That’s Club Baseball for You

http://youtube.com/watch?v=1Xc93GOxrfw

Within the first year of Emmanuel College going co-ed, the Athletics Department began to immediately implement various men’s varsity sports teams. A brand new gymnasium was built to sustain two varsity basketball teams; coaches were brought in to lead the newly instated men’s soccer, basketball and volleyball teams. As Emmanuel’s men’s teams have grown more in popularity the funding continues to increase.
Not all are happy though. The Emmanuel College Club Baseball team has been wildly successful in their league over the past two years, and were crowned league Champions in the fall of 2006. However not many students are even aware of the club’s existence. The general assumption was that after a few successful trail seasons, the club would be granted proper funding in order to make the jump to the varsity level.
It has not happened yet, and looks as though it could even be a few more years until Emmanuel has an official Men’s Varsity Baseball team.
Practices are often held at 11:00 p.m., the only time available due to the priority granted to all the varsity level teams. Late practices with inadequate equipment proved to be too much for some members. “It became really inconvenient. When you’re taking five classes, working, and living off campus, an 11:00 practice becomes very difficult to attend. You have to pick your priorities, if you are not getting any respect as a team, it’s tough to stay enthused about what you are doing,” said a former member of the club.
Despite the negligence of the Athletic Department to make any real stride to speeding up the process, the club finds ways to rend support from friends, enjoy the camaraderie of the team and the competitiveness of the league.
“We have a lot of fun. We don’t take ourselves two seriously, but we still maintain have a competitive attitude,” said junior catcher and captain, Holt Pagano.
A perfect insight to Emmanuel’s neglected club was documented on April 15th when Emmanuel College took on rival club Northeastern. The showdown was a rematch of last year’s championship game, when Emmanuel took home the gold with a 9-6 victory.
The footage seeks to provide the Emmanuel community with a taste of the club’s attitude, and hopefully spark more talk about the club making the switch to Varsity.
The game proved to be the most competitive outing the team has been involved with all year. Junior Tyler Norton took the mound for the Saints to start the game and went 6 innings strong only surrendering two runs. The Saints hit well all night and tacked on two runs of their own with sophomore Greg Mathews scoring Andy Crawford from third, and sophomore Jordan Steverman stealing home on a ball four pass ball.
With the game tied 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh (the final inning), freshman pitcher Pat Dillion came in to provide relief for Norton. Pat was lights out, surrendering the Huskies in order, while striking out the Huskies’ final batter.
With both teams ready to head into extra innings, the home plate umpire called the game due to conditions outside the players’ control. As it turns out that the lights at Jim Rice field would turn off before a clear victor could immerge. That’s club baseball for you.
Emmanuel being the home team, it is their responsibility to provide a field for the game. The lack of funding gives the club very little options, and disappointing results such as Tuesday night’s game, are often the outcome.
“Tuesdays night’s game proved that we are ready to compete at a Division Three Varsity level. Northeastern is a very good team and we always play well against them. I feel like we are being pushed aside. We have very little support from the administration and the Athletic Department, which is frustrating. I have also heard rumors of a Men’s Tennis team starting next year, which is just an insult to us. We have been proving ourselves for about two years now just to get skipped over in order to make room for tennis. It doesn’t make sense to me.” Junior Steve Stoeher shares his opinions on the matter. Stoeher was an integral part in Tuesday night’s win, pinch hitting in the seventh inning and providing a base hit the represented the tying run.
Club manager and sponsor Trent Pinto remains enthusiastic about the future of the club.
“I think our involvement, and success, in the New England Club Baseball Association has really put Emmanuel Baseball on the map. We have outside teams such as BU, Yale, UConn, Lasell, and Mount Ida always trying to schedule spring games with us because they know we have a strong and growing program. In the 2 seasons that we have been associated with the NECBA we have seen the league grow from 5 teams to a possible 12-15 next season. And to have won that league by beating a powerhouse school like Northeastern, certainly shines a bright light on not only EC Baseball, but Emmanuel College as a whole,” said Pinto. One worry for the seniors on the cub is a matter of future leadership. The club started two years ago under the guidance and leadership of then seniors Rocky Piccirillo, Mike Zakarian, and Dan Campagna. Now that they have moved on upperclassmen Dan Palazzo, Holt Pagano, and Tyler Norton have assumed leadership positions.
“I hope this club can sustain the enthusiasm and competitiveness in the coming years. I’m graduating in May and would love nothing more than to come back and see a mature, quality team when I visit,” said Captain first basemen Dan Palazzo.
Despite the disappointing outcome of Tuesday night, the Saints maintain a loose attitude. The bus ride back to school was full of smiles and laughs, and shoulda-coulda-wouldas. That’s club baseball for you.

I Am Sorry

Dear J.D.,

I’d like to apologize for all the awful things I said to you last year when I was sitting in the bleachers.  It was tough seeing my man Trot leave, so maybe I was a little biased, but that wasn’t fair to you.  I know it is not easy playing in Boston, and it is people like me that spark such bad media attention.

I’ve been feeling this way ever since you hit that beautiful grand slam in Game 6 of the ALCS.  It has been eating me up in side now that you’re off to a great start. I feel like I never got to meet the real J.D. I wish I hadn’t listened to all those haters.  You have taught me a great lesson Mr. Drew.  I will now give every Red Sox newcomer two years before I belittle them.

Keep up the effort and the great BA and maybe I’ll drop $20 for your tee shirt by the end of the season, but tell your boy Buchholz to shape up.  Last year counted as one season and I don’t care how hot his girlfriend is.

Sincerely,

Zach Michonski

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

National Champs

The Kansas Jayhawks are National Champions. Last night’s game was easily one of the best of the Tournament, ending in a thrilling over time victory for Kansas. The game consisted of over ten lead changes, with the largest lead of seven points held by Memphis with under ten minutes to go in the second half. The Jayhakws battled back and hit crucial three pointers late in the game, despite struggling from beyond the arc all night.

The heavily criticized Tiger’s free throw percentage had improved drastically in the Tournament, Increasing by over 20%. However their achilles heal snapped under pressure as they failed to close out the game in regulation missing critical shots from the line.

Give credit to both teams for an excellent competive battle. They were a blast to watch all Tournament.

 

By Marcus Barbagallo 

Beantown Brothers

 

Two long lost brothers have been reunited in Boston and it didn’t take any help from Oprah.

 

The other night, while watching the Bruins and taking care of some homework, I looked at the television for a split second and thought I saw Dustin Pedroia on skates.  Then I quickly realized it was Bruin’s center, Phil Kessel.  Does anyone else think that these two look alike?  Some people look at me like I am crazy, others see it and agree. 

 

Who’s the little brother?  Who wins the front seat battle in Mom’s mini van? Take away Dustin’s bat and my money is on Phil.

 

By Zach Michonski

Around the World in One Week

So my counterpart Zach has obviously cought a serious case of the ‘baseball bug’. Let’s face it, there are very few of us sports fans out there who are not excited. But while we wait patiently for the Sox home opener next week, I want to quickly analyze some of the MLB’s motives. Why is it that our beloved team traveled to the opposite side of the world last week to play a league game, only to come back and play a three game exhibition serious against the Dodgers? Traveling is exhausting. Traveling around the world to plain three baseball games is just play unecessary. Why do they do it? Because it brings in money from foreign markets. I know the dollar sucks Roger (and you too Theo), but at least let the defending World Champions open their season in their own country

 Marcus Barbagallo

Boston’s March Madness Continues Through April

Its time to kill those winter blues in Boston once and for all. 

The 2007 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox are back in town. Their season opens at Fenway Park on April 8^th.  Picking up right where the party ended last October, Red Sox Nation will fill into the Fenway area bellowing their anti-Yankee chants.  That beautiful sound will continue throughout the first weekend-home-series as the Evil Empire makes their way into Beantown for round one.

Cross town, in the North End, the TD Bank North Garden will be amped with a playoff atmosphere that has been absent for the last few years.  However, the Celtic’s dominating “Boston Three Party” and company will do their best to make up for lost time.  The Bruins currently sit in the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot.    It will be a sprint to the finish, but if a playoff birth is clinched (Knock on Wood) the Bruins have the talent and the will power to make a deep and exciting playoff run.

On April 21^st the festivities will continue with Marathon Monday.  The excitement of the 112 year old Boston Marathon grows each year.  College kids and business men and woman will slip out of their offices and classes to grab a pint and cheer on the finishers.

So, call up the crew, grab that vintage Celtics jersey, and gear up for a month long party in Boston.  The thrills over the next month will set the tone for the summer and wipe away everyone’s winter misery. 

By Zach Michonski

March Madness

It has arrived. The lull of the American sports world has finally come to an end. Championship week has come and gone and has left many of us begging for more. Who is going to take it this year? Are there any Cinderella stories to be told? Which match-up will provide the biggest upset? All beautiful questions waiting to be answered, analyzed, and assessed.

Marcus Barbagallo

P.S. I like Georgetown, but thats me

Patriots Secondary Continues To Grow Thin

After fielding one of the best teams in NFL history, The New England Patriots continue to see veteran after veteran leave to pursue careers elsewhere.

The secondary has taken the biggest hit so far. Eugene Wilson, veteran Patriot’s CB, signed a one year $1.8 million deal with the Tampa Buccaneers.

Wilson accounts for the third defensive back the Pats have lost since free agency began a few weeks ago.  New England has yet to make any successful moves to fill at least one of these holes.

It looks as though they are looking to the upcoming NFL draft in order to secure a solid player for their depleted secondary.

Coughlin Gets Long Term Contract

Giants Coach Tom Coughlin just signed a four year extension deal that will keep him in New York for four more seasons. Coughlin’s deal is worth $21 million, placing him among the highest paid coaches in the NFL.

Coughlin’s  extension was inevitable when the Giants clinched a play off birth back in December, but after after taking his team to the Super Bowl to defeat the previously undefeated Patriots, Coughlin earned himself the security of a long term deal.

Generation NeXt

 

Wednesday night, the two beasts of the East, the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons, squared off for round three of the season series.  Kevin Garnett had 31 points and Paul Pierce led his team, like a true captain, to a twelve point victory, but neither of them were the game’s X-factors.

                                                                                            

The monster in the paint, Kendrick Perkins, finished the game with 20 rebounds and 10 points.  His efforts and success are often overshadowed by the Big Three, but without his presence tonight’s outcome could have been much different.

The other key element was the brave second year player, out of Kentucky, Rajon Rondo.  Whether he was dishing it aside or taking it hard to the hoop, his valiant efforts created major defensive obstacles for the Detroit Pistons.  “He has grown up,” said Paul Pierce, after the game.  His ability to take control and command the floor takes a lot of the attention and pressure off of Pierce, Garnett, and Allen.

The talent and leadership of the Big Three have made the Celtics a prime contender, but it is the efforts from role players such as Perkins and Rondo that will take this team all the way.

Zach Michonski