12/04/2008 - Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Braves have acquired right-handed starter Javier Vazquez and left-handed reliever Boone Logan from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for four prospects.
Chicago will receive catcher Tyler Flowers, left-handed pitcher Santos Rodriguez and infielders Jonathan Gilmore Brent Lillibridge.
Vazquez, 32, posted a 12-16 record last season for Chicago with a 4.67 earned run average and 200 strikeouts in 208 1/3 innings. The Braves will become his fifth team, as Vazquez has pitched for the Expos, Yankees, Diamondbacks and White Sox over his 11 seasons in the major leagues.
"We went into this offseason knowing we had to get some key guys to fill out our rotation," said Braves general manager Frank Wren on Thursday. "This is the first big step, getting a guy that is so well-respected and has the ability to lead our young guys.
"That was really crucial for us, because this isn't just about this year or next year. This is about the next four or five years, with our young players that are developing. We only have Javy for two years at this moment, but I think his impact will be felt a long time."
A Puerto Rico native, Vazquez is under contract until 2010 and will make $11.5 million in each season. He owns a career mark of 127-129 with a 4.32 ERA in 355 games, all but two of which have been starts.
Logan, meanwhile, went 2-3 with a 5.95 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 55 relief appearances with Chicago last season and is 4-4 with a 5.87 ERA in 144 games over three seasons in the major leagues, all with the White Sox.
The 22-year-old Flowers was named to the Carolina League All-Star team a year ago after hitting .288 with 32 doubles, 17 home runs, 88 RBI, 98 walks and 72 runs scored in 122 games at Class-A Myrtle Beach.
Rodriguez, just 20 years old, was 1-2 with a 2.79 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 29 innings pitched with the Gulf Coast League Braves in 2008.
Gilmore, 20, combined to hit .294 with 24 doubles, four home runs and 35 RBI in 94 games with Advanced Rookie Danville and Class-A Rome in 2008. He was also named to the Appalachian League postseason All-Star Team after hitting .337 with four homers and 31 RBI at Danville.
Lillibridge spent most of last season with Triple-A Richmond, bating .220 with seven triples, four home runs, 39 RBI and 23 stolen bases in 90 games, all at shortstop. He also appeared in 29 games with Atlanta, batting .200 with one homer and eight RBI.
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Thursda
The 2007 college football rules changes that were implemented to shorten games are now history. The NCAA rules committee did what they set out to do; games were cut by an average of 14 minutes per game last season. There were also, on average, 14 fewer plays per game. We’ll get into how that did (or didn’t) affect games in regards to the pointspread a bit later.
While the NCAA rules committee may have had the betterment of the game in mind, they'll now “turn back the clock” for next season. Two key rules have now been overturned by the NCAA committee for the 2007 season, something definitely for the better.
For those of you who may not remember what those rules actually were, let us refresh your memory.
1) The first one was actually starting the clock on a kickoff as soon as the kicker touched the ball rather than waiting until the returner touched it. The problem here was near the end of the half (or game), if the team leading was kicking off, they could milk the clock by intentionally running offsides and then re-kicking. They could run 10-15 seconds off the clock each play while taking just five-yard penalties each time. They could run the clock down and simply cause the half (or game) to end on a kickoff, keeping the opposing offense off the field. In 2007, the clock will now start when the returner touches the ball as it had before last season.
2) The second rule dealt with starting the clock after a change of possession rather than waiting until the ball was snapped. This took a lot of time off the clock throughout the game as teams changed possession, however it caused the most problems late in games (or halves). Rather than huddling up and calling a play, the offensive team would have to rush onto the field as the clock started. This was a definite disadvantage to a team that was trying to come from behind late in the game. This year the clock will start on a change of possession, after the ball is snapped.
How did those rules affect the college game last year and will it make a difference this year when it comes to the pointspread? We commonly heard two theories when it came to these changes. First, it would affect scoring negatively. Second, it would hurt favorites as they would have less time and fewer plays to cover the number.
Did the rules hurt scoring? Yes. It seemed obvious that shortening the game by what amounted to 14 plays would push scoring downward. That was the case last year. Of the 119 Division 1A teams, 69 squads scored fewer points in 2007 than they did in 2005. Just 48 teams had a higher PPG scoring average and two stayed the same. Almost 59 percent of the teams in college football last year had a lower PPG average than they did in 2005. Expect more scoring in 2007 as we revert back to the old rules.
Did the rules hinder favorites from covering the number in 2007? Not really. Last year the favorites posted an overall spread record of 336-350-16 (48.9 percent). The year before, favorites were 316-326-13 (49.2 percent). In 2004, the favorites were 316-339-2 (48.2 percent). In fact, college football favorites have been above 50 percent for the season just once in the last seven years (in 2003). Last year’s numbers fell right in line with where they have been historically.
How about big favorites? The rules must have hurt them? Maybe a little bit. Double-digit favorites last year came in at a 47.8 percent clip compare with an average of just over 50 percent over the last seven years. Since 1980, favorites of -10 or more have covered at exactly a 50 percent clip (measured over 6,716 games).
Even bigger favorites must have struggled? Not really. In fact, it was just the opposite. Favorites of three TD’s or more were 59-54-2 last year (52.2 percent). Since 2000, those same favorites (-21 or higher) hit at 51.3 percent and since 1990 came in a clip of 50.3 percent. Stepping it up a notch to four TD favorites or higher, we actually see they've covered at a much better rate last season than before. Last year, favorites of -28 or more were 31-21-1, or almost 60 percent. Historically, four-TD-or-higher favorites have come in at a 50.7 percent spot since 2000 and only 48.9 percent since 1990. The “perceived” problem with the favorites covering at a reduced rate really never came to fruition.
Bottom line is, there might be some more scoring in 2007, but no real revelations when it comes to finding any pointspread golden nuggets.
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