MLB News: Giants Lose Outfielder Angel Pagan

If you thought yesterday’s 3-1 loss to the L.A Dodgers was a bad omen for Giants’ fans, then you wait for the real bad news.  Outfielder Angel Pagan, who played a key role in last year’s World Series, will be out for most of the season.

The team announced Monday that Pagan will undergo surgery on his left hamstring and could be out of the field for up to 12 weeks, which means that he wouldn’t be able to play again until mid-September, when the Giants have only 12 games remaining in their regular season schedule.

"It's a loss. There's no getting around it. When you lose your leadoff hitter, the guy who led off for you all the way through the World Series and played a significant role helping you win a World Series, there's no question it's a loss." Commented Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy.

The 31-year old Pagan suffered a minor injury about a month ago after hitting a walk-off inside-the-park home run off of Colorado Rockies' reliever Rafael Betancourt.  But this weekend, Pagan, who was expected to rejoin the starting lineup by this week, reinjured his left hamstring while he was on rehab leave with the San Jose Giants against the Stockton Ports.

Known by his team mates as “El Caballo Loco” (Crazy Horse), Pagan is hitting .262/.314/.374 with 10 doubles, one triple, three homers, 24 RBI and 30 runs scored in 46 games.  Last offseason pagan signed a four-year; $45 million contract to remain in San Francisco. With Pagan out, the Giants are likely to move Gregor Blanco to the centerfield and have either rookie Juan Perez or Andres Torres in the mix.  Previous to this chance, Blanco had an efficient performance as a center fielder, contributing solid defense and batting .305 with a .367 on-base percentage and a .402 slugging percentage in 24 games.

Pagan is one of the many Giants’ players that have sustained injuries this season. The list also includes baseman Marco Scutaro (left pinkie), left-hander Jeremy Affeldt (right side), right-handers Santiago Casilla (right knee) and Ryan Vogelsong (right pinkie) and third baseman Pablo Sandoval (strained left foot).  Now, not everything is bad news for San Francisco, as it’s been reported early this week; the Giants activated baseman Pablo Sandoval from the disabled list after two weeks of absence.

The Giants face the Dodgers in the second game of a three-game series  held in Los Angeles. For more information, including MLB Betting Odds, click here.

Major League Baseball to Host 2014 Season Opener in Australia

International season openers aren't something new for Major League Baseball.  In fact, the league held four season openers at Tokyo in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012. The 1999 opener was held at Monterrey, Mexico, and the 2001 season began in the beautiful San Juan, Puerto Rico. But in 2014, the MLB will literally go across the globe when the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona.

Diamondbacks meet in Sydney, Australia for a two game series that will officially open the 2014 MLB Season. The matchup is schedule to take place on March 22-23 and will mark MLB’s return to Australian territory and the first opener held in the southern continent.

The historic match will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) and will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Chicago White Sox playing the New York Giants at the same cricket venue. On Jan. 2, 1914, the White Sox beat the Giants 5-4 in front of 10,000 fans.

Dodgers and Diamondbacks will arrive in Sydney on March 18. The first game of the 2014 season will be played on the evening of March 22^nd followed by a second game on March 23^rd.  The venue will be set to accommodate a baseball game and will be renovated to meet Major League standards. Arizona will be considered the home team for both games.

Despite being thousands of miles apart from each other, the MLB has strong ties with Australia. The first exhibition baseball game in the country was held at the same site in December 1888 as part of the Spalding's World Tourists. Back then, the Chicago White Stockings, led by Albert Goodwill Spalding, embarked in a 54-game world tour played from Hawaii to New Zealand, Australia, Ceylon and Egypt.

In addition, there have been 31 Australian players in the Major Leagues, including infielder Joe Quinn, whose career dates back to 1884. Other Australian natives in the MLB include Arizona’s general manager assistant Craig Shipley, who pioneered the most recent wave of Australian players in the big leagues. Former Brewers catcher David Nilsson, Dodgers reliever Peter Moylan, A's closer Grant Balfour and Astros reliever Travis Blackley are also from down under. 

"Major League Baseball is thrilled that the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers will open our 2014 regular season in Sydney, Australia. The globalization of our game continues to be paramount to Major League Baseball, and Australia is an essential part of our long-term efforts to grow the sport. We look forward to writing an exciting new chapter in international baseball history at the historic Sydney Cricket Ground next March" expressed MLB Commissioner Bud Selig.

Cleveland Wins No.1 Pick in 2013 NBA Draft Lottery for Second Time in Three Years

The Cavs were the luckiest team this week, at least during the Pre Draft Lottery. They had one of the worst records in the league and didn’t get a spot in the playoffs, but for the second time in three years, Cleveland won the annual Pre Draft lottery and secured the No. 1 pick in the next NBA draft, beating the odds and all expectations in the process.

After closing the 2012-13 Season with the worst record in the league (20-62), the Orlando Magic entered the Lottery with 25% chances of securing the first pick, but ended up falling back one spot to No. 2. The Washington Wizards jumped from eighth to third in the lottery selection. Charlotte, which is planning to retake the Hornets moniker for next season, was the biggest loser in the lottery selection, falling from second to fourth place.  Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns will get the fifth pick, followed by New Orleans, Sacramento, Detroit, Minnesota, Portland, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City, Dallas, and Utah.  Finally, the OKC Thunder will use Toronto’s pick as payment for a previous trade.  

Winning the rights to the No. 1 pick in the 2013 NBA draft gives the Cavaliers the chance to bring new talent, rebuild their team and bounce back from three losing seasons following Lebron James’ departure to the Miami Heat. With James leading the team, the Cavs won the 2009 and 2010 Central Division Championships plus an Eastern Conference Championship in 2007. But since 2010 Cleveland dropped to the bottom of the league, winning only19 games in the 2010-11 season and setting a record for the biggest single-season drop in NBA history and the longest losing streak in league’s history (26-game).

The team lost a total of 63 games, including a 26-game losing streak that set an NBA record and tied the 1976–77 Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the longest losing streak in any U.S professional sport league. The following year, Cleveland finished the regular season with a 21 wins and 45 losses, improving their previous record and finishing in 13th place in the Eastern Conference.

The potential No. 1 pick this year, Kentucky freshman Nerlens Noel.  Guards Ben McLemore of Kansas and Trey Burke of Michigan, 2013 Big Ten and National Player of the year and Georgetown forward Otto Porter Jr. are also amongst the top prospects available this year.

 Here’s the complete first-round order for the coming 2013 NBA Draft:

1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Orlando Magic
3. Washington Wizards
4. Charlotte Bobcats
5. Phoenix Suns
6. New Orleans Pelicans
7. Sacramento Kings
8. Detroit Pistons
9. Minnesota Timberwolves
10. Portland Trail Blazers
11. Philadelphia 76ers
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Toronto Raptors)
13. Dallas Mavericks
14. Utah Jazz
15. Milwaukee Bucks
16. Boston Celtics
17. Atlanta Hawks
18. Atlanta Hawks (from Houston Rockets)
19. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Los Angeles Lakers)
20. Chicago Bulls
21. Utah Jazz (from Golden State Warriors)
22. Brooklyn Nets
23. Indiana Pacers
24. New York Knicks
25. Los Angeles Clippers
26. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Memphis Grizzlies)
27. Denver Nuggets
28. San Antonio Spurs
29. Oklahoma City Thunder
30. Phoenix Suns (from Miami Heat)

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Vyjack, Normandy Invasion and Street Spice Out of 2013 Preakness Stakes

The number of participants running against winner Orb in Saturday's Preakness continues to decline, as on Monday trainer Rudy Rodriguez informed the Maryland Jockey Club that Vyjack (18th in the Derby), will not compete in the 138th Annual Preakness Stakes.

Vyjack joins Street Spice and Normandy Invasion as the participating horses that have dropped out in the past few days. Two days ago, Trainer Chad Brown and owner Rick Porter announced their  decision to give the horse a rest and focus on races further down the road. Porter said the Jim Dandy Stakes July 27 at Saratoga Race Course or the Haskell Invitational July 28 at Monmouth Park, followed by Saratoga's Travers Stakes Aug. 24, is a likely schedule for the bay colt.
"He's training well and eating well. Everything is fine with the horse. The two weeks is a little quick coming back. He needs to put some weight back on, so we decided to wait."  Porter said of the fourth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby.

Street Spice did not run the 2013 Kentucky Derby, and last raced on April 20th in the Illinois Derby, finishing the race in fifth place. Trainer Greg Geier informed Pimlico officials about his decision on
The probable field for the 138th Preakness Stakes is the following:

Orb: Race Records: 9-4-0-1 (2013 Kentucky Derby winner. Prior to the Derby, Orb won both the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, the latter on March 30 in his previous start. He is now 4-for-4 in 2013, including an optional claiming allowance victory at Gulfsteam on January 26 in his 3-year-old bow)

Oxbow: Race Records: 10-2-1-1 (Sixth in the 2013 Kentucky Derby, winner of the Grade 3 LeComte at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, fourth, place in the Grade 2 Risen Star, second in the Grade 2 Rebel and fifth in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby)

Will Take Charge: Race Records: 8-3-1-0 (Eight place in the 2013 Kentucky Derby, First in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes, Sixth in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes, First in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes)

Golden Cents: Race Records: 7-4-1-0 (17th in the 2013 Kentucky Derby, First in the 2013 Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, Fourth in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes, First in the Grade 2 Sham Stakes)

Departing: Race Records: 5-4-0-1 (First in the Grade 3 Illinois Derby, 3rd in the Grade 2 Louisiana derby, 1st in the Texas heritage, 1st

Govenor Charlie: Race Records: 3-2-1-0 (1st in 2013 Grade 3 Sunland Derby)

Mylute: Race Records: 10-2-3-2 (5th place in the 2013 Kentucky Derby, 2nd in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby, 7th in the Grade 2 Risen Star)
 
Itsmyluckyday: Race Records: 11-5-2-1 (15th in the 2013 Kentucky Derby, 2nd place in the 2013 Grade 1 Florida Derby, 1st in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes and the 2013 Gulfstream Park Derby)

Titletown Five: Race Records: 7-1-2-1 (4th in the Grade 3 Derby Trail, 9th in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby)

Another five participants are likely to be announced in the hours previous to Post positions will be drawn on Wednesday, May 15th at 6 p.m. You can bet on horse racing at Sports Betting Online. No matter the outcome, you'll get 10% cash back—every week, win or lose—on all your racebook bets. 

2013 Kentucky Derby Winner Goes for Victory at Preakness

Shug McGaughey, trainer of 2013 Kentucky Derby winner Orb, is a true believer.  In a quick meeting with journalists outside the winner's barn at Churchill Downs on Sunday morning, McGaughey had only a few words to say: He’s going for the Triple Crown, and his horse, three-year-old Orb is ready to run the next two legs: the Preakness Stakes on May 18th and the Belmont Stakes on June 8th.

But first, McGaughey and Orb will have to wait a few more days. The field for the 2013 Preakness will be unveiled a few days before the event, but so far, only a small group of the 20 horses competing in the 2013 Derby have conformed their presence at the Preakness Stakes. Among them are Derby participants, Normandy Invasion and Vyjack, have been added to the list of possible candidates for the May 18 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course.  Other Derby starters confirmed for the Preakness are Goldencents, Itsmyluckyday, D. Wayne Lukas-trained duo of Oxbow and Will Take Charge.

For some horse racing experts, Orb has a good chance to become the first Triple Crown winner in over three decades.  I’ll Have Another won the first two legs of the Triple Crown by taking the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, but just one day before the Belmont Stakes, the horse was scratched due to tendonitis.

Orb already travelled to New York, where he will stay for a few days. Then the horse will be moved to Baltimore where he and his trainer will complete his preparations heading to the Preakness. The Kentucky Derby winner will arrive at Pimlico Race Course next Tuesday, May 14th.

Odds for this race won’t be unveiled until next week; however, Orb is expected to be the big favorite for the Preakness, in which he will once again have the services of jockey Joel Rosario. 

Putting the expectations aside, winning the Triple Crown is one of the toughest tasks for horses, trainers and jockeys. What makes the Triple Crown the ultimate challenge is the variability in length, speed and timing of the three courses. On top of that, horses face different competitors, weather conditions and other factors that could affect their performance.

Since Affirmed won the three legs of the Crown in 1978, five horses have won the Preakness and Belmont. Three have won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont. None has claimed the three races.

Orb's challenge to the Triple Crown waits for him at Pimlico Race Course in Maryland. If the horse enters first, he’ll be one step closer to accomplishing a feat that hasn't been done in 35 years.  Would you bet on him?

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NBA Relocation Committee recommends keeping Kings Franchise in Sacramento

It seems the Sacramento Kings are staying in California’s capital city after all.  A few months after unveiling a plan to buy 65% of the Sacramento Kings and relocate the team to Seattle, the Maloof family, current owners of the NBA franchise, and members of the Hansen Group, a team of investors lead by Chris Hansen and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, suffered a setback yesterday when an NBA relocation committee studying the agreement to acquire the team recommended that Seattle's bid to buy the Kings and relocate them to a new home in Seattle should be denied.

Even when the final vote involving the league's 30 owners won’t be held until May 13th, the recommendation made by league's owners is likely to set the tone for the final voting. The relocation committee is headed by Oklahoma Thunder owner Clay Bennett, Miami's Micky Arison, Washington's Ted Leonsis, Utah's Greg Miller, Indiana's Herbert Simon, Minnesota's Glen Taylor and San Antonio's Peter Holt, who’s also the chairman of the Board of Governors.

The decision was well received by former NBA player and Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, who has strongly opposed to any plans involving the relocation of his home team. 

Since 2011, Mayor Johnson has rejected the idea of moving the team outside Sacramento.  Two years ago, the Maloofs informed the media about a plan to relocate the Kings to Anaheim.  However, the NBA granted Johnson the time to present a counter plan that included the construction of a new city arena. But before the season ended, the Maloofs rejected this possibility.

But the problems didn’t end there for Johnson. Again this January, members of Hansen Group announced a new plan to buy the Kings, move them to Seattle and build a $500 million arena. The announcement didn’t stop Mayor Johnson’s battle to keep the franchise in Sacramento.  In a matter of weeks, Johnson put together a group of investors that includes 24 Hour Fitness founder Mark Mastrov, TIBCO chairman Vivek Ranadive and Qualcomm QCOM CEO Paul Jacobs. It’s rumored that the group led by Ranadive, who currently is a part-owner of the Golden State Warriors, is ready to file an offer to buy 65% of the Kings for $341 million.

Despite the committee’s recommendation, Hansen says he and his investors are ready to finalize the deal he signed with the Maloof family and continue with their relocation plans, but they have to wait a few months before that happens.  The purchase has to be approved by 75% of NBA team owners, but for many of the parts involved in this process, the committee's decision will aid Mayor Johnson in his mission to keep the Kings in Sacramento.


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2013 NFL Draft is Here: Check my 1st & 2nd Round Predictions

We’ve finally reached NFL Draft Week, and as the 2013 NFL draft gets closer to its starting day, thousands of NFL fans,  sports journalists,  NFL experts,  team supporters and sportsbook betting fans get together to analyze and discuss how they project things will actually come out.

But while things seem to be clearer now than six weeks ago and several prospects seem likely to land on certain teams, the possible outcome of this year’s picks keeps bringing questions to the table.

This is why NFL experts, former NFL players and even a special machine used to predict game outcomes and season projections take the time to analyze the strengths, needs and weak points of each team in the league, check the prospects and make their own predictions heading to the draft.

This year's draft takes place on Thursday, April 25th and Friday, April 26th at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. I’m sure football fans and NFL bettors have also joined the frenzy and made their own mock drafts, in fact, I've consulted multiple sources and put together a 2 round mock draft based on what seems to be the general consensus. Regardless what happens in the coming draft, I just hope to see my beloved 49ers playing another Super Bowl, but in the meantime, here’s my mock draft. So Let’s Mock!


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ROUND 1
1. Kansas City Chiefs: Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M
2. Jacksonville Jaguars: Dion Jordan, OLB, Oregon.
3. Oakland Raiders: Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan.
4. Philadelphia Eagles: Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah.
5. Detroit Lions: Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma.
6. Cleveland Browns: Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama. 
7. Arizona Cardinals: Ziggy Ansah, DE, BYU.
8. Buffalo Bills: Ryan Nassib, QB, Syracuse.
9. New York Jets: Barkevious Mingo, OLB, LSU. 
10. Tennessee Titans: Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida. 
11. San Diego Chargers: D.J. Fluker, OT, Alabama.
12. Miami Dolphins: Jonathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina.
13. New York Jets: Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia.
14. Carolina Panthers: Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas.
15. New Orleans Saints: Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia.
16. St. Louis Rams: Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers: Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State.
18. Dallas Cowboys: Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri.
19. New York Giants: Tank Carradine, DE, Florida State.
20. Chicago Bears: Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise State.
21. Cincinnati Bengals: John Cyprien, S, Florida International.
22. St. Louis Rams: DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson.
23. Minnesota Vikings: Manti Te'o, LB, Notre Dame.
24. Indianapolis Colts: Datone Jones, DE, UCLA.
25. Minnesota Vikings: Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee.
26. Green Bay Packers: Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame.
27. Houston Texans: Menelik Watson, OT, Florida State.
28. Denver Broncos: Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina.
29. New England Patriots: Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State.
30. Atlanta Falcons: Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington.
31. San Francisco 49ers: Jesse Williams, DT, Alabama.
32. Baltimore Ravens: Arthur Brown, LB, Kansas State.

ROUND 2
33. Jaguars: Matt Barkley, QB, USC.
34. 49ers: D.J. Swearinger, S, South Carolina.
35. Eagles: Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia.
36. Lions: Cornelius Washington, DE, Georgia. 
37. Bengals: Jonathan Franklin, RB, UCLA. 
38. Cardinals: Terron Armstead, OT, Arkansas-Pine Bluff. 
39. Jets: EJ Manuel, QB, Florida State. 
40. Titans: Dallas Thomas, OL, Tennessee. 
41. Bills: Kevin Minter, LB, LSU. 
42. Dolphins: D.J. Hayden, CB, Houston.
43. Bucs: Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State. 
44. Panthers: Markus Wheaton, WR, Oregon State. 
45. Chargers: Blidi Wreh-Wilson, CB, UConn.
46. Rams: Matt Elam, S, Florida.
47. Cowboys: Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee.
48. Steelers: Margus Hunt, DE, SMU.
49. Giants: Darius Slay, CB, Mississippi State.
50. Bears: Alec Ogletree, LB, Georgia.
51. Redskins: Shamarko Thomas, S, Syracuse.
52. Vikings: Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State.
53. Bengals: Robert Woods, WR, USC.
54. Dolphins: Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M.
55. Packers: Kawann Short, DT, Purdue.
56. Seahawks: Justin Pugh, OL, Syracuse.
57. Texans: Keenan Allen, WR, California.
58. Broncos: Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama.
59. Patriots: Quinton Patton, WR, Louisiana Tech.
60. Falcons: Vance McDonald, TE, Rice.
61. 49ers: Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford. 
62. Ravens: Eric Reid, S, LSU.