by jpolman | Jul 19, 2014 | Boston Red Sox, Carl Yastrzemski, Dan Shaughnessy, Peter Gammons, Ted Williams
With endless apologies to my wife, my bookcase at home is spilling over with baseball. The top shelf? Nothing but Red Sox books. And it being deep summer and because nothing is better than reading a baseball book in a saggy hammock or on a toasty beach with a salty...
by jcookson | Apr 21, 2014 | Billy Hamilton, George Springer, Mookie Betts, Ted Williams
The numbers for Mookie Betts so far this season border on the ridiculous: a .453/.492/.717 batting line with 24 hits in 13 games. It’s a miniscule sample, but on the heels of so much success the year before, it validates the belief that Betts is one of the best...
by jpolman | Feb 6, 2014 | Boston Red Sox, Joe DiMaggio, John-Henry Williams, Ted Williams
I just missed him. Ted Williams hit his famous last at bat home run on September 28, 1960, three years before I began following the Red Sox. He played at Fenway in a 1982 Old Timer’s Game but I can’t find footage of that anywhere. Yaz was certainly a fine...
by jcookson | Oct 18, 2013 | 1946 Red Sox, 2003 ALCS, 2004 ALCS, 2007 ALCS, Carl Mays, Carlton Fisk, Christy Mathewson, J.D. Drew, Roger Clemens, Ted Williams, Wade Boggs
After five grueling, tension-filled games, the Red Sox will be back home at Fenway Park on Saturday night. For this piece, I looked to see how the Red Sox have fared in either a game six or game seven at Fenway over the club’s history. It turns out they haven’t...
by jpolman | Aug 27, 2013 | A.J. Ellis, Adrian Gonzalez, Boston Red Sox, Carl Crawford, Hanley Ramirez, Jake Peavy, Kenley Jansen, Koji Uehara, Los Angeles Dodgers, Manny Ramirez, Ricky Nolasco, Ted Williams, Yasiel Puig
Maybe it was the arrowed sign directing me to GREEN MONSTER SEATS mounted on the far wall, or the framed lobster painting in the corner. Maybe it was the cloud of salty, familiar accents billowing around the room, but I felt right at home at the Little Bar on LaBrea...
by jcookson | Aug 23, 2013 | 1946 Red Sox, Boston Red Sox, Carlton Fisk, Fred Lynn, Hanley Ramirez, Johnny Pesky, Mike Trout, Nomar Garciaparra, Rick Burleson, Ted Williams, Xander Bogearts
Monday was one of the most exciting days in quite some time for fans of Red Sox prospects, as Xander Bogaerts joined the team. If you want the full story on Bogaerts and his potential, Ben Carsley did a great job summing it up here. My mind has been churning all week...
by jkeller | Aug 1, 2013 | Boston Red Sox, Brandon Jacobs, Brandon Snyder, Brandon Workman, Brock Holt, Clay Buchholz, Craig Breslow, Craig Kimbrel, Daniel Nava, David Ortiz, David Ross, Drake Britton, Dustin Pedroia, Felix Doubront, J.D. Drew, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jake Peavy, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Jim Johnson, Joe Nathan, John Lackey, Jon Lester, Jonny Gomes, Jose De La Torre, Jose Iglesias, Junichi Tazawa, Koji Uehara, Mariano Rivera, Matt Thorton, Mike Carp, Mike Napoli, Pedro Beato, Ryan Dempster, Ryan Lavarnway, Shane Victorino, Stephen Drew, Ted Williams, Will Middlebrooks, Wins Above Replacement, Xander Bogaerts
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, May, or June editions check them out for the criteria and history of these rankings. This month sees a season high six...
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 dpoarch | Jul 7, 2013 | Boston Red Sox, Daniel Nava, Dustin Pedroia, Garin Cecchini, J.D. Drew, Jackie Bradley, Jose Iglesias, Mike Carp, Mike Napoli, Stephen Drew, Ted Williams, Will Middlebrooks, Xander Bogaerts
As I was brainstorming ideas for my weekly column, I had a vision. In it, people asked me legitimate questions, and I responded to them to the best of my knowledge. It was nice. I decided then that this week’s column needed to be a mailbag. I took to Twitter over the...
by dpodheiser | Jun 13, 2013 | albert belle, Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds, David Ortiz, David Wright, Fenway Park, Giancarlo Stanton, Home Run Derby, Jose Canseco, Ken Griffey Jr., Mark McGwire, ralph kiner, Robinson Cano, Roger Clemens, Ted Williams, veterans stadium, weei, willie stargell
The Home Run Derby is pretty dumb. We like to pretend it means something – or at least the league does – but really, it’s just a batting practice competition. Sure, it can be fun to see your favorite players participate, or to see a wide-eyed, first-time All-Star...
