McGwire confident Cardinals' offense will take off

Baseball Betting Lines

07/15/2010 -

ST. LOUIS (AP) -Mark McGwire needs no reminders that the St. Louis Cardinals' offense sputtered into the All-Star break in his first season as hitting coach.

While waiting for the hitters to take off under his tutelage, the one-time home run king is leaning on a mantra from his playing days.

``The season's six months long, that's the whole thing,'' McGwire said Wednesday during a lightly attended optional workout at Busch Stadium in near triple-digit heat. ``It's not April, May, June. It's what you do over six months, that's why they call it an average.''

Injuries to two regulars haven't helped an inconsistent lineup heading into a four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers starting Thursday. Outfielder Ryan Ludwick could return this weekend from an injury he jokingly referred to as a ``never-ending calf strain,'' while rookie third baseman David Freese (ankle) might not return until late in the month.

``That's the first time I've really tested it and it's feeling better, no doubt about it,'' Ludwick said after participating in agility drills Wednesday. ``We'll see how it reacts tomorrow and maybe step it up a little.''

The pitching staff has done a lot better job overcoming setbacks, losing two starters for an extended period while leaning on All-Stars Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter. Left-hander Jaime Garcia has also stepped up as one of the majors' top rookies.

Right-hander Kyle Lohse, out since late May following forearm surgery, is scheduled for a bullpen session Saturday but still has no clear timetable for a return. Right-hander Brad Penny has also missed more than a month because of an upper back injury.

``I don't make a big thing of it because everybody has adversity,'' manager Tony La Russa said. ``We did a good job of surviving. We had some tough games, but we had some good wins that kept us alive, and we're in position to have an exciting second half.''

The good news for the Cardinals? They're just one game behind Cincinnati in the NL Central.

La Russa said his team can be successful with or without trade deadline additions.

``I think the key is you know the front office and ownership's going to try to help,'' he said. ``If they can't come up with anything, we've got to win with what we have.

``I think we can win with what we have.''

McGwire said he's still growing into the job, his first stint as a coach at any level and first time in a major league uniform since 2001. The uproar over his return to the majors following admissions of steroid use died down long ago, and Big Mac has reached a comfort level, even though many hitters have underachieved.

Matt Holliday picked it up the last few weeks before the break after early struggles, although he was good enough to make the All-Star team without the surge that's pulled him from sixth on the team in RBIs to second with 51.

Defense helped catcher Yadier Molina, batting only .223, make his second straight All-Star start. Table setters Skip Schumaker (.255) and Brendan Ryan (.194) also have been off much of the year.

``Really, Yaddy has just run into a bunch of hard luck,'' McGwire said. ``If you look at a lot of his outs, they have him positioned absolutely perfectly. His stroke looks good.''

Pujols' first half wasn't up to his standards, either, though he has 20 homers, 64 RBIs and a .309 average. McGwire said the three-time NL MVP doesn't need any coaching.

``He's the best in the game, he knows what he's doing,'' McGwire said. ``He and I talk very little about hitting, it's pretty much the mental part of it.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTING

NCAA Football Betting

Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)

"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."

Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins

There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.

Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins

Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.

USC Trojans - 10.5 wins

A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.

Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy

Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.

"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."

Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1

The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.

Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1

If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.

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