COHEN'S CORNER SPORTS

--> By Michael Cohen Courtesy of the CountySeat The sound of baseballs hitting leather can be heard popping throughout Yogi Berra Stadium on a warm Monday morning as the New Jersey Jackals baseball team is busy preparing for the start of its 2014 season. For pitcher Isaac Pavlik, a Parmaus, New Jersey native, and Seton Hall graduate, this Spring Training has been extra special for him. Last summer Pavlik tore his ACL while trying to cover first base on a ground ball to first baseman Chris Duffy, and was lost for the season. LISTEN TO JACKALS BASEBALL HERE ! For Pavlik, a guy who is the longest tenured member of the Jackals, this will be his 10 th season with the club, owns many Jackals team records in wins (72), strikeouts (777) and games pitched (182). He called the injury a humbling experience he’ll never forget. “I remember it like it was like yesterday,” Pavlik said while working out at Yogi Berra Stadium. “I got my hands on a video of my injury; it ...

METS 12 / YANKEES 6 The renaissance for the New York Mets offense continued with another outstanding performance by just about everyone in the Mets lineup as New York pounded the cross town Yankees 12-6 on ten very hard and powerful hits. The Mets feasted on a beat up starting rotation and a bullpen so beleaguered that it makes the Mets pen look fantastic, as Daniel Murphy , David Wright and Curtis Granderson put on a show in the Bronx. The Mets, who belted four homers in the opener of this series, kept pouring it on Tuesday night jump-started by a four run first inning, highlighted by Granderson's three run blast to right. Granderson has recieved a lot of flack from Mets fans for his pedestrian batting average this season, but a return to his old stomping grounds has lit a charge into the right fielder.  In the two games at Yankee Stadium, Granderson is hitting .500 (4-of-8) with two homers and five RBI, raising his average over the Mendoza Line. His homer gave the Mets a ...

RANGERS 2/PENGUINS 1 NYR win series 4-3 The New York Rangers completed a comeback that nobody would have thought would ever happen. Trailing the heavily favored Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1 in their best of seven second round series, the Rangers stormed back to win the final three games of the series to win it and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. A combination of factors pushed the Rangers over the top. Obviously on the ice, their power play improved, and Henrik Lundqvist was incredible from Games 5-7, stopping 102 of 105 shots that came his way. Maybe the teams rallying behind Martin St. Louis, who lost his mother this week played a big role in the emotional factor. The Rangers didn't let the pressure of playing on the road in a Game 7 deter them, as Brian Boyle scored on a wrist shot 5:25 into the first period to give the Rangers an initial 1-0 lead. After Pittsburgh tied it in the second period, the Rangers took the lead for good when Brad Richards scored on a powe...

The Mets have told their fans for four plus years to be patient and wait, wait and wait, and so far they have seen very little in return. Instead it has been pretty much the same old same old with regard to the Mets, a team littered with underachieving ball players, and almost no hope in sight. Yet it appears now that GM Sandy Alderson is ready to listen to those calls for the club to call up its top prospects and play them at the major league level, and not a moment too soon. The Mets bullpen has been a belegured mess for too long; once Bobby Parnell's implosion and injury happened on Opening Day everything other reliever succumbed to incredible mediocrity.  Too many times this year the Mets have watched the likes of Kyle Farnsworth and Jose Valverde blow saves. Too many times the Mets have seen their middle relief falter. The Mets are tied for second in the Majors in blown saves with eight, while ranked 27th in the league in saves with seven. It is time to make a change, an...

It has been a rough start to 2014 for the Yankees, they just can't seem to stay healthy for a very long period of time. From Ivan Nova to Michael Pineda to Mark Tiexiera and now, CC Sabathia. Sabathia was placed on the 15-day DL by New York on Sunday with inflammation in his right knee. In a season that has become epidemic for solid starting pitchers to hit the DL after a number of rough outings, Sabatahia is the latest to hit the list. Sabathia came into this season having lost a noticeable amount of weight and avoided questions that he is getting too old, and may have lost a step or two from the ace he once was. Well, so far in 2014, he has completely lost that ace title. With a 3-4 record and a 5.28 ERA, he looks both lost and a shadow of the pitcher he once was. Perhaps the knee has been an issue all along. According to reports Sabathia has said as much that he kept quiet about the injury becuase he felt a responsiblity to pitch with so many teammates going down for the c...

It has been the most talked about NFL draft in some time and on an eventful first night that saw a few surprises, former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel stole the spotlight. Talked up by many to be the "best" quarterback in the draft inspite of his size, 5'11", and his very thin frame, everyone was going gaga for Manziel. Just about every team was linked with a scenario to get the rookie QB, and those scenarios all fell by the wayside as each pick slipped past into the night. The fact Manziel dropped like a stone in this draft, as many thought he could, is not much of a surprise. The Texans took Jadeveon Clowney with the first pick of the draft; Clowney is easily the most talented player in this draft. The Jaguars stunned a few when the selected Blake Bortles at number three. I like this pick, Bortles is Central Florida kid, who gives Jacksonville a face and a quarterback with a good pedigree. Later the Browns stunned everyone when they traded the num...

HEAT 107/NETS 86 This was not even close. When Deron Williams hit a long three pointer to end the first half bringing the Nets back to within three points of the Miami Heat, it was easy to think Brooklyn had a chance in Game 1. That was until two of Miami's Big Three turned the game into a total blowout by the third quarter. To say that Chris Bosh and LeBron James dominated the Nets in the second half would be an understatement. They destroyed them. Bosh's monster three pointer, and layup with 6:30 to play in the third quarter gave Miami a 61-54 lead, and the momentum would only build from there. The Nets never came close again as they watched the Heat have their way in a 107-86 blowout in Game 1. It was a disapointing night, but maybe not an unexpected one. The Heat had come off of eight days rest, while Brooklyn had only one day off, a travel day from Toronto to Miami. But there are no excuses in the NBA playoffs. This was the team the Nets wanted to emulate. This ...

There is a reason why Phil Jackson should not jump with both feet in so quickly into the pool for Steve Kerr. There are too many potential head coaches out there who could get fired or become available in the next few weeks as the playoffs continue. One of those potential chips fell when Mark Jackson was fired by the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, after winning 51 games and taking the team to the playoffs for the second straight season. Jackson's firing has more to do with his inability to get along with the front office, than with his players. The players loved playing for him, but ownership had other ideas. The controversy stems from the removal of two of Jackson's assistants, Brian Scalabrine and Darren Erman, which escalated rumors that Jackson was in trouble. Scalabrine was fired without Jackson consulting ownership first. Erman was caught taping conversations that reportedly illustrate that Jackson was trying to undermine him. Erman was fired. So, even though the...

NETS 97 / RAPTORS 83 Series tied 3-3 Coming off of Wednesday's disappointing effort in Toronto, the Nets left nothing to chance in Game 6, playing loose and fast for seemingly the entire contest as they blew away the Raptors 97-83. It was like the Nets were playing at Mach 3, while the Raptors were stuck in neutral for the entire night; Brooklyn not only knew they couldn't afford to lose this game, they played up to the challenge, while Toronto grew flustered by it. Deron Williams, who has been invisible all series, was tremendous for the Nets when they needed him to be. Williams cashed in on 8-of-16 shooting for 23 points and five boards. He was especially aggressive from long distance hitting four of ten shots from behind the arch. It was Williams 25-foot three pointer with 6:28 to go in the first quarter that gave the Nets a 14-8 lead that seemed to turn the tied for Brooklyn, who would never look back again. Everytime a player in a while and black jersey touched the...