Cafardo Mail Bag: Mission Impossible Edition

Let me set the scene for you.  It was Friday afternoon.  Tim Brooks, Fire Brand’s current Cafardo mail thief, sends me an instant message.  (Actual chat transcript) Tim:  I have a mission for you should you choose to accept it. Chip:  Cut the crap, Tim.  What do...

The MLB Draft: The Henry Ownership Years

With the 2013 Rule 4 draft finally in the books, I thought it’d be fun to take a look back at all of the drafts that have occurred during the John Henry ownership era.  In this piece, we’ll review their successes, their failures, the trends they’ve...

The Advanced Scout – Philadelphia Phillies

Having been victorious in three out of four games against the Indians, the Boston Red Sox (31-20, tied for first in the AL East) take on the Philadelphia Phillies (24-26, third place in NL East, 6.5 games back) in a four-game home-and-home series starting at Fenway...

A Look Back at Baseball America’s Top Red Sox Prospects in 2006

After spending a rousing afternoon playing shuffleboard, I kicked back poolside over champagne coolies with my archrival and BFF, Murray Chass, and waxed about our days writing about the game of baseball.  He expressed how his deep seeded irrational fear of back acne...

Player Development: How Did Theo Do?

Theo Epstein’s stated goal when he took over as General Manager of the Red Sox was to turn the Sox into a “player development machine”. He envisioned a pipeline of minor league talent that would replenish the major league roster whenever needed. So how successful was...

Bringing the market into focus: starting pitching

Ben Cherington and his underlings will be spending the early part of this week getting ready to head to Palm Springs, CA to take part in this year’s annual General Manager’s meetings. While the GM Meetings aren’t normally a time of excessive wheeling...

The Resurrection of the Farm System

<a title="" When Theo Epstein assumed the role of Red Sox General Manager prior to the 2003 season, one of his missions was to build a “$100M player development machine.”  While his goal was certainly ambitious, he faced two big obstacles:  a...

Theo Epstein: Feeding the Monster

Red Sox Nation can’t resist the boy wonder, Theo Epstein.  He is our Bill Clinton…our Elizabeth Taylor…our Michael Jackson.  Regardless of his relevance in Major League Baseball, we will follow his every move until the day he dies.  Really though,...