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With Yost, Royals looking at better days to comeBaseball Betting Lines07/15/2010 - KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -The first thing Dayton Moore told Ned Yost was that his chances of becoming Kansas City's permanent manager would be considered at the end of the season, along with other candidates. Now it must be tempting for Kansas City's general manager to change his mind. Since Moore reluctantly fired his friend Trey Hillman on May 13 and put Yost in charge, the Royals are 27-26. Yes, it's a record that might have a Yankees manager cleaning out his desk. But for a franchise that's had only two winning seasons in 15 years and been shut out of the playoffs for a quarter of a century, 27-26 is uncrate-the-champagne success. No one is saying there won't be additional steps backward before the next few laborious steps can be taken forward. The Royals did, after all, end the first half with three blowout losses in Chicago. But right before that, Yost's team won 10 of 13 and beat some of the top pitchers in the league. Fragile though it may be, there seems to be a new confidence among players and fans alike. Signs abound of better days ahead. Outfielder David DeJesus and first baseman Billy Butler have become solid hitters and dependable run-producers. All-Star closer Joakim Soria leads the majors in saves. DeJesus is batting .326, four percentage points better than Butler. Jose Guillen seems to have found new life under Yost. He had a 21-game hitting streak and leads the Royals with 15 home runs and 54 RBIs. The Royals - and this is something they never did for an entire season even in their glory era of 1976-85 - lead the majors in hitting. In addition, some of the most promising young prospects in the minor leagues belong to the Royals, including infielders Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer, who was 4 for 5 in the Futures Game. As of today, at least, the Royals' lackluster 12-23 start under Hillman seems just an unwelcome reminder of the bad old days they're trying so hard to forget. Yost, aside from getting rid of third base coach Dave Owen, granting the gimpy-legged Guillen's wish to play more defense and tinkering a bit with the batting lineup, has made few visible changes. The difference in results may instead be due to a change in approach. Hillman was self-conscious about being the only manager without big league experience as either a player or coach. In his first spring training, he embarrassed his players by loudly chewing them out in front of an opposing team. But the players like Yost, who seems smart, understanding and tough. ``He's got that edge,'' said catcher Jason Kendall, who also played for Yost in Milwaukee. ``He's very intense and at the same time, he lets you play. He's definitely one of the best in baseball.'' And the players have made a favorable impression on him. ``I like their intensity,'' Yost said. ``I like their desire to win.'' Before making any big changes, Yost wanted to get to know everybody. ``You've got to find out what makes them tick, things that you learn being with them day in and day out,'' he said. ``If you're perceptive and you're really studying and watching, you see which guys have the makeup to be a champion and a winner and what guys can do and can't do.'' The 53-year-old former Brewers manager also has a history in Atlanta, where he was on the coaching staff from 1991-2002. Royals fans are starting to worry that he could also be a candidate to replace retiring Braves skipper Bobby Cox. But he seems to like it here. ``I might even enjoy (managing) more here (than in Milwaukee),'' he said. ``We've got a great group of players on this team that I like. I like the city. I love the stadium. There's nothing I don't like about being here.''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.
<< Rockets retain Lowry
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Rockets have retained the services of guard Kyle Lowry after matching Cleveland's offer to the restricted free agent guard. Houston general Manager Daryl Morey said on
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Football Share Pools: Pick college and/or pro football game winners using Vegas odds in our own unique Share Pool format. Accumulate points by picking pointspread and over/under winners. Risk as many points as you want on any game. The person with the most points (shares) at the end wins. Perfect for the Playoffs and Bowl Seasons. Fantasy Football Pools: Fantasy football pool managers love our easy to use interface and custom settings. Points and head to head leagues, custom points, offline drafts, live scoring, waiver wire, trades and more. Live customer service by email or phone. $50 flat fee. To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs. Teams that should be in: Michigan State, Indiana Should be in: Michigan State [21-8 (8-6), RPI: 20, SOS: 15] The Spartans made it four-for-four on the homestand, a gigantic accomplishment that leaves them in extremely good shape. MSU is only 1-6 on the road and is at Michigan and at Wisconsin to close things out, meaning the date with the Wolverines on Tuesday looms very, very large. Beating Texas early will hold up well, as will the rout of Bradley and the win over BYU, but will 8-8 be enough? It very well could be, as the computer numbers are good, but why chance it? Indiana [18-9 (8-6), RPI: 24, SOS: 32] Hmm ... good thing the last two are at Northwestern and home to Penn State, because IU might want to get both to feel completely safe after dropping its third in the last four, fading after halftime at Michigan State. Who knew the best nonconference win would be over Southern Illinois, which is a gift that keeps on giving for the Hoosiers. The win over Wisconsin also looks good on the mantel. Work left to do: Illinois [21-9 (9-6), RPI: 31, SOS: 25] A good performance at Penn State leaves the Illini in pretty good shape. Can they go to Iowa and take care of business to really look on their way? That's a huge game, as there is a possible cluster of teams that will end at 9-7. Illinois beat Bradley, but has lost to Xavier. A 9-7 mark and a semifinals trip in Chicago could be enough with the computer profile hanging in there, but it would be better not to mess around, clinching at least a tie for third. Purdue [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 47, SOS: 28] Couldn't get it done at Iowa, but did win at Northwestern to put 9-7 squarely in sight. Where does that leave the Boilermakers, though? Even if they beat Minnesota and Northwestern at home, that won't help the computer numbers. Nonconference wins over Virginia, DePaul and Oklahoma are solid, but not spectacular. The Boilers very well might need an upset in the B10 quarters to have a legit claim. Michigan [19-10 (7-7), RPI: 55, SOS: 53] Well, Michigan did what it needed to do, winning at Minnesota to take control of its fate. The Wolverines have Michigan State and an already-wrapped-up-the-league Ohio State at home to close, so the chances are there. Win both and we can talk. There is no marquee win yet in the profile, and the Wolverines were splattered in several games against name opponents. A mediocre computer profile fueled by a lack of road wins isn't helping, either. Iowa [16-12 (8-6), RPI: 80, SOS: 64] For the sake of being complete, we'll add Iowa, this season's Stanford. It's plausible that the Hawkeyes could get to 10-6 (at Penn State, vs. Illinois left), but where does that leave them after a gruesome nonconference performance where the best win was over ... Toledo? Iowa State? Cornell?? If they get to 10-6, we can start to look at what they need to do in the B10 tourney, although my gut sense is that they would need to make the final and have knocked off Ohio State or Wisconsin on the way to have any real claim. For more College Basketball betting lines go to MySportsbook.com Additional sports lines can be found at: www.Sportsbooks.com To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards.
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