Red Sox Madness: Championship Monday

The rain may have postponed Opening Day, but I look at it as a blessing in disguise. I mean, how could you really expect to start the season without having properly named the 2009 Red Sox Madness Champion.

Votes will be tabulated tomorrow morning and a winner crowned before first pitch.

Whose success is more important to the overall success of the 2009 Boston Red Sox, Josh Beckett or Dustin Pedroia?

Red Sox Madness 2009 Championship Game: #1 Dustin Pedroia vs. #1 Josh Beckett

Red Sox Madness Finals: For all the marbles

It has all come down to this. Sixteen men enter, one man leaves, and that man will be either Josh Beckett or Dustin Pedroia. Who's success will go further in determining the Red Sox fate this season? Who will have their own Red Sox Madness tournament "One Shining Moment"?

Remember, the simple question is "who's success is more important to the overall success of the Boston Red Sox in 2009?" Vote away after the jump!

Know Thyself 2009: Boston Red Sox

The 2009 Boston Red Sox are in the final stages of preparing for what is certain to be an entertaining and exciting season. The spring is finally behind us, the roster is set and the team is moving northward to christen Citi Field with some Major League talent.

Now all the roster moves are behind us and the questions move from the "who" of the offseason as they shift to the analysis of performance and the "what" of baseball. This past week has been spent looking at the competition in the American League East, and stiff competition it is. In most cases, the Red Sox had the position by position edge over each team from the Yankees to the Orioles and it should come as no surprise, in that light, that the staff here at Fire Brand gives the Red Sox the edge to win the AL East in 2009.

Today we summarize much of what we've talked about in our "For Better or Worse" series this offseason as we go player by player through the Red Sox roster and prepare for live baseball next week.

Red Sox Madness Final Four: Beckett vs. Lester

The first half of our ongoing Red Sox Madness tournament is in the books and #1 seed Dustin Pedroia will represent the offense against the winner of today's Josh Beckett/Jon Lester matchup in the final. Pedroia took fellow tablesetter Jacoby Ellsbury down with relative ease in the first Final Four matchup. Ellsbury's cinderella run came to an end after knocking off #2 seed Jason Bay and #1 seed David Ortiz. Today we turn our attention to the starting rotation as we pit #1 seeds Jon Lester and Josh Beckett against each other in a battle that should enlighten Red Sox Nation's perspective on the "true ace". Which starting pitcher is more important to the overall team's success?

Remember, the simple question is "who's success is more important to the overall success of the Boston Red Sox in 2009?" Vote away after the jump!

Red Sox Madness Final Four: Ellsbury vs. Pedroia

After two grueling rounds of match ups, we now know the Final Four contestants in the first annual Red Sox Madness tournament. In a late run, (primarily thanks to Paul and I's get out the vote campaign for Jon Lester in last night's podcast), Jon Lester eeked out the closest battle of the tourney yet over Kevin Youkilis 45-42. Lester will battle fellow #1 seed and starting pitcher Josh Beckett in the second of our Final Four matchups.

The top half of the draw pits the top two hitters in the Red Sox lineup. Which tablesetter's success means more to the Red Sox chances in 2009? Is it the upstart #3 seed Jacoby Ellsbury or the reigning AL MVP and #1 seed Dustin Pedroia?

Remember, the simple question is "who's success is more important to the overall success of the Boston Red Sox in 2009?" Vote away after the jump!

Fireside Chats #39: Where we preview the East, talk ourselves into Sheff, and learn from Dylan

The next time we all get together and talk, there will be actual baseball going on (thank you lord, the Spring has been the death of me). While Paul and I go out on a limb and agree that the O's and Jays will struggle this year, our opinions on the AL East Champions differs. Find out who proclaims Yankees as the favorites in our AL East preview segment.

We recap the Madness and come away convinced that Jacoby Ellsbury might not only win this thing, but that he might be the most important player on the Red Sox this season.

Gary Sheffield's been released in Detroit...could he? could we? nah....or could we? Maybe Sheff as a Sox isn't as far fetched an idea as you might think.

If you stick with us until the end, Dylan from CA tells us why he thinks Mike Lowell could and will be the surprise performer in Boston in 2009. Dylan, shoot me an email at tdaloisio [@] gmail.com with your contact info so I can arrange a shirt from our friends at the Red Seat. Listen Now!!!

Know Thine Enemy 2009: Toronto Blue Jays

It wasn't long ago that the Toronto Blue Jays were expected to be in the position now occupied by the Tampa Bay Rays as the third wheel atop the American League East. While there is some strong young talent in Toronto, J.P. Riccardi's five year plan is looking more like a two term presidential rebuilding plan in action. It's hard to believe that this team is anything resembling "on the road to competing" in the most vaunted division in baseball.

Last year was a mess for the Blue Jays. Between injuries, slumps, manager changes, and overall bad luck, the Jays still found themselves dreaming of a run at the Wild Card late in the Summer. While an 86-win season was respectable and would have put you in the playoffs in the NL West, it yielded another season leaving Jays fans frustrated with what could have been if there were any semblance of an offense behind one of the best rotations in baseball.

Red Sox Madness: Lester vs Youkilis

In preparation for the best two weeks in sports, starting with the Final Four, running through the Masters with a little thing called Opening Day sandwiched in the middle, we idly pass the time with our Red Sox Madness tournament. As expected, Josh Beckett joined the upstart Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia in the Final Four. Today the final region battles to join them.

In what is expected to be the most heated battle of the second round, #2 seed Kevin Youkilis battles #1 seed Jon Lester for the right to meet Beckett with a trip to the finals on the line.

Remember, the simple question is "who's success is more important to the overall success of the Boston Red Sox in 2009?" Vote away after the jump!

Red Sox Madness Round 2: Pitchers Duel

The first two teams, UCONN & Villanova, have punched their tickets to the Final Four in Detroit, and the first two players have punched a ticket to the Final Four of our Red Sox Madness tournament. Just like March Madness, a #1 seed (Pedroia) and a #3 seed (Ellsbury) have advanced.

Today we move to the lower half of the brackets and are greeted with a serious pitchers duel in #1 seed Josh Beckett and #2 seed Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Remember, the simple question is "who's success is more important to the overall success of the Boston Red Sox in 2009?" Vote away after the jump!

Red Sox Madness Round 2: Pedroia vs. Papelbon

The first #1 seed has fallen in the 2009 Red Sox Madness tournament. Jacoby Ellsbury continued his Cinderella story this tournament as he knocked off the overall #1 seed David Ortiz in a 55-46 shocker and becomes the first entrant to the Final Four.

Today we move on to the next second round matchup featuring the reigning AL MVP, Dustin Pedroia, against one of the most dominant pitchers in the game, Jonathan Papelbon. Think there will be any trash talking between these two?

Remember, the simple question is "who's success is more important to the overall success of the Boston Red Sox in 2009?" Vote away!