A slimmer Myers has new deal

Baseball Betting Lines

02/06/2007 -

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -Brett Myers has a slimmer waistline to go with his fat contract.

Myers, who agreed to a $25.75 million, three-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies last week, showed up at his news conference Tuesday looking fit and ready to live up to high expectations.

The 26-year-old right-hander said he weighs 218 pounds, down from 250 at the end of last season. The Phillies are counting on him to anchor a deep rotation that includes newcomers Freddy Garcia and Adam Eaton, promising lefty Cole Hamels and veterans Jamie Moyer and Jon Lieber.

``I surpassed what I was shooting for,'' said Myers, whose weight sometimes became an issue the past couple of years.

Instead of eating nachos and ice cream on the couch, Myers followed a stricter diet and spent countless hours in the gym this offseason. He'll show off his new frame in a uniform when pitchers and catchers report to spring training next week.

A former first-round pick, Myers has won at least 11 games each of the past four seasons. He went 12-7 with a 3.91 ERA in 31 starts last season and led the Phillies in wins, ERA, starts, innings (198), strikeouts (189), winning percentage (.632) and opponents' batting average (.257).

``It's difficult to go outside the organization to obtain this type of talent,'' assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. ``It's important when you have this type of talent to keep them around.''

Myers missed time last year after taking a leave from the team following his arrest for abuse against his wife in Boston in late June. The charge against Myers was dismissed in October when Kim Myers said she did not want her husband prosecuted for hitting her in the face during an argument near Fenway Park.

A matured Myers said he learned from the incident, and his relationship with his wife is solid.

``I felt terrible for the organization and my family that it came about,'' Myers said as his wife sat nearby. ``It's one of those things where everybody makes mistakes and hopefully these things never happen again.''

Surprisingly, Myers got a nice reception from the notoriously tough Philly fans in his first home start after the incident.

``I really appreciated that,'' he said. ``I grew a lot of respect for the fans after that day.''

Selected with the 12th overall pick in the 1999 amateur draft, Myers is 54-40 with a 4.34 ERA in 140 starts and one relief appearance. He won a career-best 14 games in his first full season in 2003, and has started at least 31 games every season since.

With an excellent nucleus surrounding him, Myers could be on the verge of a breakout season. His main concern is helping the Phillies finally reach the playoffs after falling short on the final weekend two straight years.

``I'm not worried about what my stats are as long as the team wins when I start,'' Myers said.

Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

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American Idol Betting Season 6 Strategies  

It's that time of year folks.  Betting on American Idol Season 9.  And we have plenty of American Idol Season 6 strategies appearing below.  With the Top 24 finalists revealed, online gambling sites will be offering betting odds on each of them, including MySportsbook.com.

No other “event” has been growing as fast as wagering on American Idol. It has turned into a huge betting event with reasonably high limits and all sorts of profit-making potential for sharp bettors. Last year, MySportsbook.com experienced unprecedented traffic as a result of the American Idol betting craze.

Every week there will be odds to win American Idol, various elimination props and contestant versus contestant match-ups at the MySportsbook.com website.

Whether a fan of America’s top-rated show or watching only because of a wife or girlfriend, here are some of basic strategies to use when betting American Idol.

Odds to Win

There are a few things to consider when looking for the right win bet. First off, remember that this bet is for the long haul. Many people make the mistake of picking the performer who sang the best the previous week. This strategy leads to an underlay situation – betting a price, which is less than what it should be.

All Idol contestants struggle at some point in the competition, so you should always look for value. In last year’s competition alone, two performers who had some of the best performances early in the series were subsequently bet down to low prices - Lisa Tucker and Ace Young. After just a few weeks, Tucker had already been eliminated, while Young quickly became a huge long shot to win America’s largest talent search.

A better strategy is to look for performers who don’t necessarily get the praise from the judges, but show flashes of the talent necessary to go the distance.

Another important thing to remember when betting any contestant to win is the demographic breakdown of the voters, the viewing public and potential future CD purchasers. Unlike sporting events, American Idol is not decided on the field of play – it’s decided by the American public under the guiding influence of the shows producers.

Understand that the great state of Alabama has a mighty edge when it comes to American Idol. 

Therefore, to be successful betting on American Idol, put any personal opinions or prejudices aside and think like the majority of the voting public. Remember that the typical voter is young, female and quite often, Southern.

If a contestant cannot appeal to this demographic, no matter how much talent he or she possesses, they’ll struggle for votes. Looks, demeanor and charisma are extremely important. And it’s no coincidence that every Idol winner so far has hailed from a Southern state.

Elimination Props

Every week MySportsbook.com anticipates offering a prop on who’ll be eliminated from the show each Wednesday night. A suggestion to handicap this is to gauge an overall feel for who’s the least popular contestant left in the competition. Generally the least popular performers have recently appeared in the bottom three and will have been the target of repeated criticism from the judges.

Last year, resources included dialidol.com and votefortheworst.com. Dialidol.com measures the volume of each contestant’s voting line. While by no means a perfect science, it does give a good indication of who is generating votes and who isn’t. Meanwhile, votefortheworst.com is a site that attempts to build support for the worst competitor to keep them in the competition for ‘entertainment’ value. The site has a proven track record of keeping performers around who most feel should have been voted off a long time ago.

Contestant vs. Contestant Match-ups

The best strategy for doing well on match-ups is to assess how close either of the contestants is to being eliminated. If neither is expected to be voted off of the show in the coming weeks, the value is almost always on the underdog. If both are expecting an imminent exit in the near future, the favorite in the match-up might offer value.

Watch for American Idol betting odds on each of the contestants shortly and good luck with these American Idol betting strategies.

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