Rays sign Keppinger to minor league deal
Baseball Betting Lines
01/27/2012 - St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Rays signed veteran infielder Jeff Keppinger to a one-year deal on Friday.
The 31-year-old hit .277 with six home runs and 35 runs batted in over 99 games as he split time with the Astros and Giants in 2011.
"Jeff is a good player who fits our club well," said executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. "He is a tough out, especially against left-handers, and his contact skills bring a useful dimension to our roster. We also value his defensive versatility, which will allow him to make an impact in many different ways."
Over seven pro seasons, Keppinger, a fourth round pick of the Pirates in 2001, is a .281 hitter with 32 homers and 215 RBI in 586 games with the Mets, Royals, Reds, Astros, and Giants.
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and team owner Jim Irsay issued a joint statement Friday to dispel any notion that the two are at odds. Manning and Irsay both made comments through
<< Rangers hope to close the gap on Celtic
Glasgow, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rangers welcome Hibernian to Ibrox in
Scottish Premier League play on Saturday with an opportunity to place some
additional pressure on first-place Celtic.
The Hoops lead the league with 59 point
<< Former Bengals QB Cook dies
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Greg
Cook, whose brief career was cut short by injury, died on Thursday night from
an undisclosed illness. He was 65.
"I've lost a good friend," Bengals president
<< Astros ink Duke to minor league deal
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Astros on Friday agreed to terms
with left-handed pitcher Zach Duke on a minor league contract that includes an
invitation to spring training.
Duke spent the 2011 campaign with the Arizona Dia
<< Ruler On Ice targets Donn Handicap
Hallandale Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Breeders' Cup Classic third-place
finisher Ruler On Ice is on target to begin his 2012 racing campaign in next
month's 1 1/8-mile Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park. The four-year-old has
been tr
Ottawa, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alex Ovechkin has owned the Breakaway Challenge since the event's inception a few years ago, but with the Washington Capitals star pulling out of the league's All-Star Game, some new faces will get a chance at the
Bayern hopes to start new run against Wolfsburg >>
Munich, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bayern Munich opened the second half of the
Bundesliga season the way it opened the first half, with a loss. But after the
setback to Monchengladbach in August, Bayern became invincible.
Well, at least for
AC Milan signs Lopez from Catania >>
Milan, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - AC Milan announced Friday that it has signed
striker Maxi Lopez from Catania, possibly signaling the end of the Rossoneri's
pursuit of Carlos Tevez.
Milan appeared to be in the mix to land the want-away Manc
Giants sign infielder Theriot >>
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Francisco Giants signed infielder
Ryan Theriot to a one-year, non-guaranteed major league contract.
The deal, announced Friday, is pending a physical.
Theriot, 32, played in 132 games for the W
Report: Browns hire Childress as OC >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Browns have hired Brad Childress as offensive
coordinator, according to a report.
Childress will become the first offensive coordinator under Browns head coach
Pat Shurmer, NFL.com reported Friday.
The f
FOOTBALL BETTING : Cassel Signs Contract
Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.
NFL Betting
After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."
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