Fireside Chats #61: Where we are the champions….errr…wild card my friends

[podcast]http://360thepitch.com/firebrand/61_10_1_09_firesidechats.mp3[/podcast]

Paul and I catch up after a week off with the end of the regular season looming. The Red Sox have clinched and instead of painfully breaking down the teams' miserable performance in these "exhibition games", we look forward with initial thoughts to another match up with the Anaheim...Los Angeles Angels in the ALDS. All after, of course, a little prayer for Jon Lester and Josh Beckett's health.

All that and more on Episode #60 of Fireside Chats on MVN!

PAUL TESTA ON CSNNE’S “THE BASEBALL SHOW”

Fireside Chat's very own Paul Testa hit up The Baseball Show this week at Comcast Sports Net. Here's the video for those of you who may have missed it.

Enjoy!

Deadline Darlings: Bay vs. Martinez

For two consecutive seasons, Theo Epstein and the Boston Red Sox front office have made a splash on the infamous "Deadline Day". His shrewd ability to assess his team and aggressively make maneuvers to address any weaknesses or "fatal flaws" has been well documented and proven out year over year.

The question I pose to you all today, is who was larger impact on their respective teams in the year of their deadline day acquisition; Jason Bay in 2008 or Victor Martinez in 2009?

Of course much of VMart's story is still to be written and Bay's success last post-season places a high bar against which Martinez will be measured, but there is certainly enough of a sample between July 31 and today from which to engage the conversation.

20/20 Vision

A few years back, I was introduced to a simple site on the Internet that gave me a different and useful lens on the baseball season. Doug's Stats (www.dougstats.com) looks much like it did the day I stumbled on it in 2003. It hasn't gotten a Web 2.0 facelift, there are no fancy charts or running commentary. In fact, most of the stats can be gotten from any sports site with a "stats" tab in their MLB section. But there was one link on the front door of Doug's home on the Internet that grabbed my attention.

The Turning Point, The Injury Front, and Sleep Tremors

The Turning Point

There's no better way to enter the playoffs than on a hot streak, unless, of course, your opponent is reeling in defeat.

The ninth inning of last night's game must have put a real damper on the spirit in the Los Angeles clubhouse. After reclaiming their lead in the ninth against the unhittable, untouchable Daniel Bard, the Sox were able to steal the victory away when closer Brian Fuentes unraveled with one out to go.

As David Ortiz walked to the plate in the ninth against a left-handed Fuentes, hearts were simultaneously dropping all over New England. Two outs, down one, no one on, and Ortiz hasn't been able to touch lefties since 1945. The game was all but over...

Fireside Chats #60: Where we count chickens before they hatch all episode long and love it

The playoffs are right around the corner aren't they? Cause if they aren't then we might be a little bit ahead of ourselves. At least were not too conceded to think we still have a chance to catch the Yankees, even if my Daisuke-fueled bravado may have called the Red Sox the favorites to win the World Series. Ok...maybe we did include a "glimmer" of hope at the division still.

We talk rotation, Daisuke's return, Buchholz' emergence, the confidence in the offense and do some advanced scouting of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

All that and more on Episode #60 of Fireside Chats on MVN!

Fireside Chats #59: Where we write off the Rays, the hopes of the division, and Jonathan Papelbon’s long term future in Boston

The Red Sox got the two out of three wins in Tampa that we talked about last episode, and proceeded to meet doom in Chicago at the hands of "the Revenge of Kotsay". Net/net, the Rangers are still in the wild card hunt and aren't going anywhere. Paul and I break down the Red Sox castoffs and in season additions and give Theo and team a positive in season grade with this team built for the post-season (should they get there). All that just primes us for the big finish, where Paul nearly convinces me that trading Jonathan Papelbon in the offseason is the right thing for the franchise in a "Seymour-esque" way.

All that and more on Episode #59 of Fireside Chats on MVN!

Fireside Chats #58: Where we prepare for a statement series in Tampa Bay

The Red Sox have put a nice run together and now stare down a series that we all circled as an important one back in April. They have the rare opportunity in sports to go for the kill. The question before us however, is do they have the killer instinct?

All that and more on Episode #57 of Fireside Chats on MVN!

Poll: Which arm will have the greatest impact on September?

Fireside Chats #57: Where we dip into the Mad Dog for a little relief

Sorry for the lack of shows recently, a vacation followed by a week with a fever eerily similar to Jason Varitek's batting average knocked me out of commission. But we are back and ready for the stretch run! We talk playoff chances, hurdles in the Red Sox way of making it there, key players that need to step up on the way home and more. And we welcome, for the first time, a very special guest long known for his ability to scream into a "Mike" and talk sports...."Mad Dog" (our very own version at least).

All that and more on Episode #57 of Fireside Chats on MVN!