Columnist Jeff Haney: Griffey trade hits home for one sports book boss

Jeff Haney's sports betting column appears Wednesday. Reach him at 259-4041 or [email protected]

When Ken Griffey Jr. was traded from the Seattle Mariners to the Cincinnati Reds last week, the deal sent oddsmakers scrambling to adjust the lines on those teams in baseball future books.

At the Sunset Station sports book, for instance, the odds on the Reds to win the World Series dropped from 16-1 to 10-1 when they acquired Griffey.

Cincinnati is now a 5-1 shot at the Henderson resort to win the National League pennant, down from 8-1 before the trade.

But for Sunset Station sports book director Tom Smilanich, the Griffey deal wasn't just business as usual. For Smilanich, a Seattle native and longtime Mariners fan, it hit close to the heart.

"I think the whole situation is very unfortunate," Smilanich said. "That's the way it's going not only in baseball, but in all the other sports too -- the players dictate what they're going to do, where they're going and when they're going to do it, with no regard for the team. ... It's another example of the inmates being in charge of the asylum.

"It seems like nobody stays with their team for their entire career anymore. Guys (who did), like Robin Yount and Cal Ripken, are becoming fewer and farther between, and I think that's a shame."

Many Seattle baseball fans, fed up with what they perceive to be a selfish attitude on Griffey's part, have adopted a "good riddance" outlook to his departure.

On the other hand, Griffey, who grew up in Cincinnati, has drawn praise from some quarters for choosing the Reds over the Mets, who were prepared to offer him a more lucrative contract. Even so, the new Cincinnati Kid's $116 million deal isn't exactly small stakes.

"I believe Griffey did want to play at home, but there are other players who'd like to choose their own city, too -- that doesn't make it right," said Smilanich, who has supported the M's since their inception in 1977. Before moving to Las Vegas, Smilanich became friends with some of the team's early players, such as Danny Tartabull and Al Chambers.

"I also think the Reds are placing themselves in a precarious position," Smilanich added. "As a small-market team paying out that kind of money to a player, now they almost have to win the World Series, they have to fill that ballpark. If they don't they could find themselves in real financial trouble."

Early signs say the Reds will indeed fill Cinergy Field this season. They have been selling tickets at a record pace since Griffey's arrival.

The Reds are also attracting attention in Las Vegas sports books. Smilanich said he moved the line in his book as a result of Reds money coming in and the anticipation of even more Reds action.

At the Imperial Palace on the Strip the adjustment was even bigger. The Reds dropped from an opening World Series line of 20-1 to 8-1, and from 10-1 to 4-1 to win the NL pennant.

The world champion Yankees are a 5-2 favorite to repeat as World Series winners, with the Braves at 3-1 and the Indians and Mets at 5-1. In the NL, the Braves are a 3-2 shot to take the pennant, followed by the Mets at 5-2.

Pitchers and catchers report to spring training this week.

* FIGHT GAME: Last June, 5-1 underdog Paulie Ayala upended champion Johnny Tapia in a thrilling 12-round bantamweight bout at Mandalay Bay that was named fight of the year by The Ring magazine.

Mandalay Bay sports book director Gene Kivi thinks Saturday's Erik Morales vs. Marco Antonio Barrera fight could pack just as much excitement.

"I see this fight as very comparable to Tapia-Ayala," Kivi said of the bout, which will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. "You've got two (super) bantamweights who aren't afraid to mix it up in there."

Even the betting line on Saturday's fight mirrors Ayala-Tapia. Title holder Morales opened as a minus 300 favorite and has been bet to minus 400. Bettors can get plus 300 on the veteran Barrera.

"We'll do most of our business on the fight on Friday and Saturday," Kivi said. "I wouldn't be surprised to see some late money on Barrera."

* ALL-STAR WRAP: The favorite and the over were good in Sunday's NBA All-Star game, in which the West outgunned the East 137-126.

The NBA game was the third of three winter all-star contests that traditionally draw little interest from bettors, following the previous week's Pro Bowl and NHL All-Star game.

"The NBA game gets a little more attention than the Pro Bowl because it's right in the middle of the season rather than at the end," said Kivi. "But if you're a big football fan, (the Pro Bowl) is your last chance to make a wager for six or seven months. So we do get some action on it."

* TIGER WATCH: Smilanich said bettors at Sunset Station continued to hammer away at Tiger Woods in this past weekend's Buick Open. Woods, who went off as a 5-2 favorite, finished in a tie for second place behind Phil Mickelson. "So the event turned out pretty good for (the house) this time, after the bettors got the best of it in Tiger's last few events," Smilanich said. "This week we have Tiger in a proposition against two golfers -- Tom Lehman and Davis Love -- and he's still a minus 270 favorite.

"Even at those odds, believe me, there will still be a lot of people looking to bet him."

* DAYTONA 500: Pole sitter Dale Jarrett is listed at 9-2 in local sports books to win Sunday's Daytona 500. Jarrett, who won the race in 1993 and 1996, is the second choice behind 7-2 favorite and two-time defending champ Jeff Gordon.

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