Live music, breakfast and a raffle: Mexico's president makes the most of his final day in office

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador turned his final morning briefing Monday into a variety show featuring live music, breakfast and a raffle to gift his watch to a journalist.

“I dedicated myself to serve the people,” the 70-year-old leader said. “I leave very satisfied to have the affection of many Mexicans.”

Outside the National Palace, hundreds of boisterous supporters of the folksy populist showered him with love while mariachis gave a brassy serenade.

Despite having historically high approval ratings and majorities in Congress, López Obrador never proposed changing the constitution to open the possibility of a second six-year term as other Latin American leaders have. He did, however, push through sweeping constitutional changes for the judiciary and the country’s National Guard in his final days.

Monday was his 1,438th morning briefing, a radical change he brought to the presidency after years of less accessible leaders. His briefings, known as “las mañaneras,” set the day’s agenda and gave journalists the opportunity to ask questions, though López Obrador addressed what he wanted — and ignored what he didn’t.

On Monday, he talked about his achievements — as he has for the past six years — noting that today someone earning the minimum wage can buy twice as many kilograms of tortillas and eggs as they could before because he raised that wage and beat back inflation.

After the briefing, some reporters — who became regular fixtures at the “mañaneras” and didn’t hide their support for López Obrador, gave interviews to other journalists. Some shouted that they wanted to give the president parting gifts or take a final selfie with him. The reporter who won the president’s watch leaped euphorically from his seat when his name was called.

After Tuesday’s inauguration, as he has promised many times, López Obrador will retire to his ranch in the southern state of Chiapas and leave public life.

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador waves during his last morning press conference, or mañanera, at the National Palace in Mexico City, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador waves during his last morning press conference, or mañanera, at the National Palace in Mexico City, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador signs a law that puts the National Guard under the command of the military during his last morning press conference, "La Mañanera," at the National Palace in Mexico City, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Supporters of Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador hold up his initials outside the National Palace where he holds his last morning press conference, "La Mañanera," in Mexico City, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador points to annual statistics regarding "aggressions, injured and detained, and deaths" of soldiers and national guards during his last morning press conference, "La Mañanera," at the National Palace in Mexico City, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Supporters of Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador gather outside the National Palace where he holds his last morning press conference, "La Mañanera," in Mexico City, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador holds his last morning press conference, "La Mañanera," at the National Palace in Mexico City, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador holds his last morning press conference, "La Mañanera," at the National Palace in Mexico City, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

A supporter of Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador writes him a letter as he gathers with other supporters outside the National Palace where he holds his last morning press conference, "La Mañanera," in Mexico City, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador speaks to the press holding a plate of tamales after finishing his last morning press conference, "La Mañanera," at the National Palace in Mexico City, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador holds his last morning press conference, "La Mañanera," at the National Palace in Mexico City, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador unveils his portrait at the National Palace after giving his last morning press conference, "La Mañanera," in Mexico City, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Tigers didn't act like a franchise poised to make a playoff run when the trade deadline arrived.

Detroit dealt pitcher Jack Flaherty to the Los Angeles Dodgers, outfielder Mark Canha to San Francisco reliever Andrew Chafin and catcher Carson Kelly to Texas.

At 52-57, the Tigers looked to the future and their long-shot betting odds for this season reflected that thinking. One Caesars Entertainment bettor in Michigan, however, had a different idea, betting the Tigers at 500-1 odds to win the World Series.

As in this year.

That wager doesn't look nearly as foolish now. The Tigers have made an improbable run to the postseason and will Houston in a best-of-three Wild Card Series starting Tuesday.

“They're definitely a danger in any short series, so I wouldn't count them out at all,” Caesars lead baseball trader Eric Biggio said.

BetMGM Sportsbook also had the Tigers at 500-1 before they went on their run.

“They were trading pieces away,” BetMGM trading strategy manager Halvor Egeland said. “Most people thought that they should trade (Tarik) Skubal away and they obviously made the right decision.”

Skubal won the AL pitching Triple Crown, leading in wins (18), ERA (2.39) and strikeouts (228).

BetMGM lists the Tigers at 28-1 to win the World Series. Definitely lower than 500-1.

The expanded baseball playoffs have been more of a crapshoot in recent years.

Texas won an all-wild card World Series last year in five games. Philadelphia advanced to the World Series out of a wild-card spot on 2022 before a six-game loss to Houston. And in 2019, wild-card Washington beat the Astros in Game 7.

So it's little surprise that bettors are looking for more value, especially given there is no apparent super team. For the first time since 2014, no team won 100 games.

“Our top-five biggest liabilities are all wild-card teams,” Egeland said. “Some of them aren't the most bet, but they have these big plus-odds. The trend in recent years, these wild-card teams making a run to the World Series, it's standing out to bettors. You're seeing this big plus-money and teams that are hot.”

Even so, Egeland said BetMGM was taking more of a wait-and-see attitude before adjusting prices.

Biggio said he's seen a similar trend at Caesars, with San Diego in particular drawing notable action when the Padres were at about 21-1, dropping them to 11-1. San Diego plays the Atlanta Braves, which split with the New York Mets on Monday and enabled both teams to make the postseason as wild cards.

Even with so much attention on the underdogs, the New York Yankees and Dodgers still tend to draw the betting action, especially with casual bettors.

They're the top-seeded teams in their respective leagues and have first-round byes along with Cleveland and the Phillies.

“That would be great for handle if we were to have that World Series,” Biggio said. “If it turns out to be the case this year that the favorites advance, that would be fine with us.”

Three teams are nearly even favorites at BetMGM to win the championship — Dodgers at 13-4 and Yankees and Phillies each at 9-2.

The Astros usually are considered among the top contenders, having appeared in the World Series four times since 2017 with two titles.

But Houston's slow start this season put that club under the radar almost from the beginning, and bettors still aren't paying much attention. The Astros have 9-1 odds at BetMGM.

“I think they're in the ALCS every year, so I think it's worthy of a bet,” Egeland said. “But the public isn't there. If (betting was) legal in Texas, I have a feeling the Astros would be there in the top, but since we're not (in that state), it seems to trend more to the states we're in.”

The Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani and the Yankees' Aaron Judge are the leading candidates to win MVP awards and the same applies to the postseason.

Ohtani is the 17-2 favorite at BetMGM to become the World Series MVP, and Judge is right behind at 25-2. Judge, however, is tied with the Phillies' Bryce Harper.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Aaron Judge waves to fans after the New York Yankees clinched the American League East title, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Austin Barnes (15) congratulates Shohei Ohtani (17) who crosses home plate after hitting a three-run home run off Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Anthony Molina in the sixth inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Houston Astros' Victor Caratini (17) is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a home run in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

The Detroit Tigers celebrate their AL wild card berth after the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Detroit Tigers' Kerry Carpenter celebrates his grand slam against the Chicago White Sox in the fifth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)