11/18/2008 - Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik has reportedly settled on a new manager, and he has apparently raided the coaching staff of a division rival in the process.
The Seattle Times reported Tuesday night that Zduriencik has picked Don Wakamatsu to be Seattle's next manager, and the announcement will be made on Wednesday. Wakamatsu, 45, just completed his first season as bench coach for the Oakland Athletics after spending five seasons on the coaching staff of the Texas Rangers.
Zduriencik tabbed Wakamatsu out of a group of seven candidates -- White Sox third base coach Joey Cora, Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills, Diamondbacks third base coach Chip Hale, Triple-A Portland manager Randy Ready, Red Sox third base coach DeMarlo Hale and Cardinals third base coach Jose Oquendo -- none of whom had major league managerial experience.
A former catcher, Wakamatsu's playing career spanned 12 seasons with seven organizations. His only stint in the majors came in 1991, when he played in 18 games with the Chicago White Sox, batting .226 with no homers or runs batted in.
Born in Hood River, Oregon, Wakamatsu grew up in Hayward, California, and played collegiately at Arizona State before the Cincinnati Reds selected him in the 11th round of the 1985 amateur draft.
Prior to joining the Rangers coaching staff, Wakamatsu spent three years in the Angels organization, managing in the Arizona League, and for Single-A High Desert, Double-A Erie, and Double-A El Paso. He compiled a managerial record of 215-248.
Wakamatsu will take over for interim manager Jim Riggleman, who had been the bench coach when manager John McLaren was fired in June, after less than a year at the helm. McLaren was shown the door after the Mariners, a team expected to contend in the AL West, started the season 25-47. Seattle finished the campaign 61-101, the worst record in the AL.
McLaren's dismissal came three days after upper management fired general manager Bill Bavasi. The Mariners hired former Brewers executive Zduriencik as their new GM in October.
<< Arshavin's 'dream' to play at Bayern Munich
St. Petersburg, Russia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Andrei Arshavin's potential move to
one of Europe's major leagues has taken another twist after the Russia star
claimed it would be "a dream" to join Bayern Munich.
The 27-year-old midfielder
<< Ex-Inter boss Mancini named top coach in Serie A
Milan, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini has
been named the Serie A coach of the year for last season.
Mancini, 43, was dumped by Inter in favor of Jose Mourinho during the summer
despite leading the clu
<< Portsmouth's Diarra likely to miss several weeks
Portsmouth, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Portsmouth boss Tony Adams fears that
key midfielder Lassana Diarra may be sidelined for several weeks with the ankle
injury he suffered in the goalless draw at West Ham United.
The 23-year-old form
<< NFC West: Real test begins for the Cardinals
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With a four-game lead in the NFC West after Sunday's
26-20 victory over Seattle -- the club that has won the last four division
titles -- the Arizona Cardinals appear a lock to win their first division
crown since claiming th
Purdue crushes Loyola-Chicago >>
West Lafayette, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - E'Twaun Moore netted 14 points and
grabbed seven rebounds as the No. 11 Purdue Boilermakers routed Loyola-
Chicago, 78-46, in the north regional finals of the NIT Season Tip-Off at
Mackey
Williams stars as Volunteers rout UT-Martin >>
Knoxville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brian Williams hit 8-of-10 from the floor
while recording 21 points and 12 rebounds as the 14th-ranked Tennessee
Volunteers cruised to a 91-64 victory over Tennessee-Martin.
The blowout was Tenne
Wade leads Heat past Wizards >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dwyane Wade scored 19 points and doled out
10 assists to lead the Miami Heat in a 94-87 victory over the Washington
Wizards.
Mario Chalmers added 15 points and six helpers for the Heat, who
Nowitzki, Dallas cruise past Bobcats >>
Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dirk Nowitzki poured in 32 points and
grabbed nine rebounds, and the Dallas Mavericks remained perfect all-time
against the Bobcats with a 100-83 win over Charlotte.
Josh Howard scored 21 point
It's less than a month until the NHL hockey betting season opens at MySportsbook.com and preparations are underway for another battle in the race to hoist Lord Stanley's mug in 2007.
As cup crazy fans prepare to place their bets, one online sportsbook ,MySportsbook.com, is offering hockey betting lines on the 2007/2007 Stanley Cup , who will bring it home this upcoming season.
Despite a poor showing in last season's playoffs and the loss of Steve Yzerman to retirement, the Detroit Red Wings are early favourites at this online sportsbook with wagering odds of 6-1. The Wings will look to offensive powerhouse Pavel Datsyuk and newly appointed captain Nicklas Lidstrom to lead one of the league's most prominent franchises.
Always a threat are the Ottawa Senators, with newly acquired goaltender Martin Gerber from the Stanley Cup champion ,Carolina Hurricanes. The Sens are second best in the rankings at a 7-1 bet, and odds makers at this sportsbook are optimistic that the Ottawa squad will fare better than last season's Eastern Conference semi-final upset to the Buffalo Sabres.
Also worth noting are the defending Stanley Cup champs Carolina Hurricanes, a 10-1 bet to repeat. Behind the Canes are the New Jersey Devils, Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, and Anaheim Mighty Ducks all sit at 12-1. In the basement are the Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, and St. Louis Blues who all have 100-1 odds to win.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your hockey betting needs.
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