Joseph D'Amico
Matt Fargo
Matt Fargo is becoming recognized as one of the best and most consistent handicappers in the world.
Tony Karpinski
TonyK (3G-Sports) has won several handicapping contests especially in football, as he finished in the top 10 in the renowned NFL Las Vegas Hilton $500,000.
Jeff Alexander
Jeff Alexander began his career as a college and NFL football Handicapper.
Dave Price
Dave Price's Priceless Picks have proven to be worth their price from the first day he broke into the handicapping industry.
MLB Betting: Trades and Returning Injured Players by Jim Feist
So who is ready to win the World Series? Well, relax , folks, it is only the end of June and baseball is a marathon. Patience and consistency are keys to being the best in baseball, the same two qualities that are necessary in the world of sports wagering.
After all, it is not the hot teams in May and June that win the World Series, it is the team hottest in October. The 2002 and 2003 Angels and Marlins were great examples, along with the 2004 Red Sox and 2006 Cardinals. One year ago this week the San Francisco Giants were in third place in the NL West, five games over .500 with a losing road mark. All those teams were less than stellar in the first half of the season before catching fire down the stretch and winning the World Series.
Last summer the Giants (19 to 1 to win the World Series) really made their first move in July, starting 15-4 after the All Star break. After a so-so August San Francisco was three games out of first place on Labor Day until a sizzling September got them into the postseason. At the end of the first month of the 2002 season, the Angels were 11-14 and no one was talking about them as challengers in October. A year later, on June 1, 2003, the Florida Marlins were 26-32, looking up at the Braves, Phillies and Expos in the NL East. They were just one-game out of last place in the division and 100-to-1 shots to win the World Series. In October, they did.
Many times a roster a team currently has will not be the one they will be using in October, or even July. Managers are still tinkering with lineups, or practicing patience with slumping players hoping they will bust out of it. General Managers are reviewing team needs and plotting trades to upgrade positions and even minor leaguers can come up to help out.
This season, many talented teams have been waiting for key players to return from injuries or trying some new talent. The Red Sox are giving 26-year old lefty Andrew Miller a shot in the rotation because of the loss of starter Daisuka Matsuzaka. It’s an interesting move, as Miller was a Top 10 draft pick but flamed out with the Marlins and Tigers, who gave up on him. His first start with Boston last week was impressive, though it was against the light-hitting Padres.
The Cardinals have to wait another month to get star slugger Albert Pujols back. The Yankees have a pair of injured pitchers, veteran Bartolo Colon and young righty Phil Hughes, who they hope to get back soon to bolster their shaky rotation. How they return will influence whether they are players in the trading deadline next month for a starting pitcher.
Speaking of the trade deadline, Seattle has had a terrific surge the last month to put them in a pennant race with Texas. The Mariners are doing it with an incredible starting rotation of Felix Hernandez, Erik Bedard, Doug Fister and young phenom Michael Pineda. It’s a bit reminiscent of the San Francisco team of a year ago, great pitching on a below average offensive team (and we saw how that turned out). But if the Mariners suddenly go into a tailspin and drop out of it, does management dangle any of those arms for some future bats? Any one of those dazzling Seattle arms could influence the pennant races if they get traded.
The Giants are in the market for a catcher following the loss of star Buster Posey. The Angels have been hit hard by injuries this season but have been competitive because of their starting pitching, second in the AL in team ERA, seventh overall. If they can ever get their offense healthy, Mike Scioscia’s troops could go on a run.
Another factor is the minor leagues, with teams sometimes able to bring up rookie talent to plug into holes. Sometimes they can be key contributors in the second half, and other times it will be done to showcase the young talent because they want to use the kids as trade bait for an established player. Minor league surprised and getting injured players back can be as important as a trade.
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