NBA Corner and into MLB

 By: David Rudolph                   4/30/2013

The top story in these NBA playoffs has no doubt been injuries. We're not talking the sore hamstring, or even strained backs. Kobe led off the serious playoff injuries with a torn achilles  most recently Russell Westbrook was pronounced out for the playoffs due to a surgery to repair torn cartilage in his knee. Other injuries which may not seem serious to some because they don't require surgery include Joakim Noah and his plantar fasciitis (http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/outside-shot/Chicago-Bulls-Joakim-Noah-Plantar-Fasciitis-204680381.html), or David Lee and his hip flexor issue that will sideline him the rest of the post season.

These NBA playoffs started out the same way the season started, with me fully believing the Miami Heat can and will defend their title. I didn't make any future bets because of this belief, and fully expect it to come to fruition with me being in awe of one of the greatest players in the history of the NBA. I remember the days of Michael Jordan flexing his championship muscles, and I think this is Lebrons time to do the same. Whether you like him or not, enjoy it, cause it's pretty darn impressive!

It's now time for me to get fully involved in baseball, which isn't hard because as a fan, it's my favorite sport. I play in multiple fantasy leagues, check box scores constantly, and have plays posted daily that reflect my intense studying to make money this 2013 season. Check out our specials at chuckedel.com and get in on the money making that baseball allows us!

MLB quick hitter: Another star has landed on the DL today, Giancarlo Stanton. It's really a shame because he had really started to heat up, and without him the Marlins are an even bigger train wreck. With dissension mounting on all levels of the organization they're a great go against, even though we'll obviously have to lay a bit to do it.

Prospect Review: New York Yankees

By Rich Douglas

The New York Yankees are the final team in our prospect articles. It was a pleasure writing these and we'll definitely be doing it again next season.

Top Prospect
Gary Sanchez - The top prospect in the system is the reason behind the Yankees not showing any reluctance in trading Jesus Montero to the Mariners for pitching help last season. Sanchez is actually similar to Montero behind the plate in the fact that he's so athletic and should blossom into becoming a solid catcher defensively. He's no slouch on the offensive end as the 20 year old shows good pop at the plate and has the ceiling of becoming an all star catcher. Expect the Yankees to bring him up fairly quickly as he could be the opening day catcher in 2 seasons.

Top Pitcher
Jose Campos - Campos was apart of the Montero trade with the Mariners and while the young Venezuelan has been injured in the past season, the Yankees have big plans for the power arm. He has a fastball that sits consistently in the mid 90s with a curveball and changeup that are already developed. He has good control for a 20 year old prospect and if injuries don't take their toll, he's definitely worthy of a mid rotation spot in the future.

Bronze Medal
Mason Williams - The 4 tool outfielder could develop into a 5 tool player as his power seems to be developing at every level. Williams could easily become the top Yankees prospect as he's got speed, can hit for average, has a strong arm, and has excellent range in center field. His ISO remains strong and he could eventually become a solid 20 HR hitter while batting .300 and stealing at least 20 bases. Williams was a fourth round pick and has turned into a pleasant surprise for the bombers.

Western Conference Playoff Charts

A quick set of charts for each of the series in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs

Eastern Conference Playoff Charts

A quick set of charts for each of the series in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs

Prospect Review: Boston Red Sox

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Top Prospect
Xander Bogaerts - For two straight years now, Xander Bogaerts has been our top prospect out of the Red Sox system. The dynamic Shortstop would be the top prospect out of most systems, but in this relatively weak farm, he is a clearcut gem. He has an outside shot of getting called up this season, but at 20 years old, they'll probably allow him to develop his game at the AA or AAA level. A September call up is still not out of the question although he's started off slowly this year. He needs to become a bit more consistent in regards to pitch recognition as he will struggle with more advanced pitching. He's absolutely mashed lower level guys and has shown that his pull happy tendencies have led to much promise. He has a strong arm and good range with .300 batting potential and 20 HR potential as well.

Top Pitcher
Matt Barnes - Barnes is a bit of a late bloomer but the righty flashes a nice fastball that sits in the low to mid 90s. There is plenty of life on it through the zone and if he focuses on just relieving, he can touch 97 mph. The Red Sox plan on developing him as a starter though as he possesses a curveball with good break and has the potential of becoming a plus pitch. He's still developing his changeup, and like most pitchers, the development of this pitch will determine his role as a future major leaguer. He projects as a 2 or 3 starter and has a decent chance to reach his potential as his command is very good.

Bronze Medal
Allen Webster - The lanky right handed pitcher was brought over in the megatrade with the Dodgers that sent Gonzalez, Crawford, and Beckett west. While Webster was never considered an elite prospect, he has impressive stuff and should absolutely reach the potential of becoming a big league pitcher. His ceiling is that of a 2 or 3 starter just like Barnes but I think with a little more polish, he can surpass Barnes in the pecking order. He has a consistent plus fastball that hits 95 regularly. Webster also has a plus breaking ball while a developing changeup. He might be used in the bullpen if the Red Sox decide its best for him as he already has 2 plus pitches.

Prospect Review: Toronto Blue Jays

by Richard Douglas

The Blue Jays for the past decade have always been considered one of the best non playoff teams in baseball.  They're there of course because of the tremendous talent they face playing in the AL East.  Theyve spent the past couple of seasons though gutting the top of the farm to bring in Sergio Santos, Jose Reyes, Mark Burhle and RA Dickey to make that push over the top in a year that the Red Sox and Rays are predicted to have down years.  They have also been aggressive though in re-fitting the farm by spending largely in bonus money (at least $10.5 million the last three drafts) and being aggressive in Latin America.  The top prospect in the system after the trades is likely the lanky righty Aaron Sanchez.  At the Low A level last year he posted a 3.41 FIP with  an excellent 9.66 K/9 rate.  Its due in large part to his electric fastball that can run up from 94 to 98 mph without having to reach deep.  His curveball and changeup are both plus pitches as well.  His weakness though comes in a lack of control.  He walked 5 BB/9 last year , which he could get away with at the lower levels.  His delivery though is repeatable and has no mechanical flaws, so the walks should come down.

Prospect Review: Tampa Bay Rays

by Richard Douglas

The Rays have been the incumbent small market team that competes the past several years.  And its in large part because they had drafted well and kept the farm system in good order. However, that might be in question now.  They had hit on so many top picks (David Price, Evan Longoria etc etc), but the 08, 09 and 2010 drafts were graded no better than a C+, and had used over $20.6 million in those miscue filled drafts.  Some of that miscue though was recouped by trading James Shields to the Royals for one of the league's best prospects, Wil Myers.  Myers was drafted in 2009, and has been a power hitting force since then.  He;s hit 64 long balls in his 4 years, including 24 last year at AAA Omaha.  He also has a career .395 OBP, showing his ability to not just hit home runs, but also to draw walks (14.7% walk rate).  His ability to recognize hittable pitches has grown as well, and he posted a .425 wOBA.  His strong arm and just average speed will likely lead him to right field.  He's likely to get a call up this season.

Prospect Review: Detroit Tigers

By: Rich Douglas

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Top Prospect
Bruce Rondon - The power arm reliever was projected to become the opening day closer for the Tigers, but a dismal Spring Training forced them to send him back to the minors. Still, Rondon has all the stuff it takes to become a major league closer and should see the role become his either later in this season or the start of the 2014 season. Rondon at the very least will get a callup later on in the year with a fastball that consistently touches 100 MPH. He has no legitimate second pitch as he's still trying to turn his slider into a formidable out pitch. Time in the minors could help him polish that pitch up and possibly allow him to develop an offspeed option as well.

Top Hitter
Nick Castellanos - The 21 year old right fielder has been the Tigers top hitting prospect for over a year now. Castellanos was originally a 3rd baseman, but the Tigers decided to speed up his development, and with Miguel Cabrera manning 3rd at the top level, the young hitter was moved to the outfield. He has an excellent arm, but has been working on his instincts and range ever since making the move to RF. He's still a good enough athlete to wing it as he continues to develop. Castellanos is a solid hitter with good plate discipline and pitch recognition. His power numbers haven't been up there, but he has the ceiling to become a .300 hitter with 15 HRs.

Bronze Medal
Jake Thompson - At just 19 years old, Thompson has a frame that projects into becoming a solid big league pitcher. He doesn't throw as hard as his 6-4 235 lb body would suggest, but he has been known to ramp up the velocity in certain situations while having excellent command and location on his pitches. Thompson has a fastball that sits in the low 90s while also having a slider and changeup that need some polish. Thompson has at least 3 more years of development left in the minors, but hopes are high for the big righty.

Prospect Review: Cleveland Indians

By: Rich Douglas

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Top Prospect
Trevor Bauer - The enigmatic right handed pitcher out of UCLA is already with his second organization due to signs of his makeup has all the talent in the world to become a surefire ace. Unfortunately for Bauer, things have not gone to plan since he was considered by most as the top prospect in the 2011 draft. At just 22 years old, he has plenty of time to develop, and a change of scenery may be what's best for him. Bauer features a mid 90s fastball that can touch 98 with a curveball that is among the best in the minors. The power thrower also mixes in a slider, splitter, and changeup to finish off his repertoire. He is pretty much a lock to become a formidable back of the rotation starter, but his talent provides much more than that. Bauer needs to polish up his secondary pitches and work on his command in order to become a #1 or #2 starter.

Top Hitter
Francisco Lindor - The 19 year old shortstop possesses 4 of the tools as he has a lack of power. That being said, Lindor is a very well rounded offensive player and is already advanced defensively. The switch hitter has excellent plate discipline and has shown that he can recognize advanced pitching with a walk rate that nearly eclipses his K rate. His good speed gives him excellent range at SS and his power arm is an asset defensively. Lindor could certainly develop into a solid big league leadoff man and should progress nicely throughout the minors. Becoming the 2015 opening day leadoff man isn't out of the realm of possibility.

Bronze Medal
Dorssys Paulino - The Indians have an embarrassment of riches at SS. At only 18 years old, Paulino arguably has a higher ceiling that his counterpart Lindor, but he needs to polish on some aspects of his game. At just 18 years old and a road block of shortstops in front of him, he should have plenty of time to develop. Paulino has an aggressive approach to the plate and has shown flashes of being a real home run hitting threat. His batspeed is very good and once he fills in he could possibly become a 20 home run hitter. He has very good speed, good range, and a cannon for an arm. His only knock is his plate discipline, but that could be corrected as he is still 18 years old.

Prospect Review: Baltimore Orioles

by Richard Douglas

The Orioles had a season that no one saw coming.  Last year the team was expected to finish at the bottom of the division, and the farm was in disarray.  A year later, the team is respected, and has a chance to repeat their success last year if they can keep making a few key moves to bolster the roster  The farm system though still lacks depth, in part because 2 of their top ten from last year made the jump to the majors to play big roles ( Manny Machado, Ryan Flaherty).  They debuted their top prospect Dylan Bundy late last season at the major league level, where he pitched 2 innings worth of work and allowed just a single hit.  Bundy has four potential plus pitches, something rare for such a young prospect   His fastball lives in the low to mid 90s when starting, and is a four seam offering.  He also developed a two seamer that has much greater movement on it.  He also offers a good changeup and a down curveball that he needs to find more consistency with to make it effective.  He has a cutter that he also throws that lives in the upper 80s, but the Orioles limited his use of it to develop the curveball.  Bundy was unhittable at the Low A level, and didn't allow an average against higher than .233 and walked only 28 batters in his first year.  Bundy started the year at AA but has had a lingering elbow issue that has since shut him down.

NCAA Men's Championship Visualization: Louisville vs Michigan

by Richard Douglas

If you haven't noticed, we love charts for helping get a grasp on all of the data there is for every game.  Our championship visualization gives a quick comparison of the two teams and how they match up.  We've also got how they've fared so far in this tournament to help you make some choices about who will win, and how they'll do it.

Prospect Review: Minnesota Twins

by Richard Douglas

The Twins looked to be a team on the verge of breaking into the cream of the MLB crop, with a new field, a  superstar face of the franchise, and one of the highest payrolls in the league.  Its all gone disastrously wrong though with 90+ losses since 2010.  The biggest issue is like many teams, missing starting pitching.  The farm hasn't been very strong either, with the Twins spending less than 6 million in each draft from 2009-2011, and half of their $12 million this last year on a single player.  That player is outfielder Byron Buxton, who is the number 2 prospect in the system according to Baseball America.  Buxton was a pitcher through high school, but his overall athleticism has him moving to the field.  He OPSed .792 in his pro debut, and helped the Rookie level team win their league championship.  His arm strength translates well to center field, as well does his elite speed.  He stole 11 bases last year, and has been timed at just 3,9 seconds from the right side of the plate to first.  He still needs to work on not chasing pitches, striking out about 25% of the time.

Prospect Review: Chicago White Sox

By: Rich Douglas

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The White Sox had arguably (or clearly to some) the worst minor league system in baseball last season. GM Kenny Williams hasn't valued young talent throughout his tenure, and has used them more as trading chips for veteran talent. They seem to have begun the process of rebuilding the farm though, and have gotten lucky with a couple guys as they are vastly improved.

Top Prospect
Carlos Sanchez - The middle infield prospect had a monster season last year while making it all the way up to triple A at just 20 years old. He has good speed as he stole 37 bases last year with the need to work on his base running instincts. He has good range defensively with an average arm that may push him to second base especially with the franchise's lack of depth at that position. Sanchez has a great bat with, especially for a defense first player, and certainly has the ceiling of becoming a solid #1 or #2 hitter with his knack for getting on base.

Top Pitcher
Andre Rienzo - The White Sox have a stable of late blooming prospects. Rienzo is a right handed pitcher from Brazil and is very capable of becoming a major league starter at 24 years old. He comes in at just 160 lbs although he may eventually put some more weight to his 6'3 frame. His fastball sits at 95 mph and his out pitch is a solid curveball. He's developing a cutter which may propel him into a solid middle of the rotation starter if it comes to fruition. He's ready for a shot with the parent club and should have a chance this season.

Bronze Medal
Courtney Hawkins - At just 19 years old, Hawkins has an enormous amount of potential and can easily be argued as the system's top prospect. He needs to show me a little more this season, but Hawkins certainly one of the higher ceilings in all of baseball. The big outfielder will probably get a chance to crack double A this season as he's displayed good bat speed with the potential of having plus plus power. Hawkins isn't just a power hitter as he's got good speed which has led to good range out in rightfield.

NBA Data Visualization April 3rd

by Richard Douglas

Our weekly NBA visualization helps you get the edge for which teams match up and where.

Prospect Review: Kansas City Royals

by Richard Douglas

The Royals sold the top of the farm this past off season to address the weakness that has hampered them since making the playoffs 27 years ago: starting pitching   Mike Montgomery, Wil Myers, and Jake Odorizzi were all sent in a package to get James Shields, and sent Brandon Sisk to LA to get Ervin Santana.  The team also spent $14.1 million in 2011 in bonus money, and $7.5 million last year.  A good chunk of that large bonus went to super OF prospect Bubba Starling.  Starling is a super athlete, who had turned down a chance to play QB at Nebraska to make baseball his career.  Last year he produced a .385 wOBA in 53 games at Rookie league Burlington,  slugging .485 and hitting 10 home runs.  Starling has natural power, and is a threat on the basepaths after swiping 10 bags, and getting caught just once.  His athltic abilities help him profile to be a center fielder with a strong arm.  However, his swing mechanics need a lot of work.  he struck out 35% of his at bats, due to a long, one planed swing.  If he can hit across multiple levels,  he'll move quickly through the system.

Prospect Review: Los Angeles Angels

By: Rich Douglas

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There really isn't much to say here for the Angels minor league system. Graduations, trades, and poor drafting have turned this system into arguably the worst baseball. That's not necessarily a bad thing in the present since the major league squad is absolutely stacked, but it's definitely time for a rebuild on the farm.

Top Prospect
RJ Alvarez - I really mean no disrespect to Alvarez, who should turn into a big league reliever, but the fact that I consider their top prospect to have a ceiling as a high leverage reliever tells you something. Nevertheless, Alvarez possesses an excellent slider that has excellent movement. It certainly has the look of an out pitch at the top level while his fastball has a ton of action through the zone in the mid to high 90s. He could do himself a favor by developing a third pitch, but at this point, this is all he has.

Top Hitter
Kaleb Cowart - Cowart has some talent at 3rd base and could turn into a an every day starter. He's a switch hitter that has displayed good gap power and while his ceiling isn't very high, there isn't a glaring weakness in his game. He has had greater success from the left side of the plate, which has kept his slugging percentage up but is able to hit from both sides with competence. He should see time in Double A this year and could eventually see a call up in September of 2014.

Bronze Medal
Nick Maronde - The big reliever saw time in the majors last year as he made 10 appearances out of the bullpen. He has a fastball that sits in the mid 90s and a slider that could possibly turn into a plus pitch. He has the ceiling of becoming a high leverage reliever and should at the very least turn into a mid relief pitcher with a live fastball. Maronde has already shown the big league club that he can handle major league pitching so a call up this season isn't out of the question.

Prospect Review: Houston Astros

by Richard Douglas

The Astros have basically abandoned the now to build for the future.  The front office last season sent off about $50 million of payroll to get the team going in a whole new direction.  11 of Baseball America's top 30 were acquired in trades, and 9 of them are high schoolers.  All of this young depth on the farm of course meant the big league club suffered, going 4-33 over one stretch last season.  The team this year opened with just $18 million on the payroll books, but the lower levels of the system have a lot of high ceiling players, first and foremost last years top overall pick Carlos Correa.  The short stop out of Puerto Rico signed for $4.8 million in bonus money, the highest the team has ever paid out.  Correa hit for .705 OPS last year, but as significantly better at Greenville posting a 1.050 OPS as just a 17 year old rookie.  Scouts say he his swing has good speed and leverage, and that his approach is balanced.  He projects to hit for power as well as average, especially if he can get the strikeouts down (44 in 190 at bats).  His defense is more impressive than the bat, possessing a 70 grade arm  Correa is the hope for the Astros future, and might be able to make the jump by 2015 if his work ethic pays off.

Betting on Baseball - The Basics

by Chris Allen

The baseball season is is getting underway and It surprises me how many people who play football and basketball still don't understand the basics of betting on baseball. So let's  go over the basics.

There are three basic types of bets when betting baseball.

1. Betting on a team straight to win. (The Money Line)
2. Betting on a team to win on the Run Line.
3. Betting in the total number of runs scored in a game.

Betting on a team straight to win. (The Money Line):

When betting on a team straight to win the game, your team must win the game. You are betting on the final score. The lines are listed to win a $100, but that doesn't mean you have to wager $100. For example to line might be the Mets –130 and the Braves +120. This means that the price of the game is if you bet $130 on the Mets you will win $100 with a return of your original wager for a total of $230. If you wanted to bet on the Braves to win, you would bet $100 to win $120 with a return of your original wager for a total of $220. This is called the money line. Remember the team with the minus means you have to bet that much to win $100, and the team with the plus is how much you win when you bet $100.

Betting on a team to win on the Run Line:

When betting on the run line you will either take +1 ½ or give –1 ½ runs. Just add or subtract this from the final score of the game and you will have your outcome. For example the Mets are –1 ½ +150 and the Braves are +1 ½ -170. This means if you bet on the Mets they must win by more than 1 ½ runs and if you wager $100 you would win $150 with a return of $250. Now if you where to bet on the Braves at +1 ½ -170 if they win the game or lose the game by less than 1 ½ runs you would win your bet. If you wagered $170 you would win $100 with a return of $270. Usually the opening line favorite will be –1 ½ runs and the opening line underdog will be + 1 ½ runs.

Betting in the total number of runs scored in a game:

When betting on the total number of runs scored in a baseball game you are betting on the total numbers of runs scored by both teams combined in the entire game. If the total on the Mets / Brave game was listed at 9 ½ you would bet that they will combine score over or under 9 ½ runs for the entire game. For example the under is 9 ½ -115. You would have to bet $115 to win $100 for a return of $215. If you where to bet the over 9 ½  -105, you would have to bet $105 to win $100 with a return of $205.

Remember these numbers are just the prices, and baseball bets will always be listed based on $100 bets. But you do not have to bet $100 always check with the Sports Book at the Casino or online you are playing at, many have bet minimums as low as $5 or $10.

If your interested in betting on Baseball and maintaining profit, simply take a look at the handicappers now featured at ChuckEdel.com!