AL Central: The aftermath of the Call Heard 'Round the World

Baseball Betting Lines

06/04/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Major League Baseball's latest, and perhaps most compelling, argument for more instant replay came during the ninth inning of Detroit's 3-0 win over the Cleveland Indians Wednesday night.

Tigers' right-hander Armando Galarraga was one out away from a perfect game when Indians' shortstop Jason Donald dribbled a ground ball to the right side of the infield. First baseman Miguel Cabrera went to his right, fielded the grounder and flipped it to Galarraga, who clearly tagged the bag a step ahead of the runner.

Cabrera, Galarraga, and 17,000-plus fans at Comerica Park began to celebrate -- until Joyce shook the baseball world by signaling Donald safe, thus ending Galarraga's bid for perfection.

While Joyce's blown call will go down in baseball history, Galarraga's gem, unfortunately, will not. Still, to truly appreciate what transpired on that epic night in Detroit, you have to look at the path Galarraga traveled leading up to Wednesday's performance.

That journey began in 2008, when he led the team in wins as a rookie. But the next season he struggled mightily, and by the fall he was out of the rotation altogether. Entering Spring Training this season, the team's fifth starter spot was a battle between Galarraga, Dontrelle Willis and Nate Robertson.

However, Galarraga's struggles continued and he was the first candidate sent to Triple-A Toledo, where he spent the first five weeks of the season until being recalled on May 16. Meanwhile Willis, who eventually won the job, was dealt to Arizona this past Tuesday. That move opened the door for Galarraga to rejoin the rotation for another chance to prove himself.

Mind you, Galarraga had never even pitched nine full innings in any of his previous 56 starts. But armed with a more crisp slider and pinpoint control of his fastball, he went right to work on the Indians' lineup.

When all is said and done, one could argue that Galarraga will be better remembered for the events of Wednesday night, more so than had he became the 21st big league pitcher to record a perfect game. After all, we're talking about what is already widely regarded as one of the most controversial blown calls in the history of the game. Then again, don't try to sell that to Galarraga.

All throughout Detroit, and most of the country for that matter, he will be remembered as the only pitcher to toss a 28-out perfect game.

Unfortunately for the 28-year-old Venezuelan, that asterisk-laden honor will have to be his consolation prize. Well that, and a new cherry red Corvette, which was presented to him prior to Thursday's game from the folks at Chevrolet for his performance and sportsmanship in handling the gaffe. As a show of class and compassion, Galarraga presented the lineup card for Thursday's matinee to an emotional Joyce, who was working the game as scheduled as the home-plate umpire. The previous night, after watching the replays in the umpires room, Joyce offered a personal apology to Galarraga, which the Tigers' right-hander graciously accepted.

Now the buck is passed to commissioner Bud Selig, who joined the masses in acknowledging the game should have ended differently. Selig released a statement on Thursday that read, "Given last night's call and other recent events, I will examine our umpiring system, the expanded use of instant replay and all other related features."

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Stanley Cup betting

New York, NY – October 3, 2007 – The dress rehearsal is over! The NHL preseason has ended and now that fans have had a glimpse of what is to come it is time to hit the book! Stanley Cup odds are live at MySportsbook.com, the world’s largest online sportsbook and casino.

The Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings remain on top of the odds charts after an impressive start in the preseason. Betting lines opened for both teams at 6-1 in June. Since then the Sens have fallen to 7-1 and the Red Wings are now caught in a pack including the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes, the San Jose Sharks and the Anaheim Ducks, all at 10-1.

MySportsbook.com has also posted props on each team’s point total for the regular season. The Senators lead the charge at 108.5 followed by the Ducks at 106.5. Detroit will attempt a repeat for the prize as the Red Wings are deadlocked with the Predators at 104.5 a piece. The temporary loss of highly touted rookie Evgeni Malkin puts a lot of pressure on the stick of assistant captain Sidney Crosby - his lowly Pittsburgh Penguins are listed at 71.5.

Even if bettors are not brave enough to put their money on the underdog, an early bet on the favorites at sportsbook.com tends to produce bigger payouts than a mid-season wager. Placing a $1,000 bet last summer on the Detroit Red Wings or Ottawa Senators would have paid out to $8,000 and $10,000 respectively, opposed to a $2,500 or $3,000 payout at the beginning of the playoffs.

Stanley Cup Odds    

 Ottawa Senators
Detroit Red Wings 
Carolina Hurricanes  
San Jose Sharks     
Anaheim Ducks    
Philadelphia Flyers 
Calgary Flames     
New Jersey Devils 
Buffalo Sabres   
Dallas Stars    
New York Rangers  
Nashville Predators  
Vancouver Canucks 
Colorado Avalanche  
Minnesota Wild    
Tampa Bay Lightning    
Boston Bruins    
Florida Panthers   
Montreal Canadiens   
Atlanta Thrashers 
Toronto Maple Leafs  
Edmonton Oilers      
Phoenix Coyotes    
Los Angeles Kings      
New York Islanders   
Columbus Blue Jackets  
St. Louis Blues      
Pittsburgh Penguins 
Washington Capitals   
Chicago Blackhawks    
7-1
10-1
10-1
10-1
10-1
12-1
12-1
12-1
12-1
15-1
15-1
15-1
20-1
20-1
25-1
25-1
30-1
30-1
30-1
30-1
30-1
30-1
40-1
40-1
50-1
50-1
80-1
80-1
100-1
100-1 

NHL Regular Season Points - Team Must Play 82 Games 

Team     
Ottawa Senators      
Anaheim Ducks 
Detroit Red Wings   
Nashville Predators 
San Jose Sharks 
Calgary Flames     
Philadelphia Flyers    
New Jersey Devils     
Buffalo Sabres    
Carolina Hurricanes       
Dallas Stars          
New York Rangers   
Minnesota Wild     
Atlanta Thrashers     
Montreal Canadiens    
Team        
Los Angeles Kings           
Tampa Bay Lightening   
Vancouver Canucks 
Boston Bruins       
Colorado Avalanche 
Edmonton Oilers  
Phoenix Coyotes  
Toronto Maple Leafs   
Florida Panthers 
Columbus Blue Jackets   
New York Islanders   
Chicago Blackhawks  
St. Louis Blues  
Washington Capitals 
Pittsburgh Penguins  
Over/Under
108.5
106.5
104.5
104.5
103.5
101.5
100.5
99.5
97.5
97.5
97.5
95.5
94.5
93.5
92.5
Over/Under
91.5
91.5
91.5
89.5
89.5
88.5
88.5
86.5
84.5
82.5
80.5
72.5
72.5
72.5
71.5

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your hockey sportsbook needs.