by dpoarch | Sep 22, 2013 | Anibal Sanchez, Boston Red Sox, John Lackey, Jon Lester, Matt Harvey, Miguel Cabrera, Shane Victorino, Shelby Miller, Tim Lincecum, Will Middlebrooks
My daily routine during baseball season typically involves taking some time to scan through the box scores of the previous night’s games. I enjoy scanning ESPN’s box scores for interesting stats and things like that, because A: I’m a nerd, and B: boredom. One thing...
by jkeller | Sep 19, 2013 | Boston Red Sox, Daniel Nava, David Ortiz, Joe Mauer, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout
Earlier this year I wrote a piece about Daniel Nava, the lovable, scrappy underdog, who continuously overcame ridiculous odds and obstacles to become a major league player. His path to the majors is nothing short of miraculous.
But at this point, Nava has moved so...
by jkeller | Sep 12, 2013 | Adam Jones, Adrian Beltre, Alfonso Soriano, Andy Pettitte, Anibal Sanchez, Baltimore Orioles, Billy Butler, Boston Red Sox, Brett Gardner, Buck Showalter, C.C. Sabathia, Chris Davis, Chris Perez, Chris Tillman, Cleveland Indians, Corey Kluber, Detroit Tigers, Doug Fister, Elvis Andrus, Ervin Santana, Evan Longoria, Grant Balfour, Greg Holland, Hiroki Kuroda, Ivan Nova, James Shields, Jarrod Dyson, Jason Giambi, Jason Kipnis, Jim Johnson, Joe Maddon, Jose Iglesias, Jose Molina, Josh Donaldson, Josh Hamilton, Justin Verlander, Kansas City Royals, Leonys Martin, Manny Machado, Mariano Rivera, Matt Moore, Matt Wieters, Max Scherzer, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Napoli, Nelson Cruz, New York Yankees, Oakland A's, Oakland Athletics, Robinson Cano, Ryan Cook, Scott Kazmir, Tampa Bay Rays, Terry Francona, Texas Rangers, Ubaldo Jimenez, Yu Darvish
ESPN’s standings currently have the Red Sox sitting at a 99.9% chance of making the playoffs. So is it a lock that Boston will once against be dancing in October? Of course not! But just how close are they to winning the AL East? Even if the Red Sox go a modest 7-8...
by bcowett | Sep 2, 2013 | 2013 Boston Red Sox, Alex Avila, Andy Dirks, Austin Jackson, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Doug Fister, John Lackey, Jon Lester, Jose Iglesias, Max Scherzer, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Carp, Prince Fielder, Ramon Santiago, Rick Porcello, Ryan Dempster, Torii Hunter, Victor Martinez
In a sense, this homestand is a worst-to-first when you consider the American League Central standings. The last-place White Sox come to town first, then the Detroit Tigers saunter on in to Boston. It’s a steep increase in difficulty, but in the end, we’ll...
by dpoarch | Aug 11, 2013 | Baltimore Orioles, Chris Davis, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout
Last year’s AL MVP race may have been the most memorable in recent memory. In one corner, you had Miguel Cabrera: the league’s top slugger, freshly minted as the first Triple Crown winner since Carl Yastrzemski. In the other, 20-year-old Mike Trout, who compiled a...
by jkeller | Jul 18, 2013 | All-Star Game, Aroldis Chapman, Bartolo Colon, Ben Zobrist, Boston Red Sox, Brandon Phillips, Bud Selig, Chris Davis, Chris Sale, Clay Buchholz, Cliff Lee, David Ortiz, David Wright, Dustin Pedroia, Edgar Martinez, Edwin Encarnacion, Joe Maddon, Joe Nathan, Joey Votto, Manny Machado, Mariano Rivera, Matt Moore, Michael Cuddyer, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout, New York Yankees, Prince Fielder, Robinson Cano, Ted Williams, Tom Seaver, Tommy John
Listen, I love Bill Simmons as much as you can love someone that you’ve never met (other than you, Dustin, don’t you worry your place is secure). I’ve read everything that he’s written since 2000. I may not have survived the tumultuous and ultimately triumphant...
by jkeller | Jul 4, 2013 | Alex Wilson, Allen Webster, Andrew Bailey, Andrew Miller, Boston Red Sox, Brandon Snyder, Brian Daubach, Chris Davis, Clay Buchholz, Clayton Mortensen, Craig Breslow, Daniel Nava, David Ortiz, Drew Sutton, Dustin Pedroia, Felix Doubront, Homer Bailey, Jackie Bradley Jr., Jacoby Ellsbury, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, John Lackey, Jon Lester, Jonny Gomes, Jose Bautista, Jose Iglesias, Junichi Tazawa, Koji Uehara, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Carp, Mike Napoli, Ryan Dempster, Ryan Lavarnway, Shane Victorino, Stephen Drew, Will Middlebrooks
(Happy 4th of July everyone…scoreboard, England…USA, USA, USA!) Every month, here on Fire Brand, I take a look at the relative value of the 25 players on the current active roster. If you missed the March, April, or May editions check them out for the...
by jkeller | Jun 20, 2013 | Adam Jones, Alex Rodriguez, Andrew McCutchen, Brandon Mauer, Brett Gardner, Carlos Gomez, Carlos Santana, Chris Davis, Coco Crisp, Curtis Granderson, Daniel Nava, David Ortiz, David Wright, Derek Jeter, Dustin Pedroia, Edwin Encarnacion, Evan Longoria, Howie Kendrick, J.J. Hardy, Jhonny Peralta, Jose Bautista, Manny Machado, Mark Trumbo, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout, Paul Goldschmidt, Robinson Cano, Troy Tulowitzki, Yadier Molina
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game is one of my favorite mile markers of the summer. I’m not talking about a horrendous “Celebrity” Softball game, or the even more unbearable Home Run Derby. I mean the actual baseball game, and nothing else. I...
by bcowett | May 3, 2013 | 2013 Boston Red Sox, American League East, Andrew Bailey, Boston Red Sox, Clay Buchholz, Daniel Nava, David Ortiz, Matt Kemp, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Napoli, Nelson Cruz, Ryan Dempster, Texas Rangers
Everyone ready for this Sox-Rangers series? Where we see the best Boston basher this side of our current 1st baseman in Nelson Cruz? Yeah. It’s gonna be an adventure. A win against each of the other four AL East teams. Strikeout rate above 9. But what does Clay...
by dpodheiser | Feb 22, 2013 | 2004 ALCS, 2004 World Series, David Ortiz, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout
There is a palpable divide amongst baseball fans these days about the value of advanced statistics. Within this conflict, fans find themselves in one of two camps: either they fully embrace the use of sabermetrics, or they are unquestionably against them. But there...
