by bcowett | Feb 18, 2013 | Alfredo Aceves, Boston Red Sox, Daniel Bard, Daniel Nava, Jose Iglesias, Josh Beckett, Mike Napoli, Toronto Blue Jays, Will Middlebrooks
If you can’t wait for baseball – and let’s face it, we know you can’t – here’s something to think about: Yesterday will be the last Sunday without any sort of baseball for the next 7-8 months. I like the sound of that. Alfredo...
by jkeller | Feb 14, 2013 | 2004 World Series, Boston Red Sox, Carl Crawford, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Daniel Bard, Dave Roberts, David Ortiz, Edgar Renteria, John Henry, John Lackey, Jon Lester, Jonny Gomes, Josh Beckett, Larry Lucchino, Spring Training, Theo Epstein
I can pinpoint exactly when it all began. It started with Joe Reilly’s January 5th column right here on Fire Brand. Soon enough, I started to show symptoms of a developing case of Lackey Optimism. The more I thought about the possibilities, the more I started to see...
by tbrooks | Jan 22, 2013 | Ben Cherington, Boston Red Sox, Josh Beckett, Nick Cafardo Mail Bag
Mission, should you choose to accept it: Do the job of Nick Cafardo. This was the primary task assigned when I was assigned the Tuesday morning column. Should be easy enough. After all, one of his primary tasks is imply to choose the most simple questions asked him by...
by jreilly | Jan 19, 2013 | Adrian Gonzalez, Arizona Diamondbacks, Bill Mueller, Boston Red Sox, Carl Crawford, Cody Ross, Curt Schilling, David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Fan Graphs, Gabe Kapler, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jason Varitek, Josh Beckett, Kevin Millar, Miguel Cabrera, Shane Victorino, Will Middlebrooks
Part One of Shane Victorino’s Defense can be found here. As I am sure all of you know; a position player’s overall value is not simply tied to offense (with the exception of the David Ortiz’s and Miguel Cabrera‘s of the world). In the world of the Bill...
by jkeller | Jan 17, 2013 | 2007 ALCS, 2007 World Series, Boston Red Sox, C.C. Sabathia, Curt Schilling, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Florida Marlins, Hanley Ramirez, Josh Beckett, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Trades
Dear Josh Beckett, You were one of my favorite Red Sox players. You were one of my least favorite Red Sox players. It all started out so well. My first memory of you was when you helped reduce the awful sting of 2003 ALCS by a small percentage when by kicking the...
by bcarsley | Jan 14, 2013 | Boston Red Sox, Clay Buchholz, Dylan Bundy, Gerrit Cole, Greenville Drive, Jackie Bradley, John Lackey, Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, Matt Barnes, Salem Red Sox
Matt Barnes is the best pitching prospect in the Red Sox system. He was a steal as the 19th overall pick in the 2011 draft, and as a UConn product and New England native, he’s easy to root for as a Red Sox fan. He began 2011 as the minor league’s most dominant pitcher...
by jkeller | Jan 10, 2013 | Adrian Gonzalez, Allen Webster, Ben Cherington, Bobby Valentine, Boston Red Sox, Brock Holt, Carl Crawford, Dustin Pedroia, Fernando Rodney, Ivan De Jesus, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Jason Heyward, Jerry Sands, Joel Hanrahan, Josh Beckett, Kevin Youkilis, Larry Lucchino, Los Angeles Dodgers, Nick Punto, Rubby de la Rosa, Tampa Bay Rays, Will Middlebrooks
Last week we took at look at the Bottom 5 Moments from 2012, if you missed that you can check it out here. This week, thankfully, we’re back with a (somewhat) more positive look at the previous 12 months. Even in a season that saw the Sox manage only 69 wins to their...
by dpoarch | Jan 6, 2013 | Adam LaRoche, Adrian Gonzalez, Allen Webster, Asdrubal Cabrera, Bobby Valentine, Boston Red Sox, Carl Crawford, Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jason Kipnis, John Farrell, John Lackey, Josh Beckett, Justin Masterson, Kelly Shoppach, Kyle Lohse, Los Angeles Dodgers, Michael Bourn, Mike Napoli, Rubby de la Rosa, Shin-Soo Choo, Terry Francona, Trevor Bauer, Ubaldo Jimenez
If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I’ve never been a fan of narratives in sports. I know a good story is fun to follow, but too often, the media takes a story and beats it to death with terrifying efficiency. Just ask your friendly neighborhood...
by jreilly | Jan 5, 2013 | Boston Red Sox, Brad Penny, C.C. Sabathia, Clay Buchholz, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jered Weaver, John Lackey, John Smoltz, Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, Paul Byrd, Tim Wakefield
On December 15, 2009, John Lackey signed a 5-year $82.5 million contract with the Boston Red Sox. The 31-year old native Texan joined a Red Sox rotation that already featured Josh Beckett and Jon Lester as a formidable 1-2 combination. The addition of the former...
by scandage | Nov 17, 2012 | Alfredo Aceves, Ben Cherington, Boston Red Sox, Clay Buchholz, Cleveland Indians, David Ortiz, David Ross, Dustin Pedroia, Evan Longoria, John Lackey, Jon Lester, Jose Iglesias, Josh Beckett, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, Rich Hill, Ryan Sweeney, Scott Atchison, Toronto Blue Jays, Will Middlebrooks
I’ve been lied to a lot in my life. But what Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington pulled off this week may be a set up for one of the bigger lies I’ve ever heard. At a sports management conference at UMass-Amherst this week, Cherington said that despite...
