Damn, This is Fun :)

It’s so different from 2004. No underdog status, no great unburdening, no tears for those who lived their whole lives never seeing a championship. All we have now is…a tremendous accomplishment. The Boston Red Sox are 2007 World Series champions.

It’s very different from 2004. Then, we had several players we knew wouldn’t be here the next year. Many of the key characters in that unprecedented postseason did indeed move on: Derek Lowe, Dave Roberts, Pokey Reese, Orlando Cabrera, Doug Mientkiewicz, the Certain Former Red Sox Pitcher Whose Name Shall Not Be Spoken. Now, we are looking forward to years of success built around young guys named Papelbon, Ellsbury, Pedroia, Delcarmen, Lester, not to mention Beckett and Matsuzaka.

WRKO’s Joe Castiglione just pointed out that the Red Sox are the first baseball team in the 21st century to win multiple World Series championships. All those years when we thirsted for success, when we would have practically given our right arms for just one victory, seem like so very long ago. If 2004 represented our liberation from angst, 2007 represents the maturing of our new role as fans of a team that expects to contend every year.

I’ll have more to say about all this after I get some sleep. For now, I’ll mention that Glen Gefner is reporting that an announcement about a victory celebration in Boston will be coming from the Mayor’s office later today. Rumor is the parade will be Tuesday. I hope my boss doesn’t mind my taking some time off.

Sweet championship dreams, Nation.