Phillies' Howard named NL Player of the Week

Baseball Betting Lines

07/23/2007 - New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard has been named the National League player of the week for the week ending July 22.

Howard led the NL in several offensive categories as he hit for a .500 average with five home runs, 13 RBI, 27 total bases, 10 walks, a slugging percentage of 1.227 and an on-base percentage of .636.

The left-handed slugger hit two home runs twice during the week and helped the Phillies to a 4-3 record during a seven-game west coast road trip.

It is his second weekly honor of his career. The last was for the period ending September 4, 2006, en route to being named last year's National League MVP.

Other nominees this past week included Howard's teammates Aaron Rowand, Chase Utley, Shane Victorino and J.D. Durbin; Atlanta's Chipper Jones and Edgar Renteria; Florida's Miguel Cabrera, Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla; Carlos Beltran and David Wright of the Mets; Washington's Mike Bacsik and Chad Cordero; Aramis Ramirez of the Cubs; Houston's Carlos Lee; Milwaukee's Claudio Vargas; Albert Pujols and Kip Wells; Colorado's Aaron Cook; Nomar Garciaparra, Matt Kemp, Jeff Kent and Brad Penny of the Dodgers; San Diego's Chris Young; and San Francisco's Pedro Feliz and Randy Winn.

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MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.

Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.

According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).

Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.

''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
    
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.

Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.

''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''

Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
   
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.

”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
   
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.

For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.