Wednesday Links: Sox shift focus to starting rotation

With the signings of Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval squared away, the Red Sox can now shift their focus to retooling the top of the starting rotation. As has been the case the entire offseason, Boston seems poised to bring back their former home grown starter...

Friday Links: The calm before the storm?

After extending an offer to Jon Lester, and hosting Pablo Sandoval earlier this week, all was quiet on Yawkey Way on Thursday. The team appears to be in holding pattern of both free agents while Lester visits other clubs, and Sandoval gauges his market. Yesterday we...

3 Up 3 Down Says It’s Time for a Reality Check

  Maybe you are one of the optimistic Red Sox fans who believes this 2014 team has a second half run in them. You argue that despite being a season worst ten games under .500, the team is actually only nine games out of first place. You remind your fellow fans that...

State of the Boston Red Sox: Win Streak Hits Seven, Young Players Getting the Job Done

The Boston Red Sox are now 27-29 on the season after a perfect 7-0 week. The win on Monday ended a 10-game losing streak in which the Red Sox pitching was subpar and the hitting with runners in scoring position barely happened. Over the past week, the Red Sox pitching...

2014 Free Agent Class: Possible Red Sox Reunions

The 2014 offseason is officially underway. The Red Sox don’t figure to be the big players in free agency this year that they were before the 2013 season, but depending on which players leave and which players stay, there will still be a few holes to fill. You’ll see...

Proven Closers Need Not Apply

The stress of the playoffs is killing me.  Everything from Tim McCarver and Joe Buck droning on about the most ridiculous of narratives; Farrell’s insistence on starting Jonny Gomes over Daniel Nava when facing right handed starting pitching (the last two nights...

Fire Brand 2013 Postseason Predictions

Back in March of this year, the Fire Brand writers got together and submitted their 2013 Preseason Predictions. Well, in short, they weren’t pretty. And, quite frankly, preseason baseball predictions usually are not accurate, evidenced by 4 of the 7 writers at...

2013 Fire Brand of the American League Staff Predictions

Fire Brand readers, below are the staff’s predictions for the 2013 MLB Season. While there is a very good chance many of these will be incorrect, it will make all of you proud to note that not a single writer picked the Yankees to make the playoffs. Some...

PEDs in Major League Baseball: When Will It End?

Like many of you, I grew up with Lance Armstrong as one of my select few heroes. Every June, for seven straight years (1999-2005), I would watch Lance throttle his Tour de France competition into submission. He was a cancer survivor, philanthropist, PED-less cyclist,...