boys summer spring ahead
As the Byrds blood and the Bible preaches, for everything there is a season; In the wide world of sports, football is over and baseball season is almost here again.
Spring training is just around the corner and the Boys of Summer will soon be dominating sports headlines.
Like the seasonal changes of the planet, people feel the transformation as it takes place.
“It’s up in the air,” observed Jeff Sherman, a Las Vegas Hilton bookie and SuperBook supervisor.
“You’ll know baseball is really here when you can read about it on ESPN.com every day and watch ‘Baseball Tonight.'”
Bookies generally advise that this is a good time to buy baseball futures, before the March Madness crowds bring the numbers down.
“People aren’t really into baseball yet, but they will be in a few weeks,” said Tony Nevill, editorial director of New Frontier.
“That’s when you get a high concentration of people.
“They will be here to bet on basketball, but they will be looking towards baseball.
“Every team will have had a few starts by then and the pitchers will have a few innings under their belt.”
World Series futures prices vary from store to store, depending on a number of things.
That makes shopping and cost comparisons a must.
One factor in pricing is the opinions of baseball specialists at individual houses.
They create their own numbers or work from a “master” list provided by Las Vegas Sports Consultants, adjusting the numbers as they see fit.
Nevill points out that money moves the lines and the area a hotel guest comes from often influences future fluctuations as fans bet their hard-earned dollars on home teams.
“We get a lot of hotel guests from the Midwest and they bet on the Midwest teams,” Nevill said.
Sure the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, one such team is the Chicago Cubs.
The Windy City Northsiders are annual passives almost everywhere as members of the Cubbie Nation emerge from the four corners of the country to dream, gamble and have new hope.
Some attribute this widespread popularity to SuperStation WGN, making Cubs games the first to be broadcast nationwide when television was still young; those fans of yesteryear are now seniors, but the ties to the club are as binding as ever.
What makes this season different from most is that there is actually reason to believe, as Ernie Banks would say, that the Cubs will find heaven in 2007.
“I think (.325 career hitter) Alfonso Soriano will be the spark the club needs,” LVSC boss Ken White said.
“If they can have Kerry Wood in the bullpen, ready to throw a couple innings every other day, that would be a big help,” Nevill added.
Better to buy those Cubs futures quickly though, because prices are falling faster than Walmart Holiday Barbies the day after Christmas.
Even Nevill was stunned when his computer revealed the naked truth.
“We started the Cubs at 60/1 and now they’re 6/1,” Nevill said.
“Yes, you heard that right”.
White considered that “too low,” saying he could still find Cubs futures in the 30/1 to 35/1 range across the valley.
Some bookies hung long-suffering Chicagoans up to 75/1.
Bruins futures have been cut in half at the Hilton.
“We opened them on 1/30 and now they are 1/15,” Sherman said.
“That’s typical.”
Philadelphia, which narrowly missed the 2006 postseason, is also attracting future attention from New Frontier.
The Phillies have slugger Ryan Howard and should bolster their mound corps with the acquisition of former White Sox pitcher Freddie Garcia.
“I know the computer says the money is coming in on the Cubs, but it looks like every other future bet we’re getting is on Philadelphia,” Nevill said.
“However, we’ve only reduced the odds on the Phillies from 18/1 to 15/1.
“That should tell you that I’m not sold on them.
“They still have to prove themselves to me.”
The New Frontier is in a good position with all the American League teams, though Nevill is on the lookout for any major or concentrated action in Cleveland.
“We started the Indians at 35/1, went to 40/1 and then went back to 35,” Nevill said.
“I kind of like them and I don’t want to be caught off guard.”
Nevill noted that California clubs more or less consider themselves local teams and have strong backing.
“The Dodgers, the Angels, the Padres … even the G-Men and the North A’s,” Nevill said.
“As it is, it doesn’t take much more to win a division.
“Teams from California haven’t drawn much yet, but that’s probably because their odds weren’t very high to begin with.”
White and Sherman noted that San Francisco futures plunged when the Giants acquired pitcher Barry Zito from the A’s.
San Francisco opened between 60/1 and 75/1 and currently sits in the 25/1 to 35/1 range, though the numbers could rise again if slugger Barry Bonds is charged.
As usual, the New York Yankees are the book favorites throughout, including the ALDS, ACCS, and the World Series.
Mike Colbert, the Plaza’s race and sportsbook manager, agrees that the Bronx Bombers should be sweeping this season and even more so if Roger Clemens strikes a deal that returns him to the Big Apple.
“They’re definitely going to be the team to beat,” Colbert said.
Colbert noted that the Plaza had taken more than its fair share of future bets in Milwaukee and Colorado at 50/1.
He also echoed Nevill in urging future diamond players to hurry to the betting windows.
“After March Madness is over, baseball heats up,” Colbert said.
“Fans looking for baseball deals should definitely do so now.”