impressive all season, the #88 machine has failed to compete. Long time crew chief Tony Eury Jr was replaced and in just few short races Earnhardt has looked a lot better throughout the race. The driver of the #88 ran great at Sonoma before getting wrecked late in the race and also ran very strong at Loudon before the rain hurt his finish. Earnhardt will make his much anticipated return to Daytona this weekend after causing a big wreck in the Daytona 500 that also stirred up a bit of controversy. While Earnhardt has been criticized for not living up to his popularity, his accomplishments on the super speedway are unchallenged. He is a former Daytona 500 winner and has 7 victories combined at Talladega and Daytona which are very similar. Carl Edwards on the other hand is not known at all for his restrictor plate racing. Edwards did make an impressive showing few weeks back at Talladega when he was caught up in that big wreck going for the win in the final quarter mile of the last lap. Edwards’ career poses a surprisingly low 23rd place average finish and the driver of the #99 machine have never won a restrictor plate race. We will side with the numbers here and Earnhardt’s family inherited talent of being perhaps the best driver ever in the draft.

Pick – Earnhardt Jr -115

Prop Bet # 3 – Who will be faster in qualifying?

Jeff Burton (-110) vs. Kevin Harvick (-120)

This particular betting match-up simply considers composes of some repeating factors. Jeff Burton has made a reputation for being a poor qualifier. Whether it is he is not exactly that fast, for one lap or the way the #31 guys setup the car is not known. However, Burton has been nearly bottom of the board with average start position holding at the 22nd position. Kevin Harvick has not been very impressive qualifying this season either holding down a 21st average starting position. The different here is Harvick has been fairly consistent qualifying in the top 15 at Daytona over the past few races. While the teammates continue to face hard times at Richard Childress Racing, we expect Harvick to win this battle hands down.

Pick – Harvick (-120)

Bonus Bet – To Win the Coke Zero 400

Pick – Tony Stewart +700

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*Baseball Records & Team Rankings are as of 6/14/2009
(Our Next Major League Baseball Power Ratings Update: 6/21/2009)

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (41-22) – The Dodgers avoided their first three game losing streak of the season with a 3-1 win over Texas on Sunday. Los Angeles continues to lead the National League West, by seven games over second place San Francisco. The Dodgers remain at the # 1 position, a spot they have held the entire season. Chad Billingsley continues to shine, coming through at the front of the starting rotation, with a 8-3 record, and a 2.73 earned run average. Juan Pierre leads the team in batting, getting starts every day since Manny Ramirez has been out. Pierre is batting .348 on the season. After Los Angeles finishes their three game series with Texas on Sunday, they will head home for a brief three game series with the Oakland Athletics, before heading across town to take on the Los Angeles(Anaheim) Angels.

2. Boston Red Sox (38-24) – The Red Sox have surged to three games ahead of their rivals, the New York Yankees, at the delight of a five game winning streak. Boston moves up four spots from # 6 to # 2 with their recent surge. The Red Sox have won 21 of 29 games at Fenway Park, and have also beaten the Yankees all eight times they have met this season. Jason Bay is continuing to power the Boston offense with his 17 homeruns and 60 runs batted in. Tim Wakefield, the knuckleball leads the team in wins with 8 on the season, but has a high earned run average of 4.50. After finishing the series with the Phillies on Sunday, the Red Sox head back home to host six straight games. The Florida Marlines start a series on Tuesday, followed by a weekend set with the Atlanta Braves.

 3. Philadelphia Phillies (35-25) – The Phillies stick at ten games over .500, and continue to falter to make a move at separating themselves from the rest of the Eastern Division of the National League. Philadelphia drops one position from # 2 to # 3 within the power rankings.  The Red Sox have gotten the best of the defending champions winning the first two games of a three game series. The teams will finish the series on Sunday. The Phillies are a little banged up with injuries to bullpens guys Scott Eyre, and Brad Lidge, along with starting pitcher Brett Myers. Raul Ibanez continues to carry the load offensive, batting .322, with 22 homeruns, 59 runs batted in, and 51 runs scored. After Boston leaves town the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles will come to town for consecutive three game series’.

4. Texas Rangers (35-26) – The Rangers have used a 13-3 mark against divisional foes to move to a 3.5 game lead in the American League West. Texas remains # 4 overall in the power ranking, after splitting the first two with the Dodgers. Kevin Millwood continues to provide excellent starting pitching for the Rangers. On the season, Millwood is 6-4 with a low 2.72 earned run average. Millwood has struck out 49 batters, walking just 27 on the year. Offensively Michael Young and Ian Kinsler are making up for the absence of Josh Hamilton. Young leads the team in batting with a .315 mark, while Kinsler leads in runs batted in(44), runs scored (42) and stolen bases (11). Texas will finish their home series with the Dodgers on Sunday, before welcoming their state rival Houston Astros into town on Tuesday. Over the weekend, the Rangers will travel to San Francisco for a three game set with the Giants.

5. New York Yankees (35-27) – The Yankees picked up a gift win on Friday, as Mets second baseman Jose Castillo dropped a fly ball to allow two runners to score for the win in the bottom of the ninth inning. The win for the Yankees came at a great time, as they just came off a three game sweep at the hands of the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees have dropped all eight games they have played against the Red Sox in 2009. The Yankees drop two spots from # 3  to # 5 after their struggles during the week. New York is 19-12 at home, and above .500 on the road as well, but still three games behind Boston. If the postseason started today, the Yankees would advance as the American League’s representative for the Wild Card. New York holds a two game lead over Toronto for that spot. Derek Jeter continues to be the Yankees top batter, but holding a batting average of under .300, at .299. After the Yankees complete the Subway Series with the Mets, they will remain in New York to host the Washington Nationals for three, before heading to Miami over the weekend.

6. Detroit Tigers (34-28) – The Tigers make a two team jump, sliding from the # 8 spot, up to # 6. The Tigers have split the weekend series with Pittsburgh, with the third game coming on Sunday. Detroit leads Minnesota by three games in the AL Central with their 34-28 record. Miguel Cabrera leads Detroit in batting with a .326 batting average, while Curtis Granderson powers the team with 14 homeruns, and Brandon Inge leads with 41 runs batted in. Youngster Rick Porcello leads the Tigers in wins, with 7 on the season, with a 3.71 earned run average. The Tigers, after finishing the series with Pittsburgh will head to St. Louis for a three game set, followed by a three game home series with the Brewers.

7. Milwaukee Brewers (34-28) – The Brewers were swept at home over the week by the red hot Colorado Rockies. Currently, the Brewers have split with the Chicago White Sox in a home series. The Brewers drop from # 5 to # 7. Coming into Sunday’s action, the Brewers lead the St. Louis Cardinals by a ½ game in the National League Central. Ryan Braun leads the team with a .314 batting average, Prince Fielder is providing the power in the middle of the lineup with 15 homeruns and 55 runs batted in. Trevor Hoffman is a perfect 15-15 converting save opportunities on the season, at the age of 41. After the Brewers finish the series with the White Sox on Sunday, they will take  to the road for two straight series against AL Central foes. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday Milwaukee will play at Cleveland, and then over the weekend, the Brewers and  Tigers will get together.

8. St. Louis Cardinals (34-29) –  Albert Pujols is absolutely ripping the baseball right now for the Cardinals. Homering in his third straight game, Pujols hit a second homerun, followed by a double in Saturday’s game. Pujols leads the team in batting average (.329), homeruns (22), runs batted in (57), runs scored (50) and stolen bases (9). Adam Wainwright leads the pitching staff with six wins,  to just four losses, and a 3.49 earned run average. Wainwright has struck out 71 batters, walking just 34 on the year. The Cardinals made a two team jump from # 10 to # 8. St. Louis will finish their series at Cleveland on Sunday Night, and then come home to host the Detroit Tigers for a three game set, followed by a trip to Kansas City over the weekend.

9. Toronto Blue Jays (34-30) – The Blue Jays will look to avoid a three game sweep on Sunday to the Florida Marlins. Toronto fell in the final game of a three game series with the Texas Rangers, followed by the first two with Florida. Toronto is five games back of the Boston Red Sox in the AL East. Scott Rolen leads the team with a .311 batting average, while Aaron Hill has 14 homeruns. The Blue Jays remain at # 9, after their recent struggles. The Blue Jays will now start a road trip with a mid-week series at Philadelphia, and then a weekend trip at Washington.

10. New York Mets (32-28) – After the devastating loss on Friday night to the Yankees, the Mets picked it up with a Saturday win. Now, New York will look to take the rubber match of a three game set with rivals, the Yankees on Sunday. The Mets drop from # 7 to # 10, after their struggles with the Phillies earlier in the week. The Mets come into Sunday’s action three games back of the Phillies in the National League East. The Mets have been riddled with injuries, including shortstop Jose Reyes, set-up man J.J. Putz, first basemen Carlos Delgado, and starting pitcher John Maine. The Mets will look to get things going on the road on Tuesday when they travel to Baltimore to take on the Orioles in a three game set. Over the weekend the Mets will take on the Tampa Bay Rays in a three game home set.

11. Tampa Bay Rays (33-31) – The Tampa Bay Rays have won four straight games coming into Sunday’s finale against Washington. With the current win streak, the Rays move up four spots from # 15 to just on the outside looking in of top ten, at # 11. Carl Crawford leads the team in batting with a .316 batting average, while Carlos Pena leads the squad in homeruns with 20. Tampa Bay comes into Sunday’s affair with the Nationals just five games out of first place, one game back of Toronto for third place. The Rays will head out on the road after the Nationals leave town. Tampa Bay and Colorado will square off on Tuesday, in a battle of the two hottest teams in the league. The Rockies have won 11 straight games. On Friday, Tampa Bay will start a three game set at the new Citi Field against the Mets.  

12. San Francisco Giants (33-28) – The Giants continue to play quality baseball, as they creep up in the National League Wildcard race. The Giants are five games over .500, at 33-28, seven games back of the Dodgers in the NL West. San Francisco remains # 12 in the power rankings, coming in just ahead of the Angels and the Reds. Matt Cain will look to win his seventh straight game on Sunday, when the  Giants attempt to sweep the Oakland Athletics. The  Giants will continue playing at home this week, as the Angels come to town on Monday for a three game set. Over the weekend, the Giants and Rangers will tangle for a three game series.

13. Los Angeles Angels (31-29) – The Angels will look to complete a three game sweep over San Diego on Sunday. In the first two games against the Padres, the Angels have outscored them 20-7. Los Angeles moves up one position from # 14 to # 13. The Angels sit in second place, still within shouting distance of the first place Texas Rangers. Torri Hunter hit three homeruns for the Angels on Saturday, and continues to be red hot with 16 homeruns and 49 runs batted in; both team leading. The Angels and Giants will hook up in San Francisco on Monday, followed by a home series with the Dodgers Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

14. Minnesota Twins (32-33) – The Twins continue to hang around Detroit at the top of the American League Central Division. Coming into Sunday’s game, the Twins 32-33 record put them at three games back. The Twins have won the first two games of a three game set with the Chicago Cubs, moving up four spots from # 18 to # 14. Kevin Slowey leads the team with a 9-2 record, and a 4.23 earned run average. Closer Joe Nathan has saved 15 of 17 games on the year. Offensively, Justin Morneau is putting up numbers that resemble another MVP type season. Morneau is leading the team with a .336 batting average, 16 homeruns, 54 runs batted in and 48 runs scored. The Twins head home after their final game at Wrigley and host the Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros in back to back series’

15. Cincinnati Reds (31-30) – The Reds are looking to pick up one win on Sunday, and avoid being swept at the hands of the Kansas City Royals. Losers of six of their last ten games, Cincinnati falls two spots from # 13 to # 15. The Reds, despite their poor play as of late have stayed in the National League Central race, just 2.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers. Brandon Phillips is leading the team in batting with his .273 batting average, but got into some hot water recently with manager Dusty Baker after ignoring Baker’s sign to take on a 3-0 pitch. The Reds continue to play without Joey Votto, who is on the disabled list with stress related issues. Edison Volquez is still on the disabled list as well with right elbow tendonitis. The Reds will begin a three game series at home with the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday, and then welcome the AL Central’s Chicago White Sox to town on Friday.

16. Chicago Cubs (29-30) – Hitting coach Gerald Perry took the grunt of the blame for the Cubs lack of hitting recently. He was fired and AAA hitting coach Von Joshua being promoted. The Cubs have struggled to score in the last four games, all losses, to the Astros and Twins. The Cubs will look to salvage one game in the four game set with the Twins on Sunday. Chicago drops five spots from # 11 to # 16. Despite the disappointing play thus far in 2009, the Cubs still remain just 3.5 games behind the Central leading Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs will remain at home and host the White Sox in the cross town rivalry between two struggling Windy City squads. Over the weekend, the Cubs and Indians will square off in a three game set at Wrigley Field.

17. Colorado Rockies (30-32) – The Rockies make a six team jump, from # 23 to # 17 and have crawled closer to the .500 mark. Colorado has won 10 in a row, the highest streak in MLB this season. The Rockies will look to add to the streak on Sunday, and finish off a three game sweep of the Seattle Mariners. Colorado is still just 11 games back, but have moved to third place in the NL West, and more importantly, snuck up within the wild card race in the NL. Colorado is led by a hot hitting Brad Hawpe, along with eight game winner Jason Marquis. The Rockies will have to continue playing well on Tuesday when the Tampa Bay Rays, winners of five straight games come to town for a three game series. Over the weekend, the Rockies will host the Pittsburgh Pirates.

18. Seattle Mariners (30-32) – The Mariners, like many other MLB teams have not been able to figure out the Colorado Rockies. Seattle has been the victim of two straight defeats at the hands of the Rockies. Seattle drops just one spot, as the Rockies over take them, at # 17. Ichiro Suzuki continues to get on base at a torrid pace, leading the team with a .357 batting average. Russell Branyan has carried the offensive power load for the Mariners, belting 15 homeruns thus far in 2009. Seattle is in third place in the AL West, five games back of the Texas Rangers. The Mariners will play a three game series at San Diego, starting on Tuesday, before the Arizona Diamondbacks come to Seattle for a three game set on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

19. Atlanta Braves (30-31) – After getting back to the .500 mark with a Friday win over the Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta fell on Saturday to fall one game under. The Braves and Orioles will play the rubber match of the three game series on Sunday. Atlanta makes a three team drop from # 19 to # 16 after their series with Pittsburgh earlier in the week. The Braves come into Sunday’s action in third place in the NL East, 5.5 games behind the Phillies, but just ½ game ahead of Florida. The Braves will head to Ohio on Tuesday to take on the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds are coming off a three game sweep at the hands of the Kansas City Royals. After leaving Cincinnati, Atlanta will travel out east and visit the big monster, as the Braves and Red Sox will square off in Fenway Park.

20. Florida Marlins (31-33) – Florida got a big day from outfielder Cody Ross, where he homered and doubled twice to lead them to a win on Saturday. The Marlins have won the first two games of a weekend series North of the border against the Blue Jays. Florida is just 5.5 games out of first place in the National League East, trying to find their way back to .500. Florida comes in at # 20, just below divisional foe Atlanta. The Marlins star Hanley Ramirez leads the team in batting with a .328 batting average, while Dan Uggla has provided 11 homeruns for the Fish. Josh Johnson leads the starting pitching staff with 5 wins and a 2.73 earned run average. Closer Matt Lindstrom has saved 12 of 14 games for Florida this season. The Marlins will continue their road trip on Tuesday when they take on the Boston Red Sox. After the three game series, the Marlins schedule does not get any easier as they come back to Miami and take on the New York Yankees.

21. San Diego Padres (28-33) – The Padres will look to avoid a three game sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. San Diego slides on spot from # 20 to # 21 over the week. The Padres are 13 games behind the Dodgers in the National League West, fourth place. San Diego is getting little or no offense behind slugger Adrian  Gonzalez, who leads the team in batting average (.268), homeruns (22), runs batted in (43) and runs scored (43). The Padres found out this past week that staff ace Jake Peavy would be sidelined until at least the All Star Break with a strained tendon in his right ankle. San Diego will come home to start two consecutive series against AL West foes. The Seattle Mariners come to town for games Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, followed by the Oakland Athletics on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

22. Pittsburgh Pirates (29-32) – After losing 3-1 on Friday night, the young Pittsburgh Pirates were able to pick up a win over Detroit to even the series. Sunday will be the final game of the three game series against the AL Central leading Tigers. Pittsburgh remains # 22 in the power rankings. The Pirates are just  five games behind division leading Milwaukee coming into Sunday’s action. Pittsburgh is led in hitting by Freddie Sanchez and his .311 batting average. The Pirates traded their top power hitting, Nate McLouth, who led the team with 9 homeruns and 34 runs batted in. Zach Duke has done an excellent job becoming a staff ace for the Pirates with his 7-4 record and 3.14 earned run average. The Pirates will head out on the road, starting Tuesday in Minnesota, and then head west to take on the Colorado Rockies over the weekend.

23. Chicago White Sox (29-34) – The White Sox picked up a big 7-1 win on Saturday, after falling in the series opener to Milwaukee. Chicago is still playing without Carlos Quentin, who is on the disabled list with a left foot injury. Chicago moves down two spots from # 21 to # 23 to make room for Colorado and Pittsburgh.  The White Sox will continue their long road trip on Tuesday, playing in the Windy City Classic, against the Chicago Cubs. Over the weekend, the White Sox will head to Ohio to play the Reds in a three game series.

24. Houston Astros (28-32) – The Astros will look to take two of three against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, after winning two of three at home from the Chicago Cubs. The Astros, with their recent stretch of hot play have moved to 28-32 overall, and just 4.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. Houston slides up one spot from # 25 to # 24. The Astros got two milestones on Saturday as Lance Berkman picked up his 300^th career homerun and Miguel Tejada garnered his 2,000^th career hit. The Astros will face a stiff test on Tuesday when they play in Arlington against the Texas Rangers, for a three game series. Over the weekend, Houston will play a three game series at Minnesota.

25. Oakland Athletics (27-34) – The Athletics are looking to avoid a three game sweep at the hands of Bay Area rival San Francisco on Sunday. Oakland falls one spot from last weeks’ # 24 to this weeks’ # 25. Oakland has fallen to eight games back of the Texas Rangers in the American League West. Oakland’s schedule will not get easier this week as they head to Los Angeles on Tuesday to face the Dodgers, who have the best record in all of baseball. Over the weekend, the Athletics will play at San Diego.

26. Cleveland Indians (28-36) – As winners of six of their last ten games, the Cleveland Indians made a one team jump from # 27 to # 26. Cleveland, at 28-36 comes into Sunday’s action just 7 games back of the divisional leading Detroit Tigers. The Indians will look to get better production from staff ace Cliff Lee. Lee is 3-6 with a 3.17 earned run average on the season. Lee will get an opportunity to improve on those numbers Sunday night when he takes on Chris Carpenter and the St. Louis Cardinals. Cleveland and St. Louis have both won one of the first two games in the series. After the Cardinals leave town the Indians will welcome the Milwaukee Brewers to town for games Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. After taking Thursday off, the Indians will play a weekend series at Wrigley Field against the Cubs.

27. Arizona Diamondbacks (27-36) – After losing two of three to the San Francisco Giants, the Diamondbacks will look to win two of three with Houston on Sunday. Arizona slides in at # 27, after coming in at # 29 last week. The Diamondbacks are 14 games behind the front running Los Angeles Dodgers, with San Francisco, Colorado and San Diego in between. The Diamondbacks have gotten five wins out of the bullpen from Tony Pena, along with 2 losses, and a 2.86 earned run average. Justin Upton leads the team in batting average with a .310 clip, while Mark Reynolds leads in homeruns (16), runs batted in (44), runs scored (41) and stolen bases (13). The Diamondbacks will head on the road Monday, during their off day with stops in Kansas City on Tuesday, and Seattle on Friday.

28. Kansas City Royals (27-34) – The Royals will look to complete a three game sweep over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. Before the Reds came to town, the Royals had lost seven of their last night games. With that play, Kansas City drops two spots from # 26 to # 28. The Royals lost centerfielder Coco Crisp to the disabled list recently with a sore right shoulder. Crisp was leading the team in runs scored and stolen bases. After playing the final game with the Reds on Sunday, Kansas City will stay at home and play consecutive series’ with Arizona and St. Louis, after taking Monday off.

29. Baltimore Orioles (26-36) – Baltimore, trying to stay afloat in the rugged American League East will look to take two of three from Atlanta on Sunday. The Orioles fall one spot from # 28 to # 29, as the Arizona Diamonbacks jump ahead. Baltimore is 11 games back in the AL East, trailing the Red Sox. New York is just eight games ahead of the Orioles, while Toronto and Tampa Bay are six games ahead. Brian Bass leads the pitching staff in wins with 4, and has a nice 3.51 earned run average. Bass, pitching out of the bullpen picked up Saturday’s win, pitching 3 scoreless innings. The Orioles, after finishing the series with Atlanta will welcome the Mets to town on Tuesday, and then travel to Philadelphia over the weekend.

30. Washington Nationals (16-44) – The Nationals made the front pages by selecting Stephen Strasburg as the first pick in the 2009 MLB draft. Now the Nationals are looking to sign Strasburg, which may not be an easy feat. Now the reports are that the Nationals will fire manager Manny Acta, and go with long time MLB man Jim Riggleman. Washington continues to remain at the bottom of the 30 team power rankings, with their 16-44 record. That record puts the Nationals in fifth place in the National League East, 19 games behind front running Philadelphia. Washington will finish their three game series at Tampa Bay on Sunday, before heading to New York to take on the Yankees Tuesday, Wednesday and  Thursday. Over the weekend, Washington will host the Toronto Blue Jays for a three game series.

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The dog days of summer are vastly approaching and for sports fans that means that baseball will soon be the only major sport making the headlines. For a large majority of sports enthusiasts that do not stay on track with baseball, the most of us we will be counting down the days to the first kickoff of the 2009 football season. The 2009 College Football season promises to be exciting as ever. Tim Tebow will try and lead the Florida Gators to their 3rd National Title in 4 years. Florida will be one of the leading favorites again for teams to win the 2009 National Championship along with some familiar faces in Oklahoma and Texas. However, we will take a brief look at the teams who are staging to emerge into the national spotlight this year who are among the less coveted teams in the nation. Take a look as we break down our top 5 sleeper teams to make a name for themselves in 2009.

#5 – Boise State Broncos

It is hard to pick a team that went undefeated in the regular season in 2008 as a sleeper, but that is the case with the Broncos this season. The main reason they grab this spot is they have a great chance at snatching the BCS automatic bid in 2009. The reason is that the Broncos have a cupcake schedule very similar to last year’s undefeated regular season. Outside of Oregon, Boise State could walk through the regular season without losing a game and not even have to be playing their best football. Add to the fact some of the top teams will have pretty hectic schedules this year and Boise State could be sitting pretty by season’s end. The Broncos defense lost a few players, but having Kellen Moore in control of the offense should be enough to pick up any slack. If the Broncos run through another regular season undefeated, and most teams are sitting with two losses they could make their way into a BCS Bowl Game. Not to mention the BCS will be more anxious to get a non-BCS team in after Utah stunned Alabama last year in the Sugar Bowl.

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#4 – Florida State Seminoles

A decade ago you would have never considered Florida State as an underdog type team. However, the Seminoles have been missing from College Football’s main stage for quite some time now. However, Florida State showed steps in the right direction in 2008 anchored by a strong defensive group. The Seminoles will return 8 starters on the defensive side of the ball and will likely be among the best in the nation on that side of the ball. The Seminoles could use some explosive offensive threats that would really make them dangerous. Christian Ponder will be the man behind center and that could be either the rise or fall for Florida State this season. The Seminoles have a great chance snatching ACC Championship honors this season if everything goes well. The Seminoles will attempt to capture a 10 win season which would surprisingly be their first since 2002.

#3 – California Golden Bears

California was a solid team in 2008 and they have a lot to build off heading into this season. The Golden Bears were not run over by any team last year and they will return 17 starters from their 2008 campaign. While I am sure many will disagree, I believe the Golden Bears could really make a run at the Pac-10 title this year. One of the main reasons is Jahvid Best at running back. Best was at his best towards the end of last season averaging 210 yards over the final 3 games and racking up over 1,500 yards on the season. The Golden Bears will rely on Kevin Riley behind center this season and he should have a progressive year. The California defense should be another unit that shows improvement from 2008 as well. The Bears had a top 25 defense last season and could be a good bit better heading into 2009.

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#2 – Oklahoma State Cowboys

Oklahoma State has a great chance to bust out from the big shadows of Oklahoma and Texas in the Big 12 this season. The high powered scoring conference will not lack any need for points this year and Oklahoma State could possibly have the best offense of anyone. Oklahoma State finished 9-4 a year ago, but they played everyone very well including Texas who barely escaped an upset in Lubbock 28-24. The Cowboys look to return nearly the exact same offense this season. The offense has all the makings to post huge numbers and could easily become one of the best in the conference. That’s right this offense can compete with anyone. Quarterback Zach Robinson and running back Kendall Hunter should provide the type of balance needed to stay effective. On top of their tremendous potential on offense, Oklahoma State should not be too bad on the defensive side of the ball as well. The Cowboys could use a little bit of help in the secondary, but should have strong enough rushing defense to hang with anyone in the conference. The Cowboys get Texas and Texas Tech at home while finishing the season at Oklahoma. If the ball bounces there way, this team could catch fire.

#1 – Mississippi Rebels

The Rebels were our team to watch out for last season in the SEC and we think they will be a team to watch out for among the national ranks in 2009. Houston Nutt should have possibly been the Coach of the Year for his amazing work he did turning around the Ole Miss program last season, but rather that award actually went to Nick Saban at Alabama. Mississippi finished 2nd in the SEC West last season and really did not get any rhythm until the latter part of the year. The Rebels lost back to back close games against South Carolina and Alabama before winning their last 6 games including a blowout over the high powered offense of Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl. QB Jevan Snead really showed some great signs at quarterback last year and could be on the verge of a breakout season in 2009. Add to the fact the Rebels were the only team to beat Florida last season, and they have the most upside of any team with 4 losses from 2008. The defense should be another solid unit similar to last season’s team that ranked 19th nationally. Mississippi will get South Carolina on a Thursday night game and Alabama two weeks later early in the season. If the Rebels can get off to a fast start, there may be nobody that can stop them throughout the rest of the season.

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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.