Josh Hamilton, the Texas Rangers’ All-Star who recently overcame drug addiction to restart his baseball career thrilled the crowd on Monday night for the 2008 Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium. He hit 28 home runs in the first round to break Bobby Abreu’s old record of 24 in a single round. The most impressive part came during an incredible 13-swing stretch where every ball he connected with left the yard.

With his slick left-handed swing and undeniable hitting power, Hamilton seemed the only choice to take advantage of Yankee Stadium’s short right-field porch. He cleared the deep fences without a hitch, hitting three shots farther than 500 feet, including his longest, estimated at 518.

In a bit of a letdown, Hamilton didn’t actually win the overall title - that went to Minnesota Twins 1B Justin Morneau, who took down Josh Hamilton in the final 5-3. The full capacity crowd was chanting his name during that awesome first round, and his feat won’t be forgotten by anyone watching that day.

Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Vanderbilt
The Vanderbilt third baseman was the SEC Tournament MVP hit .386, slugged .684 and had a .463 OBP during his stellar 2007 season.

Jack Armstrong, RHP, Jupiter Community HS, Fla.
A 6-foot-6 righty who throws in the low 90s. An all-around great athlete.

Jordan Danks, OF, University of Texas
Younger brother of White Sox pitcher John Danks. He hit .332 in his sophomore year with 19 steals and a .440 OBP.

Ike Davis, OF, Arizona State
Another good draft prospect out of high school, Davis honored his commitment to ASU. Davis hit .354 as a sophomore and slugged .547.

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The 2008 MLB season is about a month old now and there have been some changes with possible MLB futures. The experts will suggest that hey, its only April…teams shouldn’t make their postseason plans or panic just yet. That said, a number of oddsmakers have started posting the following sports betting odds on who will win the 2008 Major League Baseball World Series.

The Boston Red Sox are still the favorite to win at +485 followed by the New York Mets +625, New York Yankees +750 and the Los Angeles Angels +1000. The Arizona Diamondbacks who are off to a decent start are now +1300 while the Detroit Tigers who were favored by many to win the AL Central have had their odds drop to +1400. The Florida Marlins are in first place in the NL East and are +15000 to win the World Series and still +6600 to win the National League Pennant. A few other first place teams to have long shot odds include the Chicago White Sox, leading the American League Central right now with a 11-7 record. Chicago is still +3500 to win the World Series and +2000 to win the AL pennant.The Oakland A’s are another early season underdog, sitting in first place of the AL West with a 12-8 record. Oakland is +6600 to win the World Series and +3800 to win the American League pennant.

A quick look at the first place teams at the present times and the odds to win the World Series, tell the whole story about baseball being a long season and a good April does not guarantee a good October.

Teams sitting close to the bottom of their respective divisions that could make a move and bring a lot of value are the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies are +900 to win the NL pennant and +2800 to win the World Series. Other value teams which could surprise include the Los Angeles Dodgers who are +800 to win the National League and +2500 to win the World Series and the Cleveland Indians who are +650 to win the American League and +1400 to win the World Series.

The New York Yankees were rated as the most valuable MLB franchise, by a Forbes magazine list released on Wednesday.

The Yankees retained their number one status, according to Forbes, by being valued at $1.3 billion, up nine percent from last years list. Home town rivals the New York Mets were second on the list, valued at $824 million for an increase of 12 percent. Last year the two New York teams, who are both opening new parks next season, sold some eight million tickets combined.

The Boston Red Sox were third on the list, increasing by 13 percent to $816 million, according to the financial magazine. The Los Angeles Dodgers ($694 million) and the Chicago Cubs ($642 million)made up the other two teams of the top five among the 30 Major League Baseball clubs.

The average club was worth $472 million, an increase of nine percent, Forbes said, also mentioning that the average team was making about $16 million a year in profit.