Tiger teammates argue on field... (Watch)

Get along, you two.


In the heat of a particularly frustrating afternoon for the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, right-hander Brad Penny and catcher Victor Martinez squabbled with each other in plain sight in front of more than 30,000 fans at Comerica Park.


The Angels roughed up Penny for seven runs over 3 2/3 innings, his worst statistical outing with Detroit, in a 12-7 victory for Los Angeles. Perhaps the ugliest detail: home fans booing their own team in the fourth inning when Penny and Martinez shouted at each other with the Tigers on defense.Though the teammates exchanged only words, along with some hostile body language, the argument went on long enough that pitching coach Jeff Jones emerged from the dugout to calm everyone down. He even had to lightly restrain Penny from getting in Martinez's face.


Over the long months of a season, teammates will argue with each other. It just doesn't happen, usually, between the mound and home plate in the middle of an at-bat.

Watch the Tigers bicker

Memo to Brad and Victor: You're supposed to act as a battery, not threaten each other with battery.
Penny later said the squabble stemmed from how Martinez was calling pitches with a runner on second base. Nothing more, no big deal. A penny for your thoughts, Victor?

"Next question," Martinez said. "Don't ask about that."

OK ... anybody have anything about the debt ceiling?


As the Tigers beat writers from MLB.compoint out, Penny and Martinez had experienced positive results when working together. In eight starts with Martinez behind the plate, Penny's ERA was two runs lower than it has been in 13 starts with No. 1 Alex Avila. And Penny has been effusive in praising Martinez, a backup at catcher at this point in his career, whom the Tigers signed mostly for his offensive abilities.
So what happened out there, Brad?

"It had nothing to do with pitch selection or anything like that," Penny said. "With a runner on second, I like to come set taking signs. That way the hitter can't look at second base and anything there. I've pitched my whole career that way, and he didn't want me to do it. I know there's no other way for me. I guess it's a habit. It's natural.


"I've done it my whole career. It's not that big of a deal. Me and Victor have been friends for a while now, and that happens when you're competing."

Though it shouldn't have happened in front of the world like that, Penny seemed over it after the game. But was Martinez over it? Judging by his reaction to being asked about it, nope.

If Penny's characterization of what happened is complete and accurate, then Martinez needs to shoulder most of the blame. The catcher is the captain. He's got to rein in the pitcher when he's acting like an angry bull who looks like Larry the Cable Guy. (Possible exception: whoever is catching Carlos Zambrano. Z cannot be tamed.)

It's also understandable for Martinez to be upset with Penny for apparently calling him out. But if Martinez was doing something different than he usually does in calling signs, then it's easy to see why that would ruffle Penny.

If you're wondering where manager Jim Leyland was during all of this, he had been ejected for arguing with umpires about something else an inning earlier.

Who will catch Penny's next start? Will this regrettable moment have any lasting effect on the Tigers? Perhaps a positive effect? Martinez ain't talking, so the answers have to come from elsewhere.

Monday’s streaking and slumping starting pitchers

STREAKING

James McDonald (6-4, 4.15 ERA), Pittsburgh Pirates

Baseball bettors are like yard sale shoppers. They’re always looking for a good bargain. This Pirate hurler is the equivalent of an original Atari system with 50 games for $2.50 – a sweet deal any way you slice it.

The Pirates are 6-1 in McDonald’s last seven outings, and they were underdogs in five of those games.

Mark Buehrle (7-5, 3.38 ERA), Chicago White Sox

The White Sox are just 6-9 in their last 15 games, but three of those wins came on days Buehrle took the bump. Chicago would actually be in great shape if Buehrle started all its games. The club is 5-0 in his last five appearances and 13-6 in his 19 starts this season.

The veteran southpaw has been especially effective this month. He carries a 2.05 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP (walks + hits per inning) into Monday’s contest.

SLUMPING

Jason Vargas (6-8, 3.94 ERA), Seattle Mariners

Seattle can’t sweep bad starting pitching performances under the rug like the Red Sox or Rangers. The squad's lack of offense doesn't allow bailouts for starting hurlers.

Vargas has given up four or more runs in four of his last seven outings. Not surprisingly, the Mariners are 2-5 in his last seven starts and the under is 5-1 in his last six trips the hill.

RETURNING

Jon Lester (10-4, 3.31 ERA), Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox haven’t exactly been reeling since Lester went down with a strained lat muscle but they’ll be happy to see their big left-hander take the mound on Monday for the first time since July 5.

“We’re just trying to ramp [Lester] up and let him get strong, " Red Sox manager Terry Francona told reporters. "He feels nothing in that lat, which is great. That’s what we wanted. Now it’s just the idea of getting him back to where he can go out there and start a game and not be so limited to where he can only throw 50 pitches.”

Lester was pitching extremely well before going down with the injury. He went 3-2 with a 2.31 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP in the month of June.

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NFL Report: Eagles not interested in Favre as backup QB

Two Philadelphia Eagles sources told FoxSports' Jay Glazer an "emphatic no" on Sunday when asked if they were targeting veteran quarterback Brett Favre to serve as the team's backup.Glazer even noted that he was attempting to "end the uproar now".

Summers in recent years have been filled with Favre rumors - dancing around either retirement or playing one more season.

As it stands, the 41-year-old Favre has retired - again - after a disappointing final season with the Minnesota Vikings.

A landing spot with the Eagles first surfaced when Howard Eskin of WIP Radio in Philadelphia detailed that the team is interested in the idea of bringing Favre into the fold.

The Eagles are expected to trade current backup Kevin Kolb once the lockout is lifted. Mike Kafka would then be the team's No. 2 quarterback.

Michael Vick tweeted on Sunday morning that he would welcome the veteran quarterback to the City of Brotherly Love.

"I would be honored to have Brett Farve as a backup," Vick tweeted. "That will be amazing learning how to toy with defenses the way he did his whole career."

Favre does know Andy Reid, who was a Green Bay Packers offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach for seven seasons.

PinnacleSports.com has the Eagles at +1400 to win the Super Bowl.

USC suspends senior RB for season opener

Southern California senior tailback Marc Tyler was suspended for the team's season opener following comments he made to TMZ.
When asked whether he could make more money at USC or in the NFL, Tyler didn't mince words.

"USC, they breaking bread," he said while making a gesture of large stack of money.

Southern California coach Lane Kiffin was not amused and suspended Tyler for all team activities leading up to and including the Sept. 3 opener against Minnesota.



"I am disappointed that I let down all the people who have supported me as I have been working through some personal issues," Tyler said in a statement released by the school. "I realize how my behavior and my statements, even though I was joking, can reflect poorly on so many people. As a veteran player, I should know that my job is to be an example for the younger guys."

Tyler battled for playing time in the deep Trojans backfield last season but did pile up 913 rushing yards with nine touchdowns. He had a serious shot of being the team's starter in the opening game as the team's only tailback with any significant experience.

The Trojans are entering the second year of a postseason ban during four years of NCAA probation stemming from illegal benefits provided to Reggie Bush.

Bombs away: Handicapping the MLB Home Run Derby

With the National League playing host to Monday's Home Run Derby, and subsequently the All-Star game, the powers that be couldn’t have picked a better park than Arizona’s Chase Field.
Out of every major league setting, Chase Field ranks fifth in home run rate at 1.283 (according to MLB ballpark factor), watching 101 balls clear its outfield walls so far this season. Those numbers are tops among NL stadiums, setting the stage for some huge dingers Monday night.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

--

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

Nineteen of the 30 teams in Major League Baseball have better records at home than they do on the road, which isn’t a surprising stat.However, some teams have home/road splits that are highly skewed, meaning a closer evaluation might lead us to profitable betting opportunities.

Here is a look at six of the worst road teams in baseball and how you should bet them.

Milwaukee Brewers (29-12 home, 16-29 road)

Milwaukee has the best home record in baseball and one of the league’s worst road records, despite being four games above .500. Only the Cubs and Astros have won fewer road games than the Brewers in the National League.

Over the last three years, the Brewers have been about a .500 team on the road, and you’d have to go back to 2007 to find the last time they were this bad. That year, they finished 83-79 overall but were just 32-49 on the road.

How to bet them: Play against the Brewers when they’re road underdogs, as they have posted a 6-18 record as pups. Then again, you might have success fading them as a favorite, too. The Brewers are an MLB-worst minus 12.96 units in road games.

Washington Nationals (25-15 home, 18-28 road)

The Nationals have been one of the league’s biggest surprises, but their road performance, as bad as it is, is actually better than usual.

Since 2008, the Nats have finished 28-53, 26-55 and 25-56 on the road. There’s a good chance they’ll be able to exceed their previous road win totals by mid-August.

How to bet them: If you’re looking for a strong situational bet, fade the Nats when Livan Herndandez (5.13 road ERA) is on the mound. They are just 1-8 and down 6.53 units in his road starts.

Kansas City Royals (23-24 home, 11-27 road)

After winning three of their first five road games to start the season, the Royals have since lost 25 of 33. The main reason for the Royals’ struggles has been their disastrous pitching staff, which has an MLB-worst 5.12 road ERA.

The Royals have won a handful of games as +150 road dogs or more, but are still down 9.49 units away from home for the season - worst in the American League.

How to bet them: Fade the Royals in the first game of a road series. They are just 4-10 in series openers and lost seven in a row at one point this season.

Oakland Athletics (22-20 home, 16-28 road)

Only the Royals have lost more money on the road than the Athletics, who are down 9.48 units so far in 2011.

Losing nine of 10 in an East Coast trip in early June didn’t help the A’s, who have had to play a brutal road schedule. They had road series against the Giants, Phillies and Mets in interleague play.

How to bet them: Getaway day hasn’t been too bad for the A’s. They are 7-7 in the final game of a road series, with four of their seven wins coming as underdogs. 

Minnesota Twins (19-18 home, 18-28 road)

Minnesota has struggled to score runs all season, and that’s been especially true on the road. The Twins, whose 316 runs scored is the third worst in the AL, are averaging just 3.69 runs on the road.

In a recent five-game road losing streak, the Twins managed to score just eight runs.

How to bet them: The under has hit in 25 of the Twins’ 46 road games so far, and 15 of those have come in Twins losses.

Baltimore Orioles (22-22 home, 14-24 road)

No team has a tougher division to play road games in than the Orioles, whose easiest trip involves crossing the border to play the Blue Jays.

The Orioles haven’t won more than 35 road games since 2005, when they finished 74-88 overall and 38-43 on the road.

How to bet them: Don’t be afraid to take the O’s as heavy dogs, as they’ve pulled off some surprises so far. Five of their 14 road wins have come as dogs of +145 or more, including wins over the Rays as +166 and +173 underdogs.

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MLB's biggest winners and losers from interleague

With Sunday’s 10-4 closing record, the American League put away the National League for the eight straight season, with a final count of 131-121. It was the overall power of the junior circuit that made the difference, sending 255 baseballs over the fence compared to 208 by the older league.
Here's a look at the biggest winners and losers from interleague play:

INTERLEAGUE WINNERS

The two biggest winners from the American League were the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels. Each posted a 13-5 record, with the Bronx Bombers picking up +5.9 units and the Halos were a baseball best +8.00 in interleague action. In fact, the Angels are a major league best 62-28 since 2007 in their battles with the NL, for a whopping +28 units.

The National League was not a complete failure as Atlanta and San Francisco took advantage of the situation to post a 10-5 records. The Braves helped baseball bettors walk away with +4.4 units and the defending World Series champions were finished interleague up 5.1 units.

INTERLEAGUE LOSERS

If the cream rises to the top, then mediocrity can coat the basement with a thick layer of unsightly play. Houston has the worst record in baseball and it’s no surprise the Astros had the poorest ledger against the AL with a 4-11 mark and a profitable play against proposition at -5.4 units. The Chicago Cubs were next at 5-10 (-3.6 units) and were positioned to have a better record since three of their wins came in the first game of the series.

Last place Kansas City picked up the rear in the AL with a 5-13 (-7.25) mark and were particularly inept against the NL West where they were a distressing 1-8.

Among the most shocking performances were the Cincinnati Reds, who were 6-12 in interleague play. Last year’s NL Central division champs have tumbled all the way to fourth place with an uneventful 43-42 record. They helped contribute to their division posting a 37-56 overall rate against the American League.

WHAT DID WE LEARN?

The Yankees were three games better than Boston (10-8), which is why they are in first place and the Red Sox are not.

Cleveland (11-7) regained the AL Central division lead by being four games better than Detroit (7-11) and restored their confidence as a club. They now know they can take adversity head on and still come out ahead, something they have not done in years. The underachieving Chicago White Sox kept pace with Cleveland with an 11-7 effort and are back in the division race in the final week before the All-Star break.

The L.A. Angels picked up four games on Texas and has caught the Rangers, giving them the belief they are still a division contender.

Arizona (10-8) had the same number of victories as San Francisco, but picked up three more losses as a result of the unbalanced schedule, which is the difference in the standings in the loss column between the two teams.

Atlanta was one game better than front-running Philadelphia (9-6) and strengthened its claim to be the wild card team.
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Is It Too Early to Start Talking About College Football???

Oregon Ducks. LSU Tigers. Week 1. I'm excited.

Excuse me if I'm jumping the gun a bit here, but I just received confirmation of my tickets to attend this Week 1 heavyweight match-up at Jerry Jones Stadium in Dallas, Texas---appropriately named the "Cowboys Classic."

Being a huge Oregon Ducks fan, this game will dictate our season. If you haven't heard, we lost Cliff Harris due to a plethora of infractions including $8,000 in unpaid tickets. He could be suspended for one game, one game, forever . . . who knows.

Fortunately for Oregon, their bread and butter is the offensive scheme master minded by Coach Chip Kelly. He has these guys running at warp speed which makes my Ducks the most highly watched team in the nation. Sorry Big 10, no one wants to watch the power running game for 60 minutes.

That's about where my enthusiasm ends surrounding this game. The SEC is big. Duck Nation found that out the hard way in the national title game. Oregon recruits small linemen, and if the offense isn't running at previously mentioned warp speed, the big boys on defense from our opposition stay fresh and thus we lose our advantage. SEE: Auburn Tigers/Oregon Ducks National Championship game.

I have my wager placed on LSU Tigers +2 even though I will be rooting for the Ducks. LSU carries the same storyline into the season as Auburn did last year with a transfer QB who was probably paid $180K to attend LSU. If Jordan Jefferson gets the nod, Oregon has struggled with overly mobile QBs, too. Either guy poses a problem along with a power running game and stout defense.

The most glaring aspect of Chip Kelly's record with Oregon is his dubious distinction of not being able to win games with extended preparation. Chip lost to Boise State in 2009 to open the year, he lost to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, and he lost to Auburn in the National Title game. All of these games had extended planning (offseason or extended layoff before bowl games) which neutralized the surprise of the Oregon gameplan.

LSU will have ample time this summer to prepare for the Ducks. I hope Chip gets this monkey off his back, but I can't put my money on him.

The winner will have an inside track to the BCS Title Game.

"We Can't wait!"
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Full Tilt Poker to be Bought by European Group

Full Tilt Poker is on the verge of being purchased by a European investment group, a sale that could allow the return of $150 million to American online poker players.

A report in Friday's Los Angeles Times said an agreement was signed Thursday between Fullt Tilt Poker and the group, which would put up the money owed to players who lost their funds when the site was shut down by federal prosecutors on April 15.

Full Tilt was among three online poker sites named in the federal indictment and charged with bank fraud, money laundering and gambling violations. In addition, the company was sued by spokesman and World Series of Poker star Phil Ivey.

Full Tilt's international operation remained active until Wednesday, when it was suspended without warning by overseas regulators.

According to the report, in exchange for the infusion of capital to refund players, the investors would take a majority stake in Pocket Kings, Full Tilt's parent company based in Ireland.

The report said investors also are hoping to settle its portion of a $3 billion civil lawsuit brought by the U.S. attorney's office against Full Tilt, Poker Stars and Absolute Bet.

According to the report, Poker Stars has returned more than $120 million to players but Absolute Bet has not refunded any money.

After the April indictment, Full Tilt was sued by Phil Ivey, a spokesman for Full Tilt and a mainstay at the World Series of Poker. Ivey refused to enter the WSOP in protest, but his attorney told the Times that Ivey would drop his lawsuit if Full Tilt repaid its players.