Benson tears rotator cuff; Orioles reach agreement with Trachsel

Baseball Betting Lines

02/12/2007 -

BALTIMORE (AP) -Orioles pitcher Kris Benson has a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder and will probably miss the entire 2007 season.

Baltimore moved quickly to fill his spot in the starting rotation, agreeing Monday with free agent right-hander Steve Trachsel on a $3.1 million, one-year contract, according to a baseball official who spoke on condition of annonymity because the deal has not yet been finalized. The contract, which is pending a physical, includes a $3 million salary this year and a 2008 club option with a $100,000 buyout.

The 36-year-old Trachsel was 15-8 with a 4.97 ERA for the New York Mets last season and is 134-143 with a 4.28 ERA in 14 major league seasons. Trachsel's agreement was first reported by The (Baltimore) Sun.

Benson had an MRI exam last week that revealed a partial tear in his rotator cuff, the pitcher's agent, Gregg Clifton, said Monday. The injury will require surgery, but the procedure has not yet been scheduled.

``We'd like to get it done as soon as possible so we can start the recovery process,'' Clifton said.

After coming to Baltimore in a January 2006 trade with the Mets, Benson went 11-12 with a 4.82 ERA in 30 starts. This season he was supposed to provide experience in a young starting rotation that includes Erik Bedard, Daniel Cabrera and Adam Loewen.

``We're disappointed,'' Orioles executive vice president Mike Flanagan said.

Flanagan did not concede losing Benson for the season, saying only that he expects the right-hander to be sidelined ``at least a couple of months. We won't have him on opening day, that's for sure.''

Rotator cuff tears usually require between eight to 12 months of rehabilitation for pitchers. But Clifton did not rule out the possibility of Benson pitching in 2007.

``No one can accurately predict the duration of recovery. I'm not a doctor,'' he said. ``It's not what I think or what Kris thinks. It's what the doctors think.''

Benson is due $7.5 million this year, the final guaranteed season of a $22.5 million, three-year contract. The Orioles hold a $7.5 million option for 2008 with a $500,000 buyout.

Benson was beginning to increase his offseason workouts when his shoulder became ``stiff and sore,'' according to Flanagan.

``Being around as long as I have, I know this isn't the first time something like this has happened,'' said Flanagan, a former pitcher.

The 32-year-old Benson missed the 2001 season after elbow-ligament transplant surgery and made only 18 starts in 2003 because of tendinitis in his right shoulder.

Benson finished second on the Orioles behind Bedard in wins and starts and was third in inning pitched (183). He had a career-high three completes games, but lost two of them.

In 2005, his first full season with the Mets, Benson allowed three runs or fewer in 19 starts. He was 10-8 with a 4.31 ERA, but New York won 17 of the 28 games in which he appeared.

But the Mets traded Benson for pitchers Jorge Julio and John Maine. There was speculation that the deal was perpetuated by the behavior of Benson's wife, Anna, who has her own Web site and publicly discussed intimate details of their sex life.

Mets general manager Omar Minaya contended that Anna Benson was not a factor in the trade. Anna Benson asked for a divorce in late March last year, but rescinded the request within the week.

---

AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this report.

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.

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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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