"The Chief just voted- It was 10-9 . . . Now I want that TV Set on RIGHT NOW"- McMurphy

I was 16 years-old when The Red Sox played The Mets in The World Series, and by the time they got back to The Fall Classic I was 34. Between the heart amputation of 1986 to the curse reverse of 2004 were eighteen long years. Millions of babies grew into adults. Computers turned from esoteric items used by few to vital tools utilized throughout the world. There were five presidential races. And somewhere along the way Michael Jackson, Pee Wee Herman, and Mel Gibson went from fascinating entertainers to people you wouldn’t let near your children.

A three year wait isn’t quite as dramatic, but it’s still immensely exciting to see The Red Sox play in The World Series.

So here we go . . . Game One begins tonight at Fenway Park. The White Hot Rockies, winners of 21 out of 22 games, will try to extend their improbable run under the glare of The Green Monster. They’ll face The Boston Red Sox, who on the brink of elimination captured The American League Pennant by outscoring The Indians 30-5 in the final 3 games. It’s Troy Tulowitzki & Todd Helton contrasting with Dustin Pedroia & Big Papi. It’s Kaz Matsui facing off against Daisuke Matsuzaka. It’s expansion franchise vs. the one with more than a century of history.

While The Red Sox are certainly going to be the favorites, The Rockies will challenge them much in the way Cleveland did. The men in purple play outstanding defense, they have 3 good starting pitchers, a solid bullpen, and have several players who can hit homeruns. And if you’ve turned on ESPN over the last few days, I’m sure you know by now that Colorado took 2 out 3 from Boston in June and hit Beckett & Schilling hard.

But this isn’t the summer. And while The Rockies have been riding an incredible streak of wins, they were doing it against National League teams that were not very good. And then there’s the fact they haven’t played a game in eight days. While such a rest might be helpful for a veteran team, for a predominately young one it’s bound to disrupt their rhythm. The Rockies have also had more than a week to allow the pressure of playing for baseball’s ultimate goal to seep into their brains.

As for The Red Sox, they have a good mixture of youth and experience and they bring power, pitching, and defense to every game. They have the best starter in Josh Beckett, the best closer in Jonathan Papelbon, and Post Season Legend David Ortiz. These guys know how to handle any amount of pressure. And thanks to that All Star Game in San Francisco, Fenway Park will provide the home field advantage.

I don’t believe in crystal balls, but as I said in my last blog I always expect my teams to win. That doesn’t come from arrogance, it comes from wistful optimism. So I don’t know if it will be a sweep, a 7 game nerve scorcher, or somewhere in between, but I expect The Red Sox to be the last team standing in this 2007 Season. So cue up “Tessie”, “Sweet Caroline”, and “Dirty Water”. This is The World Series and you have to enjoy every minute of it, because you never know if the next one will be eighteen years in the future.