The LA Dodgers are one of the most storied franchises in all of baseball, going all the way back to their Brooklyn roots.
The Dodgers trail-blazed into baseball betting odds history when they moved out west under the direction of Branch Rickey. However, unfortunately for Dodgers baseball betting line fans they haven’t done much since they’ve been out there.
In 2006 baseball betting odds season they made a serious run for the baseball betting odds playoffs, but ultimately fell short. It seems likes ages ago since Kirk Gibson’s post seasons heroics and LA could certainly have used some of that stuff when it was battling for the division title with the San Diego Padres down the stretch. The Dodgers ended the baseball betting odds season on a scorching pace going 9-1 over the last ten games and winning the games they had to win.
Unfortunately, even though they had the same baseball betting line record as the Padres, San Diego won the division by way of some complicated statistical formula and better baseball betting line record head to head to head or something of that nature. It broke the hearts of the Dodger faithful, but the Cardinal’s annihilation of the Padres in the playoffs was bittersweet closure to the baseball betting odds season.
The Dodgers finished very strong in 2006 baseball betting odds season putting together the best ten game stretch of any team in the majors to end the baseball betting odds season. With a baseball betting line record of 88-74 there is certainly room for improvement, but the Dodgers can lift their chins after the 2006 baseball betting odds campaign and have nothing to feel bad about. The difference in the baseball betting line record as it was for many teams was the road games. In friendly Chavez Ravine the Dodgers were 49-32 yet on the road the slumped to a 39-42 baseball betting line record, which isn’t awful, but if they would have played .500 balls away they would have been in the baseball betting odds playoffs.
The additions of Raphael Furcal and Nomar Garciaparra rally had a positive effect on this ball club and Nomar finally got back to being himself after multiple injuries and a year and a half exile in Chicago with the Cubs. It was good to see one of the good guys in baseball swing the bat again and he finished up the year batting .303 with 20 homers and 93 RBIs. His contribution was key in turning around the club’s baseball betting odds record, which in 2005 baseball betting odds season absolutely stunk. He also earned the comeback player of the year for 2006 baseball betting odds season which is a real testament to his work ethic. However, across the infield at the 1B position the aging Jeff Kent, now in his 37th baseball betting odds season as big leaguer did little to prove to the world that he shouldn’t retire. He had just 14 homers and 68 RBIs to go along with his .292 batting average last baseball betting odds year, which isn’t awful, but his numbers have been declining every year for the past few and his 2007 baseball betting odds numbers will only get worse.
Furcal had a break out baseball betting line season in 2006 and helped out the infield immensely. He set career marks in batting average and RBIs and homers hitting .300, knocking in 63 RBIs and hitting 15 homers to go with his 37 steals. He was without question one of the premier leadoff hitters in the game. In the outfield the very ancient and rapidly deteriorating Kenny Lofton did his best not to embarrass himself, which he didn’t. One bright spot in the outfield however was the rookie left fielder either who hit a very respectable .308 with 11 homers and 55 RBIs. Look for him to improve those numbers in 2007 baseball betting odds season.
But as everyone knows, the Dodgers real strength in 2006 baseball betting odds season was the pitching staff. The starting rotation was one of the besting the business with Brad Penny and Derrick Lowe both posting 16-win baseball betting odds seasons for LA. Penny started off very hot; he even started the All Star game, but tailed off a bit in the second half. Lowe was strong all baseball betting odds year long and went over 200 innings and kept his ERA down to3.63. With the edition of Jason Schmidt signed in the off season from San Francisco, the Dodgers will have a true ace in 2007 baseball betting odds season and will be a very tough team to face for opposing batters. The bull pen could be a bit of a question mark but Takashi Saito, while inexperienced, seems as though he’s got what it takes to be an efficient closer.