Clemens replaced on roster before Yankees' loss

Baseball Betting Lines

10/09/2007 - Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The possibility that Roger Clemens has made the final appearance of his Hall of Fame career became even more likely Monday.

The Yankees replaced him on their AL Division Series roster with lefty reliever Ron Villone and New York was then eliminated from the playoffs, losing Game 4 in its American League Division Series to Cleveland, 6-4.

Per MLB rules, a team can replace an injured player during the division round, but that player is ineligible for the championship series. Clemens, therefore, would not have been able to return to action this postseason unless the Yankees made the World Series.

Clemens left Sunday's playoff game against Cleveland due to a strained left hamstring. Clemens, who was making his 12th career Division Series start and ninth ALDS start, was removed after striking out Victor Martinez for the first out of the third inning.

The Yankees rallied to win the game, 8-4, forcing the fourth game.

The seven-time Cy Young Award winner was making his first start since September 16 due to a similar injury. He left with the Yankees behind in Game 3.

The 45-year-old right-hander, who finished the season 6-6 with a 4.18 ERA, hadn't pitched in the postseason since a hamstring injury forced him out of Game 1 of the 2005 World Series, while with Houston.

Ryan Garko hit an RBI single off Clemens in the first inning, Trot Nixon belted a solo homer with one out in the second, and Clemens walked Travis Hafner to start the third before fanning Martinez. Clemens was charged with four hits and three runs over 2 1/3 innings. He also walked two and had the one strikeout.

Clemens was signed by the Yankees as a free agent to a minor league contract on May 6 this year, his 24th season in the majors. His deal for this year was pro-rated at about $17.4 million.

Villone, 37, was 0-0 with a 4.25 earned run average in 37 appearances with the Yankees in 2007. He recorded one out in Monday's game.

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Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value

If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture.  Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).

For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot.  The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.

TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the  drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.

"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,'  it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."

"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.

Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash.  Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win. 

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Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).

Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.

A crowd of close to 3,000 eager fans packed the MGM Grand lobby, with their cameras in tow, all trying to vie for position to get a good angle at Mayweather, who is acknowledged as the world's best fighter pound-for-pound.

Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.

"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.

De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.

The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.

The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.

De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.

Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.

But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.

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