Cards activate Ryan Ludwick off DL

Baseball Betting Lines

07/24/2010 - Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Cardinals have activated outfielder Ryan Ludwick off the 15-day disabled list.

Ludwick had been sidelined with a strained calf since June 26 and missed 23 games entering Saturday's contest against Chicago. He played three games at Triple-A Memphis on a rehab assignment and went 3-for-9 with a pair of homers and five runs batted in.

In 71 games for the Cardinals this season, Ludwick is batting .273 with 11 home runs and 42 runs batted in.

The Cardinals opened a roster spot by optioning pitcher P.J. Walters to Memphis. Walters was recalled Friday and pitched two hitless innings of relief in a 5-0 loss to the Cubs.

In five games for St. Louis this season, including a pair of starts, Walters is 1-0 with a 7.11 ERA.

Bettingfootballgamble Baseball Betting News

<< Huff's HRs lift Giants; D'Backs lose despite Johnson cycle
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Aubrey Huff hit two home runs and drove in three, as the San Francisco Giants spoiled Kelly Johnson's cycle and beat the Diamondbacks, 7-4, in the continuation of a four-game series. Andres Torres added

<< Santana shuts down Dodgers, Mets offense awakens
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Johan Santana silenced the Dodgers for seven innings, and New York's offense awoke from a two-week slumber in a 6-1 victory at Chavez Ravine. The Mets were held to four runs or less in each of the

<< Happy Anniversary: Chicago's Buehrle baffles A's
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mark Buehrle pitched his second complete game of the season to earn his first career win in Oakland as the White Sox topped the A's, 5-1, to open a three-game series. Buehrle (9-8) twirled a four-hitter, o

<< Red Sox edge hot-headed Mariners in Beckett's return
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bill Hall hit the go-ahead home run in the seventh inning and Josh Beckett pitched into the sixth in his first appearance in over two months as Boston edged the Mariners, 2-1, in the continuation of a four-ga

<< Santana shuts down Dodgers, Mets offense awakes
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Johan Santana silenced the Dodgers for seven innings, and New York's offense awoke from a two-week slumber in a 6-1 victory at Chavez Ravine. The Mets were held to four runs or less in each of the

A-Rod hopes for another milestone against Kyle Davies >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alex Rodriguez continues his quest to become the youngest player to 600 home runs this afternoon when the New York Yankees resume their four-game series with the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium. On Saturday, Rodriguez

Gorzelanny shoots for fourth straight win in middle tilt with Cards >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tom Gorzelanny goes after his fourth straight win this afternoon when the Chicago Cubs play the middle test of their three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field. Gorzelanny, who is 5-5 with a 3.12

White Sox try to stay hot in Oakland >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With Detroit and Minnesota nipping at their heels the Chicago White Sox will try to keep their small lead in the AL Central when they take on the Oakland Athletics this afternoon at the Coliseum. One of the biggest reasons

Phils take their swings against Jimenez >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Less than 24 hours after facing a former Cy Young Award winner, the Colorado Rockies march out their own 2010 candidate when they face the Philadelphia Phillies in the second of four games at Citizens Bank Park. The Philli

Pelfrey hopes for a rebound in LA >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mike Pelfrey hopes to bounce back from the shortest start of his career this evening when the New York Mets continue their four-game set with the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Pelfrey could not make it out of the

MySportsbook.com offers Blackjack contest and $10,000.00 in Free Prize money!

Every month MySportsbook.com's casino host, Jack Black, gives away $10,000.00 in free casino prize money. To Enter - All you have to do is play at least 10 hands (total) of Blackjack on one of the specified dates of the blackjack contest. The online casino host randomly hands out free bonuses ranging from $50 - $500, and one lucky player who will receive a free $2,500.00 bonus.

"We have been running this monthly free blackjack contest to our active mebers for 5 years now, and the players just love it," says Jack Black, online casino host at MySportsbook.com. "And why wouldn't they love a free chance to win some extra online blackjack cash."

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Mastercard needs.

SPORTS BETTING: NFL Football Sportsbook Betting

NFL owners, already life's biggest winners, want to try their luck with the lottery.


That was the news out of their meetings last week, where team bosses voted unanimously to allow stamping state and local lottery tickets with franchise logos, if, ahem, any governments wanted to do a deal.

A shocker: Within days the Pats announced they'd be sponsoring the Massachusetts state lottery, the Skins said they'd slap their sticker on Virginia scratch-offs and the Ravens admitted they were talking to Maryland lottery bosses. In all likelihood, it won't be long before every team is a presenting sponsor of scratch-offs or just plain old pick fives. "The change in policy was approved 32-0," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "So you can expect to see more deals soon."

It's a branding opportunity too big for the owners to ignore, and one a couple of dozen baseball franchises have enjoyed for years. The fact the NFL has been slower to act than those slack-brained Seligites is indicative of its complicated relationship with all forms of gambling. Consider this: Last Thursday, as the Pats and the Redskins finalized their new lottery deals, a lawyer representing the NFL argued before Delaware's Supreme Court that the state's newly signed sports betting law should be repealed.

The NFL betting is the face of opposition to sports gambling . And as much as it would like to share that responsibility with other leagues, that's not going to happen as long as more than 40% of all money legally wagered on games is bet on football. That's why the Brewers can do a multi-million dollar deal with a local casino, or the Celtics can make their own pact with the Mass lottery, and the response is, "Sweet, let's play." But when the NFL does it the stakes are higher, and everyone from NPR's Frank Deford to the Associated Press to the guys blogging at Deadspin will line up to play gotcha.

So I asked Aiello, who surely knew there'd be piling on, how the league can rail against being bait for sports bettors, then allow its franchises to be just that for lotteries, the most insidious and addictive form of gambling around. He emailed me this response: "We are not moral crusaders. NFL personnel are permitted to engage in legal forms of gambling, except for betting on NFL games. We are making a distinction here between the spread of gambling on the outcome of our games and supporting state lottery scratch-off games, that have nothing to do with the outcome of our games."

Here's where I should rip him. But, the thing is, he's right. Not to get Obama on you, but this is a complicated, nuanced issue. As much as lotteries are considered a tax on the poor, the NFL isn't a socially obligated government program -- it's just a business. Scratch-off's help the bottom line, sports betting doesn't. Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors … But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal.

Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors. And it's okay to mutter something obscene when the league pretends gambling doesn't help drive TV ratings and fan interest and put money in owners' pockets. But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal. The Bears should put an orange "C" on every deck of cards dealt at Harrah's in Joliet; the Eagles should slap their logo on roulette wheels at the Borgata in Atlantic City; the Dolphins should hold training camp at the El San Juan in Puerto Rico.

Seriously.

The NFL's problem, when it comes to the gambling world, isn't hypocrisy, it's worse: The bosses lack vision. That's why the league is picking unwinnable fights in Delaware and taking pot shots from critics after making smart sponsorship deals. Roger Goodell and his gang are acting and thinking locally rather than globally, which is rare for them, especially compared to their professional (and amateur) counterparts.

The NBA held its All Star game in Las Vegas and David Stern's kingdom didn't crumble (although the town did bring plenty of players to their knees.) I'd say it's 6 to 5 and pick 'em that Lebron will make a road swing through Sin City before his career is over.

Even the NCAA College Football Betting is more progressive on this issue than the NFL. Several years ago Rachel Newman Baker, college sports' gambling czar, opened a dialogue with Vegas bookmakers to learn about how they do business. She's visited Nevada sports books, studied their operations and listened to how they regulate action. Now she knows she can expect a call from bookmakers, who lose money when sports are fixed, if they think something sketchy is going on in NCAA games. She's not in favor of sports betting, but, as she once told me, "I know it's not going away, either."

The NFL can't seem to accept that. And until it can find peace with the idea, it'll get flack, even when it's right.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts MasterCard needs.