For Starters

"As a whole, and whole being defined 1-7, there isn't a better or deeper starting rotation in baseball. Even when confined to the five that will take the mound every five days, I would put these guys up against anyone and feel confident."

With Josh Beckett and Jon Lester off to slow and inconsistent starts and with Daisuke Matsuzaka's early trip to the DL with "post World Baseball Classic-itis", the Red Sox rotation hasn't lived up to those lofty expectations.

Fireside Chats #44: Where we are sitting on the dock of the Bay

Paul and I recap an eventful week from being owned in Tampa to rolling in NY while paying tribute to Jason Bay along the way. You can't miss Paul's "Joba rant" where he goes so far as to call Joba a douchebag (tough words Paul). From dropping Ortiz in the lineup to which pitchers are on the bubble as DiceK and Smoltz work their way back to Boston, we traverse more Red Sox topics than Carl Crawford can steal bases. All that and more on Episode #44 of Fireside Chats on MVN!

5/5: Send them to .500

Jon Lester got down to business last night, now it's Josh Beckett's turn to show the Yankees that it sucks to draw the Red Sox #1/#2 punch in a two game series. A Red Sox win pushes the Yankees to .500. I like the sound of that.

Poll: Name those starters

Getting to know you: Ramon Ramirez

It's not often that an unheralded newcomer to an established bullpen establishes themselves in April as the go to guy that will bridge the most critical situations between the days starter and the designated closer.

With the perceived depth of the Red Sox bullpen coming into the season, it certainly wasn't expected that Ramon Ramirez, who entered the season behind Jonathan Papelbon, Takashi Saito, Hideki Okajima, and Manny Delcarmen in the bullpen rotation, would claim that mantle.

Go Early, Go Often: Fire Brand’s Best of April

Tonight's game against the Tampa Bay Rays marks the final game of the first calendar month of the season; and what an April it was. From the panic that set in BWNNH (Before Wake's Near No Hitter) after a 2-6 start, to the exhilaration of winning 12 out of 13 including a le-gen *wait for it* DARY sweep of the New York Yankees AB (Anno Bay - In the Year of Our Bay), April has been all Red Sox fans could ask for.

Who would have thought after the first week of the season that April would end with the Red Sox atop the American League with the league's best winning percentage?

Today we look at the best performances of April, culminating in the Fire Brand Player of the Month award.

Fireside Chats #43: Where we talk Yankees, Ortiz, and Wake with Chad Finn and April MVP

Chad Finn, not scared away after our first conversation, graces the MVN airwaves for a second time as he recaps his reactions to the dramatic weekend with the Yankees at Fenway Park. Like many of us, Chad's starting to get a little worried about David Ortiz.

After Chad leaves, Paul and I give out our awards for April Most Valuable Player and look forward to a big week ahead on the road.

All that and more on Episode #43 of Fireside Chats on MVN!

Concern for Papelbon?

Jonathan Papelbon is one of, if not the best closer in baseball. Of that there is no doubt. You don't have to look much farther than his 89% save rate (118 out of 133 since 2006), 1.84 career ERA, and 4.79 K/BB rate to make that assessment. Throw in the fact that he's not allowed a run in 25 career postseason innings over 16 appearances and his name stands alone with Mariano Rivera at the top of a long list of closers you would take with you to the end without reservation.

At the surface, 2009 has been more of the same for Papelbon. He's closed the door in save situations five times in five opportunities while amassing a 1.94 ERA. But a deeper look should give you pause to think twice about thinking that 2009 Papelbon has been as effective as previous years' versions.

Does early season success against the Yankees matter?

For Red Sox fans, there is a "second Opening Day" to the season; the first time their familiar foes from New York line up across the diamond. The first series of the season against the New York Yankees takes on a heightened feeling as if New England takes a collective breath and bears down saying, "Baseball season is officially in full swing."

The rest of the nation may be sick of the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry, but the beauty of it for New Englanders is, that through all the hype, these games still matter and more often than not, live up to the anticipation that proceeds them.

Poll: Early Season Series