Fireside Chats #68: Where we welcome Mr. Lackey and Mr. Cameron to the family

Wow...that was an unexpected flurry of activity. Join Paul and I as we break down the day during which the 2010 Boston Red Sox started to take serious shape. Are the Red Sox better this year than they were last season? Are they better than the Yankees? What does this mean for Matt Holliday and Jason Bay? or Josh Beckett or Adrian Gonzalez? So many answers today, yet as many questions. Thankfully we have Fire Brand contributor Troy Patterson on the line to help us dig into the action for the day. All that and more on this episode of Fireside Chats after the jump.

Fireside Chats #67: Where Day 1 of the Winter Meetings is recapped

You couldn't possibly think that the Red Sox could resign Kason Gabbard without us weighing in on all things "Day One of the Winter Meetings" could you? Gabbard, Atchison, the other guy and more...the news out of Indy is flying! All that and more on this episode of Fireside Chats after the jump.

Fireside Chats #66: Where we celebrate a Happy Arbitration Day with the sizzle of the hot stove

Happy Arbitration Day and welcome back to Fireside Chats. Paul and I had taken a little break as we enjoyed the lull in baseball activity between the "World Series that shall not be remembered" and the official beginning of the active hot stove season, Arbitration Day. But have no fear, we spend an hour rehashing everything from potential trade targets (Adrian Gonzalez & Roy Halladay) to recent departures (Alex Gonzalez) to things that we can't let die (Mark Teixeira) in hopes that we stumble upon at least one strategy that puts the Red Sox back in that "top 1%" again as a World Series contender in 2010. All that and more on this episode of Fireside Chats after the jump.

Fireside Chats #65: Where we analyze the blueprints and lay out all the options

This week is a podcast of never-ending possibility. There are no wrong ideas, only bad ones, as Paul and I work through Evan, Mike and I's three part offseason blueprint to turn the 2010-2014 Boston Red Sox into multiple World Series winners. Oh...and as if it needed to be said, Paul tells us why he hopes the Phillies sweep the World Series. All that and more on this episode of Fireside Chats after the jump.

Fireside Chats #64: Where we put the 2009 Red Sox out to pasture

Paul and I take a little time to wallow in the misery that was the end of the Red Sox season. You'll find a little bit of ALDS analysis, at least as much as we can muster, along with a look back at the 2009 season as a whole. We'll give out our MVP award as well as talk about our goats of 2009. All that and more on this episode of Fireside Chats after the jump...

Fireside Chats #63: Where we lick our wounds and call for the wolf

Episode #63 Hosts: Paul Testa, Tim Daloisio Guests: none Ok. Game One is now nothing but a distant memory. Join Paul and I as we take a quick look back at Game One, but more importantly a look forward at Game Two as we call for the Wolf (Josh Beckett) to come clean things up in Anaheim. All that and more on this episode of Fireside Chats after the jump...

Fireside Chats #62: Where we prime the pump for the ALDS

Episode #62 Hosts: Paul Testa, Tim Daloisio Guests: Peter Abraham, Boston.com The playoffs are finally upon us! Paul and I beat the "series preview horse" to over the head a few more times and call on the esteemed Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe and Boston.com to help us out. *editors note - Joe Haggerty was kind enough to come on with us as well, only to have his interview lost in the netherworlds on the Internet. Joe will never get those twenty minutes of his life back, so for that....we apologize. Both Paul and I see the series going four games and sending the Red Sox off to face the Yankees in the ALCS. Find out why on this episode of Fireside Chats.

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!

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!