Major League Baseball: Odds To Win the 2012 World Series, Phillies the Favorites.

Jonathan Papelbon, and His New Team the Philadelphia Phillies, Are the Favorites to Win the World Series in 2012

The Philadelphia Phillies, despite mounting injuries (incl. Ryan Howard out until May/June), are the favorites to win the 2012 World Series, according to my source, vegasinsider.com.

Here are all 30 MLB teams’ opening odds to win it all.

The Detroit Tigers are looking good again.  After finishing first last year and taking it to the ALCS, the cats were very busy in the offseason, signing perhaps the hottest free agent commodity, Prince Fielder.

The flip side of that deal is the fall of the Milwaukee Brewers from ALCS drama to a 25-1 dog.  No one is buying the Diamondbacks‘ act either.  We’ll see.

It’s the usual suspects rounding out the top 6, but then you have the Cincinnati Reds. Hmm.

Other big leapers: the Miami Marlins, Colorado Rockies, Chicago Cubs and, what’s this?, the Kansas City Royals.

Check back in throughout the season to see if the oddsmakers got it right.

Follow me on Twitter @VinGetz.

	ODDS	2011 RECORD	2011 FINISH	2011 PLAYOFFS
Philadelphia Phillies	6/1	102-60	1st NL East	Lost to Cardinals in NLDS 3-2
Detroit Tigers	6/1	95-67	1st AL Central	Lost to Rangers in ALCS 4-2
New York Yankees	7/1	97-65	1st AL East	Lost to Tigers in ALDS 3-2
Los Angeles Angels	7/1	86-76	2nd AL West
Texas Rangers	8/1	96-66	1st AL West	Lost WS to Cardinals 4-3
Boston Red Sox	10/1	90-72	3rd AL East
Cincinnati Reds	15/1	79-83	3rd NL Central
Atlanta Braves	16/1	89-73	2nd NL East
San Francisco Giants	16/1	86-76	2nd NL West
Tampa Bay Rays	16/1	91-71	2nd AL East, WC	Lost to Rangers in ALDS 3-1
Arizona Diamondbacks	20/1	94-68	1st NL East	Lost to Brewers in NLDS 3-2
Miami Marlins	20/1	72-90	Last NL East
Milwaukee Brewers	25/1	96-66	1st NL Central	Lost to Cardinals in NLCS 4-2
Washington Nationals	25/1	80-81	3rd NL East
Colorado Rockies	35/1	73-89	4th NL West
St Louis Cardinals	35/1	90-72	2nd NL Central, WC	Won WS, def Rangers 4-3
Los Angeles Dodgers	40/1	82-79	2nd NL West
Chicago Cubs	60/1	71-91	5th NL Central
Cleveland Indians	60/1	80-82	2nd NL Central
Kansas City Royals	60/1	71-91	4th NL Central
Toronto Blue Jays	60/1	81-81	4th AL East
Chicago White Sox	80/1	79-93	3rd NL Central
Pittsburgh Pirates	80/1	72-90	4th NL Central
Seattle Mariners	100/1	67-95	Last AL West
New York Mets	100/1	77-85	4th NL East
San Diego Padres	100/1	71-91	Last NL West
Oakland Athletics	100/1	74-88	3rd AL West
Minnesota Twins	100/1	63-99	Last AL Central
Baltimore Orioles	200/1	69-93	Last AL East
Houston Astros	300/1	56-106	Last NL Central

Photo: fantasycpr.com

St. Louis Cardinals Erase Philadelphia Phillies from Playoffs: How About Those Cardinals! And Their World Series.

Chris Carpenter, Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday of the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals (mlb.com)

Chris Carpenter threw a gem tonight, tossing a complete game 3-hit shutout, as the  St. Louis Cardinals defeated Roy Halladay and the Philadelphia Phillies 1-0.  The Cardinals will advance to play the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS.  The Phillies, like their fellow favorites the Yankees, go home.

What a story. And what a team.  The St. Louis Cardinals are the second best team in baseball history.  That’s not as bad as it sounds, what with the Yankees at the top.  The Cards are looking for their 22st pennant (four with the St. Louis Browns of the late 1800s) and 11th World Series.

Here are the other 10…

St. Louis Cardinals World Series Championships

1. 1926 (4-3, New York Yankees)

2. 1931 (4-3, Philadelphia Athletics)

3. 1934 (4-3, Detroit Tigers)

4. 1942 (4-1, New York Yankees)

5. 1944 (4-2, St. Louis Browns)

6. 1946 (4-3, Boston Red Sox)

7. 1964 (4-3, New York Yankees)

8. 1967 (4-3, Boston Red Sox)

9. 1982 (4-3, Milwaukee Brewers)

10. 2006 (4-1, Detroit Tigers)