09/30/2008 - New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Major League Baseball announced on Tuesday that Brad Lidge of the Philadelphia Phillies and Cliff Lee of the Cleveland Indians are the recipients of the 2008 Comeback Player of the Year Award.
Lidge was perfect in save situations, converting each of his 41 opportunities, in helping to re-establish himself as one of the game's premier closers while leading the Phillies to their second consecutive NL East Division title. The 31-year-old right-hander finished the season with a 2-0 record and a 1.87 earned-run average while earning his second NL All-Star selection in his first year with Philadelphia.
In 69 1/3 innings, Lidge recorded 92 strikeouts against 35 walks with 50 hits on his way to becoming just the fourth Phillies pitcher in team history to record 40 saves in a single season.
Lidge has converted a career-best 44 consecutive save opportunities dating back to last season, good for the third-longest streak in the Majors since 1990 and longest in Phillies history. The former first-round selection in 1998 (17th overall) finished the season ranked first in save percentage, second in ERA, tied for second in saves, and third in strikeouts among his NL colleagues.
The Phillies acquired Lidge along with infielder Eric Bruntlett from the Houston Astros in exchange for outfielder Michael Bourn, pitcher Geoff Geary, and minor-league third baseman Mike Costanzo prior to the 2008 season. Lidge went 5-3 with a 3.36 ERA over 67 innings for Houston in 2007, converting 19 of 27 save opportunities.
Lee was an MLB-best 22-3 in 2008 and posted an AL-leading 2.54 ERA, second in the majors only to Johan Santana of the New York Mets (2.53 ERA). His 22 wins tied for the Major League lead with the Arizona Diamondbacks' Brandon Webb. Lee became Cleveland's first 20-game winner since Gaylord Perry in 1974 and the first Indians hurler to be the AL's wins leader since Perry held the top mark in 1972. The 30-year-old left-hander threw four complete games, including two shutouts, and struck out 170 batters in his 223 1/3 innings, allowing just 214 hits and 34 walks.
Lee's dominating performance came on the heels of a 5-8 2007 campaign, where the hurler posted a 6.29 ERA and spent time at the club's Triple-A affiliate while also being relegated to bullpen duty with the Indians.
In 21 of Lee's 31 starts, he pitched at least six innings in which he allowed two earned runs or less and won at least three games in every month of the season. His season included an 11-game winning streak, the longest in baseball since 2005, and he was tabbed as the AL's starting pitcher in the 2008 All- Star Game at Yankee Stadium.
Originally drafted by the Montreal Expos in 2000, he has been a member of the Indians' organization since June 27, 2002, when he was acquired along with Grady Sizemore and Brandon Phillips in the trade that sent Bartolo Colon to the Expos.
Carlos Pena of the Tampa Bay Rays and Dmitri Young of the Washington Nationals won the award last season.
<< NFC West: Rams unable to finish under Linehan
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Under head coach Scott Linehan, the St. Louis Rams had
trouble finishing out games. It then comes as no surprise that Linehan won't
get the chance to finish out his contract.
On Monday, one day after blowing a 14-6 halftim
<< Rams' new coach Haslett names Bulger starter
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - St. Louis Rams quarterback Marc Bulger was
named the starter for the remainder of the season by new head coach Jim
Haslett on Tuesday.
The move comes one day after Haslett replaced Scott Linehan,
<< NFC South: Saints turn Deuce loose
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) -- Age and a pair of serious knee injuries may have robbed
Deuce McAllister of some of the abilities that made him one of the NFL's
premier power running backs a few years ago, but the New Orleans Saints' all-
time leading rush
<< Rooney, Berbatov lead United over AaB
Aalborg, Denmark (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wayne Rooney scored before leaving with an
injury, Dimitar Berbatov scored his first two goals with Manchester United and
the defending champions defeated AaB, 3-0, on Tuesday in the Champions League.
Ro
Al Davis fires Kiffin, names Cable interim head coach >>
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis
finally pulled the trigger Tuesday and fired embattled second-year head coach
Lane Kiffin while naming offensive line coach Tom Cable as interim head coach.
Davi
Phillies OF Burrell experiences back discomfort >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Pat
Burrell left batting practice on Tuesday after feeling discomfort in his lower
back during a swing.
Burrell hasn't been ruled out for Wednesday afternoon's opener
Texans S Brown done for season >>
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Houston Texans safety C.C. Brown was placed
on injured reserve on Tuesday, and is out for the season after having surgery
to mend a fractured arm.
Brown suffered the injury in Sunday's 30-27 overtime loss
Kings acquire veteran O'Donnell from Ducks >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Kings added some much-
needed experience to a defense corps laden with youth, acquiring Sean
O'Donnell from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a 2009 conditional draft
choice
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Will Ohio State continue to run the table in College Football betting odds?
MySportsbook.com favors Buckeyes, Fighting Irish and Golden Bears in this weekend's big games.
NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 21 - My Sportsbook NCAA football fans: things are beginning to get really interesting on college football's national stage. Following last weekend's "Separation Saturday", which included five teams ranked in the top 15 dropping games, the BCS Championship picture is beginning to take shape - with Ohio State leading the charge. And, according to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, the number-one-ranked Buckeyes will continue their winning ways this weekend.
Revenge will be the name of the game in Columbus this Saturday, as Ohio State looks to even the score following last season's loss to Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions. Although Penn State are listed as 16.5 point underdogs, they are 11-10 all-time versus the Buckeyes. Paterno and the Lions, however, will have to shut down Heisman Trophy favorite Troy Smith who has thrown for 769 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
Speaking of revenge, Notre Dame will be out for some against Michigan State, following last year's 44 - 41 overtime loss to the Spartans in South Bend. The thirteenth-ranked Irish, listed as a 3-point favorite, will also be looking to avenge last Saturday's thrashing from the Michigan Wolverines. The Spartans, meanwhile, have won seven of the last nine match-ups against Notre Dame and are coming off an impressive 38-23 victory over Pittsburgh.
Out west, 22nd-ranked Arizona State will be battling for their first victory over 21st-ranked California since 2000. Although the Golden Bears are listed as 7.5-point favorites, the Sun Devils are 3-0, lead the nation in sacks with 18 and possess the Pac-10's leading passer in sophomore quarterback Rudy Carpenter.
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NCAA Football betting lines (home team in CAPS)
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Date Favorite Opponent Point Spread
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Sept 21 GEORGIA TECH Virginia 17
Sept 22 NEVADA Northwestern 6.5
Sept 23 MICHIGAN Wisconsin 14
Sept 23 Minnesota PURDUE 3
Sept 23 SYRACUSE Miami (Ohio) 6.5
Sept 23 MISSOURI Ohio 21.5
Sept 23 Louisville KANSAS STATE 14
Sept 23 TENNESSEE Marshall 22
Sept 23 CLEMSON North Carolina 16.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA Kentucky 24
Sept 23 Iowa ILLINOIS 20.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA STATE Rice 30.5
Sept 23 AUBURN Buffalo 41.5
Sept 23 BOWLING GREEN Kent 7
Sept 23 NAVY Tulsa 4.5
Sept 23 VIRGINIA TECH Cincinnati 27
Sept 23 BYU Utah State 29
Sept 23 OHIO STATE Penn State 16.5
Sept 23 TEXAS Iowa State 25
Sept 23 Washington State STANFORD 10
Sept 23 CALIFORNIA Arizona State 7.5
Sept 23 UCLA WASHINGTON 3
Sept 23 INDIANA Connecticut 1.5
Sept 23 Central Michigan EASTERN MICHIGAN 4
Sept 23 WYOMING Air Force 1
Sept 23 UTEP NEW MEXICO 9.5
Sept 23 West Virginia EAST CAROLINA 21
Sept 23 Boston College NORTH CAROLINA STATE 7
Sept 23 GEORGIA Colorado 27
Sept 23 ARKANSAS Alabama 1.5
Sept 23 BAYLOR Army 11
Sept 23 WESTERN MICHIGAN Temple 28
Sept 23 MISSISSIPPI Wake Forest 2.5
Sept 23 KANSAS South Florida 5.5
Sept 23 TEXAS A&M Louisiana Tech 23.5
Sept 23 UAB Mississippi State 9.5
Sept 23 LSU Tulane 36
Sept 23 Utah SAN DIEGO STATE 6.5
Sept 23 BOISE STATE Hawaii 15
Sept 23 Notre Dame MICHIGAN STATE 3
Sept 23 USC ARIZONA U 22
Sept 23 Oklahoma State HOUSTON 1
Sept 23 OREGON STATE Idaho 23
Sept 23 OKLAHOMA Middle Tennessee State 29
Sept 23 MARYLAND Florida International 18.5
Sept 23 AKRON North Texas 17.5
Sept 23 SOUTH CAROLINA Florida Atlantic 29.5
Sept 23 NEBRASKA Troy 23
Sept 23 SMU Arkansas State 6
For complete NCAA football odds and World Series odds please visit MySportsbook.com
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