Milwaukee Brewers Fight Reflects Fading Odds to Win NL

Written by :

Don Shapiro

Published on :

5 August, 2008

At Cincinnati, Milwaukee Brewers slugger Prince Fielder and pitcher Manny Parra got into a shoving match in the dugout during a 6-3 loss to the Reds. The fight occurred at a time when the Brewers odds of having any chance to win the National League title has come to a screeching halt.

Milwaukee is five games behind the leading Chicago Cubs (+450 odds to win the 2008 World Series at BetUS.com). The Brewers, meanwhile, are listed with -1000 odds (a $100 bet would pay out $1000). Still, the Cubs were listed with +175 odds to win the National League while the Brewers had odds of +250. The St. Louis Cardinals had odds of +1000 to win the NL.

But with Milwaukee having lost 7 of their last 10, the team is now going to fight it out with the Cardinals for a wildcard appearance in the post season. And more fighting took place in the dugout Monday night, apparently signaling the team's desperation as the season winds down.

After left-hander Manny Parra (9-5) left for a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning, first baseman Prince Fielder approached him in the dugout and exchanged words. Fielder then shoved Parra twice before teammates pulled him away.

"It's not a big deal," said manager Ned Yost said. "For eight months a year, we're a family. At times things happen, flare up, but it's between the family. It's in the family.

"It's a little bit rude when your neighbors are fighting next door for you to go knock on the door and ask what happened. We handle it ourselves. It's between us and it's nobody's business. But it wasn't that big a deal."

Here were your odds to win the 2008 National League Pennant Courtesy of BetUS.com as of press time August 5, 2008:

175 New York Mets +400

176 Los Angeles Dodgers +700

177 Chicago Cubs +175

178 Colorado Rockies +2500

179 Philadelphia Phillies +550

180 Arizona Diamondbacks +900

181 San Diego Padres +20000

182 Milwaukee Brewers +250

183 Atlanta Braves +8000

184 St. Louis Cardinals +1000

185 Houston Astros +30000