Fireside Chats #40: Where we celebrate Opening Day and talk Rays with DRaysBay.com

The 2009 season is finally upon us and we celebrate a win over those pesky Rays by taunting the very bloggers that cover them. Old friends of the show Tommy and Erik were kind enough not to back out of an appearance after the loss today to talk about the 2009 Rays and give us some perspective as we watch this team in action over the next few days.

Of course, we couldn't let the show go without reminiscing fondly over C.C. Sabbathia's first start in a Yankee uniform. While we don't expect him to throw $800k stinkers out there every start, we do think that the Yankees bullpen on the road to Rivera is wrought with potholes.

All that and more on Episode #40 of Fireside Chats on MVN!

Fireside Chats #39: Where we preview the East, talk ourselves into Sheff, and learn from Dylan

The next time we all get together and talk, there will be actual baseball going on (thank you lord, the Spring has been the death of me). While Paul and I go out on a limb and agree that the O's and Jays will struggle this year, our opinions on the AL East Champions differs. Find out who proclaims Yankees as the favorites in our AL East preview segment.

We recap the Madness and come away convinced that Jacoby Ellsbury might not only win this thing, but that he might be the most important player on the Red Sox this season.

Gary Sheffield's been released in Detroit...could he? could we? nah....or could we? Maybe Sheff as a Sox isn't as far fetched an idea as you might think.

If you stick with us until the end, Dylan from CA tells us why he thinks Mike Lowell could and will be the surprise performer in Boston in 2009. Dylan, shoot me an email at tdaloisio [@] gmail.com with your contact info so I can arrange a shirt from our friends at the Red Seat. Listen Now!!!

Fireside Chats #38: Where Paul & Tim sit back and listen to the experts, Will Carroll and Jeff Goldberg

It's a star studded episode of Fireside Chats as we first welcome Jeff Goldberg who tells us why he thinks Big Papi is going to be swinging a big stick this year and how Jon Lester's contract extension could be the best of the Sox offseason moves. Jeff, a career newspaper journalist with the Hartford Courant before they made some deep cuts in the sports department last year, also gives us a candid look at where the media landscape. It doesn't look bright for the newspaper industry.

From newspapers we turn the conversation to injuries and who better to talk to than Will Carroll from Baseball Prospectus. He is the injury expert (I've given second thought to using the word guru - thanks Will) and he tells us why we shouldn't rely on Brad Penny, not to fear for Mike Lowell or David Ortiz, and that if Julio Lugo is half the woman that Mary Lou Retton is, he'll be back on the field in short order (you'll have to listen to understand the reference). All that and a new t-shirt contest after the jump!

Win a “Welcome to Fenway” t-shirt from The Red Seat

I think our friends at The Red Seat have summed it up perfectly;

"From the outside it looks like a warehouse. Then you go inside and come up the ramp and BAM! it hits you square in the face. The wall, the light, the green - it's like no other ballpark."

So here's your chance to live up to the words on the front of their "Welcome to Fenway" t-shirt ("You never forget your first time") and win one while your at it.

Just call into the the Fireside Chats hotline at 641-715-3900 (extension 57843) and leave us your first reaction to Fenway Park. Heck, we'll even open it up to your best experience in Fenway Park.

The best story will be played on the air during next weeks show and the caller will win a "Welcome to Fenway" shirt and be eligible to win The Red Seats' 2009 release. All our moles can dig up is that it features a certain AL MVP.

You have until Tuesday afternoon to place your calls.

Fireside Chats #37: Where we get the goods from the Red Seat and talk long term contracts

Spring Training brings out the best in Paul and I as we go into the rolodeck for a special guest, one of our favorite apparel producers in Red Sox Nation, Chris from The Red Seat.

But before we talk t-shirts, we talk contracts. Spurred on by the good "news" of Jon Lester's "reported" contract extension, we talk long term contracts. We wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't an extension in the works for closer, Jonathan Papelbon. Not that he wouldn't be deserving, we make the case that it's not in either sides' best interest. Plus, have you seen Daniel Bard pitch this spring?

As you prepare for your Fenway Park wardrobe this summer, look no further than our friends at The Red Seat (http://www.theredseat.com). Chris tells us about his company and where they come up with their great designs. I still think they missed a best seller in a Manny shirt, but their repertoire of t-shirts rivals that of Dice-K's pitches.

Chris was kind enough to offer up some shirts as giveaways to Fireside Chats listeners over the next four weeks as we prepare for Opening Day. But we are going to make you earn it. Next week, we'll be giving out one Red Seat t-shirt to the caller (yes you have to call in and leave a voice mail - the number's below) who best describes their first Fenway Park experience. Paul and I will select the best narration to win a Red Seat original t-shirt.

Fireside Chats #36: Where we get the On the DL with Dan Levy while hoping JD Drew stays off it

You didn't really think that we were going to talk another hour of spring training baseball did you? We only spend 15 minutes on the spring before moving On the DL. Thats just about as much playing time as J.D. Drew before his first trip there himself. But seriously, Paul's a little worried about Drew and what that could mean for the team if he were to miss any extended time this season.

We're happy to have Dan Levy from one of the fastest growing sports podcasts on the web, the On the DL Podcast, as this week's guest. Dan's a Phillies fan and a baseball enthusiast. We cover topics from his recent guest, poker celebrity Annie Duke, to why the northeast pumps out the most passionate fans (it's the traffic stupid). And, oh yeah, we mix in a little baseball talk.

Fireside Chats #35: Where we touch all the bases with Chad Finn from Boston.com and really…Julio Lugo?

With all quiet in Camp Tranquility down in Fort Myers, FL, we dig into the bag of tricks and call on Chad Finn from Boston.com to bring some fresh perspective. Whether it's talking about your favorite Red Sox players of all time or ranking the 2009 team by importance from 25 down to 1, there's never a shortage of Red Sox angles to talk about when Chad's around.

And, oh yeah, are there really "Julio Lugo will be the starting shortstop" rumors floating around these parts? Say it ain't so...

Fireside Chats #34: Where we take some Hacks with Haggs and channel the supernatural ability of Gary Tuck

Fireside Chats is bringing you live reports from Fort Myers, FL and Boston Red Sox Spring Training with Joe Haggerty on location (as long as he doesn't piss off Gary Tuck and get thrown back to Boston). Who does Joe think could surprise and disappoint Red Sox fans this season? His answers might surprise you.

Once Joe leaves, Paul and Tim are back to their own accord talking about all the breaking news coming out of Spring....wait....there's no breaking news coming out of Spring Training and there's none on the horizon? In that case, we'll just riff until Opening Day. Come along for the ride.

Fireside Chats #33: Where it’s all Arod, all the time and, oh yeah…pitchers and catchers

While we'll mention the conclusion to the 'Tek saga and give a quick nod to the impending beginning of Spring Training, Episode #33 (the honorary Jason Varitek edition) is all about two things; Arod and Steroids. Come beat that horse a few times with us by the Fireside...

Fireside Chats #32: Where a Keurig machine is our answer to greenies

Paul and Tim discuss the merits of the Keurig coffee machine, the contracts of Kevin Youkilis and Jonathan Papelbon, and look at the early returns from the infield in the 2009 "For Better or Worse" series on Fire Brand of the American League. Oh...and how could we forget banging our heads against the Varitek wall a few more times before a final decision is made.

All that and more on Episode #32 of Fireside Chats on MVN!