AL Central Breakdown

by Ben Barker

Editorial. Photos by AP News

The AL Central is shaping up to provide one of the best division races in all of baseball.

The Twins, White Sox, and Tigers all have legitimate shots at coming out on top and representing the Central in the 2010 playoffs.

Not only that, but the AL Central features some of the best coaching in all of baseball - headed by names like Ron Gardenhire, Jim Leyland and Ozzie Guillen. It features some nice offensive names as well. Joe Mauer anyone?

In the end though, the old cliché will stand strong: “pitching wins championships.” With hurlers such as Justin Verlander, Mark Buerlhe and Zach Greinke, the AL Central will come down to the left and right arms of some of the best in the business.

This is not to suggest that the 2010 World Champion will come out of the Central (because it almost certainly will not), but whichever team can provide most consistent pitching will punch themselves a ticket into the postseason.

2009 Standings 2010 Projected Standings

1. Minnesota Twins 1. Chicago White Sox
2. Detroit Tigers 2. Minnesota Twins

3. Chicago White Sox 3. Detroit Tigers

4. Cleveland Indians 4. Kansas City Royals

5. Kansas City Royals 5. Cleveland Indians

First Round Fever

by Jesse Liebman

Editorial. Photos by AP News

It’s that time of year again: the skates are getting sharpened, the sticks are getting taped and the organist is once again getting ready to get the crowd pumped.

Playoff hockey is in the air, and the quest for Lord Stanley’s Cup is about to begin.

In the east, half of the eight spots for the NHL’s second season have already been locked up. In the west, there are still seven spots available. Nothing is as it seems; however. Some teams only need two or three more points before they’re in. And with roughly seven games left in the season for every team, the race to secure those final playoff sports is going to get even tighter.

In the Eastern Conference, the two teams that look to relax their grip on a playoff spot are the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers have struggled as of late (3-5-2 in their last 10), and the Bruins have struggled with consistency all year. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Thrashers appear poised to return to the playoffs for only the second time in franchise history, and the first since they won the Southeast Division in 2007. The Rangers have a shot, but it will take a phenomenal surge from New York and a monumental collapse from Boston and/or Philly.

Out west, it’s more of a struggle to determine seeding for the current eight teams already in position. Calgary appears to be the only bubble team that even has a chance of sneaking in; when you consider that they were Stanley Cup favorites at the start of the season, it’s hard to justify giving it to them based on their play as of late. They’re still alive, but these Flames will probably be snuffed out.

So, let’s get right to it: if the playoffs ended today, how would the first round look for each conference? Here at Last Call, we’ll try to break down each match-up for the Stanley Cup Quarterfinals. Here's hoping we pick these better than our NCAA brackets.

Not-So Happy Endings

by Ian Tasso

Editorial. Photos by AP News

Endings are supposed to be climactic.

Raised with movies like Scarface and books like the Lord of the Rings, we were taught that an ending is supposed to be glorious. Guns blazing, horns blaring - a finale is supposed to be epic.

Same thing goes for the closing of a sports career. By right, it should be a culmination of a years of work, complete with standing ovations, confetti, horns - the works. 

But the truth is, it rarely works out like that. 

Just ask Allen Iverson, who was recently released by the 76ers, a move that has been figured by most to be a long time coming. Iverson was in the midst of attempting to revitalize his 13 year career, 10 of which were spent annihilating defenses in Philadelphia. 


But after a failed stint in Denver, a mishap in Detroit and a misstep with the Grizzlies, Iverson appears to be done - finally.

Even Michael Jordan, Mr. Basketball himself, ended one of the greatest careers in NBA history with a finale that was far from epic. Jordan left Chicago with every intention of leaving the game, only to return with the Washington Wizards, a sequel that proved to be just as fruitful as The Sandlot 2. 

The same goes for the great Emmit Smith, who after years of punishing defenses with the Cowboys left for Arizona for a year and fizzled to nothing. The list goes on and on - athletes who suffered ends that never came close to doing their careers justice. Cam Neely, Joe Montana, and now Iverson.

As for the city of Boston? We're no stranger to the art of smothered endings. From Drew Bledsoe to Mo Vaughn, Beantown has been the home of many a fizzled career. Here's a look at some standouts.

Behind the Green

by Gabe Souza
Editorial. Photos by AP News

With baseball season here and the buzz of spring training in the air, I thought it might be a good idea to have a refresher course on some A-Rod math.

Alex Rodriguez, the New York Yankees’ third baseman, is the highest paid baseball player in the history of the game. His initial contract with the Texas Rangers in 2000 paid the perennial All-star $250 million over ten years.

But with A-Rod being such a talented phenom – and lest we forget a proven steroid user – the Bronx Bombers decided to reward the former choke-artist with a new contract after his high-output postseason that helped the Yanks clinch their 27^th franchise world series last year.

His new deal is worth $275 million over the next ten years, making his salary for the 2010 season exactly $32 million dollars. That equates to $2,666,666 a month, $615,385 a week, $87,912 a day, $3,663 an hour, $60 a minute and $1 per second. Translate that into everyday living and A-Rod makes $600 for taking a ten-minute shower and almost 30 grand for a good night’s sleep.

By the time number 13 finishes his current contract, his total career earnings will probably sit around $560 million, not including endorsements and commercial advertising.

The guy is rolling in dough. Let’s take a look at a few things he could scrounge up with one year’s salary.

NL East Breakdown

by Tom Nierakda
Editorial. Photos by AP News

This year will be an interesting one for the National League East.

The reigning NL Champion Phillies have poised themselves to continue their dominance, but the other four teams made moves and improvements of their own.

The Mets made a big move in grabbing outfielder Jason Bay from free agency, one that cartainly can’t hurt their power numbers. Meanwhile, the Marlins are a young team, but their underrated starter Ricky Nolasco looks to bounce back after a poor 2009 campaign. Atlanta is the home of the number one hitting prospect in all of baseball in Jason Heyward, and he looks to make an immediate impact being their opening day starter in right field.

And then, of course, there are those Nationals; a team that year in, year out contends for the title of the worst club in baseball. But even the Nats made some moves of their own, drafting the top pitching prospect in baseball in Stephen Strasburg, and are in a great position to do maybe a little bit better than they did last year (but probably not).

2009 Standings                           Projected 2010 Standings                                               

Philadelphia Phillies                              Philadelphia Phillies

Florida Marlins                                      New York Mets

Atlanta Braves                                       Atlanta Braves

New York Mets                                     Florida Marlins

Washington Nationals                           Washington Nationals

Last Call on Air - John Meterparel

March 25, 2010
Tasso, Barker, Liebman
Special Guest: WEEI 850, Dennis and Callahan co-host
John Meterparel

Last Call on Air - Joslyn James

March 25, 2010
Tasso, Barker, Liebman
Special Guest: Adult Film Star, Tiger Woods Mistress
Joslyn James

sextingjoslynjames.com

The Grind Starts Here

by Gabe Souza

Editorial. Photos by Gabe Souza, AP News

FORT MYERS, Fla. – His fingers slowly fumble over the knobs of roughly a dozen baseball bats.

Occasionally he removes one from the stack, carefully and deliberately rubbing the wood grain to determine its worth.

They vary in size and color. Some black, some ashen, some long and some short. He’s in search for the perfect one. The one that will get the job done.

After rejecting many, he finally settles on a tan, 34-inch Louisville Slugger, one that, judging by the marks on its barrel, had seen its far share of hits.

He tests the bat with a few mock swings, nods his head in slight affirmation and steps out of the cool, shady dugout and into the bright sunshine.

The sweet smell of pine tar cuts the air as the batter coats the grip of his bat in the sticky substance.

He double and triple checks the straps on his batting gloves, pops on a helmet and heads toward the batting cage.

It’s three hours before game time at City of Palms Park and Ben Zobrist of the Tampa Bay Rays is preparing for an in-division game vs. the Boston Red Sox later that afternoon.

AL East Breakdown

By Ben Barker

Editorial. Photos by AP News

         The American League East will once again be a two-team race in 2010. The Red Sox and Yankees have both bolstered their teams enough to ensure a tight finish in arguably baseballs strongest division.

The Rays may stick around for a while, but their lack of quality starting pitching puts them too far behind the big markets of Boston and New York. Baltimore and Toronto will end up fighting for a fourth place finish, and the loser may see some changes in their front office.

2009 Standings                                          2010 Projected Standings

1. New York Yankees                                  1. New York Yankees
2. Boston Red Sox                                      2. Boston Red Sox

3. Tampa Bay Rays                                     3. Tampa Bay Rays

4. Toronto Blue Jays                                  4. Baltimore Orioles

5. Baltimore Orioles                                  5. Toronto Blue Jays

Hockey East: A Return to Classic Hockey

By Gabe Souza

Editorial. Photos by AP News

It was refreshing to finally see some good, solid hockey played in the TD Garden this year. And no, I’m not talking about the Bruins’ 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Sunday afternoon.

I’m talking about a tournament that can go overlooked by many, but can create some of the most exciting hockey you’ll find in this country.

Don’t get me wrong. I love watching Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby duke it out in a flurry of wristers, slick passing and un-human-like goals just as much as the next hockey buff.

But it’s not in the NHL where you’ll find the deepest passion for the game. It’s not at the professional level where you find fans rocking their favorite team’s sweaters in the middle of July, talking about what the upcoming season will bring.

It’s in college hockey.

It’s there, in the NCAA, where you’ll find fans jawing non-stop about whose international recruit is better. It’s at the college level where diehard loyalists start to debate whether their number one allegiance is; to their hockey team, or their family.

Working Overtime: Update from the Owner Meetings

by Ian Tasso

Editorial. Photos by AP News

To change, or not to change – that is the question facing the NFL when it comes to the discussion of their current postseason overtime rules at the 2010 National Football League’s owner meetings.

Currently, the rule stands as an immediate sudden death, much like the regular season one: first team to score, wins. Period, no questions asked.

But in light of last year’s New Orleans Saints overtime victory over Brett Favre and the Vikings, there is a proposal swimming around at the meetings that would slightly alter the rule to prevent a team from ousting another in postseason sudden-death format, much like the NHL does with outlawing shootouts in the playoff weeks.

If passed, the new rule would be as such: coin-toss decides who receives the ball first, much like it does now. Should that team drive down and score a touchdown, the game is over, and they are the victor. But should they either not score or record just a field goal, the other team has a chance to either tie or win the game. If they simply tie the score, the process repeats.

The new proposal would require 24 votes from a pool of 32 owners, a 75 percent approval benchmark, one that according to the Washington Post, might prove too high to reach.

Red Sox Week in Review, 3/14-3/21

by Ian Tasso
Editorial. Photos by AP News

If spring training is supposed to be any indication of impending success – then this certainly isn’t a good sign.

As the month of March winds down and opening day fast approaches, MLB teams all across Florida and Arizona are putting the finishing touches on what has been a fast few weeks of preparation for the upcoming 162 game grind.

And for the Red Sox, that means pinpointing some of the kinks in the armor – as painful as it’s been to watch.

Since last Sunday, when the Sox defeated the Minnesota Twins 6-4, Boston has been reeling, dropping five in a row before salvaging the week with a 6-0 victory over the division rival Orioles yesterday afternoon.

But even the Sunday’s win didn’t come easy, as Boston fell down 3-0 in the first inning, before scoring six runs in two innings to take the lead, and the win. For Boston it was the familiar faces of Dustin Pedroia (2-3), Kevin Youkilis (2-3) and Jacoby Ellsbury (1-3) who each drove in one run apiece, helping the Sox grab their ninth win of the spring behind a solid show from the bullpen.

At the time, Boston was near the top of the Grapefruit League standings.

Oh, what a difference a week can make.

NY Mets Week in Review: 3/15-3/22

by Jesse Liebman

Editorial. Photos by AP News

It seems that for the better part of the decade, the New York Mets found new and inventive ways to lose on an almost daily basis. Last year was more of the same. Not to mention the fact that the roster was decimated by injuries, and manager Jerry Manuel was forced to rely on a number of young call-ups from the minors.

But a new season brings new optimism; at least, it should. There are still a lot of uncertainties facing New York as they prepare for Opening Day down in Port St. Lucie, especially the guys who will be taking the mound.

If the Mets brass has done its homework, the team may finally be able to answer the questions surrounding the bullpen-by-committee that is the Mets’ pitching staff.

The big story this week was the spring debut of closing pitcher Francisco Rodriguez, who threw seven pitches to retire the St. Louis Cardinals and earned the victory after Angel Pagan hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to seal the 6-5 win.

Darnell Dockett, Arizona Cardinals, On the Phone

March 21, 2010
Tasso
Special Guest: Arizona Cardinals, Defensive End, #90
Darnell Dockett

The Return Game

by Ian Tasso

Editorial. Photos by AP News

It didn’t take very long – three months and five days to be exact – but Tiger Woods is finally back.

On March 15, 2010, the troubled superstar formally announced that he will be making his return to the game of golf during this years’ Masters tournament, held April 8-11. It’s an announcement that was anticipated by some, expected by most but no doubt heard by all.

And that’s because for the greater part of the past three months, the news wire has been filled with Tiger’s name. It all started on that fateful night when he was pulled from his 2009 Cadillac SUV after striking a fire hydrant, and it only got worse from then on.

All sorts of accusations stemmed from the crash – many proven to be true, but all lending a hand in Tiger’s fall from grace. Now, after being linked sexually with as many as 20 women, his legacy has been tarnished, his image shattered and his life changed forever.

But he’s back. He’s back where he belongs.