Late October is usually a bitter time for sports fans in Boston. The Bruins take the ice, the Celtics are playing preseason games, and the fans of the Red Sox are left with a bad taste in their mouth because the Yankees are in the World Series.
But 2004 is a new year. The Bruins are on strike, all of the good Celtic players have been retired for at least 10 years, oh, and by the way, the Bo Sox are in the Fall Classic.
The Yankees will be at home watching the World Series wondering how the heck they blew a 3-0 lead to those chumps from Boston.
Boston may have captured the attention of the nation by knocking off baseball’s highest payroll, but many people forget they still have one more mountain to climb. And this is not just a day hike where they can just pack a lunch and be home by dinner.
On this trek the Red Sox will need oxygen masks, tents, crampons and ice axes. The climb will be similar to Mount Everest.
The final hurdle for the boys from Bean Town is the St. Louis Cardinals. They have the best record in baseball, not to mention the strongest line-up from top to bottom in the bigs as well.
The Cardinals are good, but I believe that the Red Sox have what it takes to beat them.
First of all, the Sox have momentum on their side and if they can come back from being down 0-3 to the Yankees then they can come back from just about any deficit.
The heart of the Boston Red Sox lies in the pitching. Tim Wakefield, Derek Lowe, Bronson Arroyo, Curt Schilling, and Pedro Martinez have been the backbone for the team all postseason.
The emergence of closer Keith Foulke has everyone talking around the baseball world.
Move over Mariano Rivera, Foulke is the new lights out closer in the league. The Red Sox are almost guaranteed a win if he is on the mound.
The Cardinal hitters are unbelievable and they do lead the league in overall batting, but Boston is not far behind.
David Ortiz had been the savior for the Sox, getting big hit after big hit this postseason. Then there is always Manny Ramirez, Trot Nixon, Kevin Millar and Jason Varitek.
Center fielder Johnny Damon will have to build off his game seven against the Yanks in which he jacked two homeruns (one being a grand slam that put the Sox up 6-0). Damon, who was 3-for-29 prior to his offensive explosion in Game 7, had as many hits in his first three at bats in the game as he did the whole postseason.
Now that Damon is out of his slump, will he be able to keep up his hot hitting, or will go back to the way he was earlier in the postseason.
And another question is, when will Damon cut his hair?
I have a feeling that he might just make a stop by the barber shop after the Bo Sox beat the Cards in game six of the Series at Fenway.
The Cardinals will give the Sox a good series, but in the end the Red Sox pitchers will get the best of the Cardinal hitters. Bean Town wins over the Cards four games to two.

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