So the Boston Red Sox are in the playoffs again starting tonight, with another chapter in the greatest rivalry in sports history - Sox versus Yanks. I have been a lifelong Red Sox fan through the suffering and the glory - more suffering than glory over the past four decades, but for the past roughly decade-and-a-half, life in Sox land has been pretty darn good. The 2004 World Series was the crown jewel, but the ensuing championships in '07 and '13 were very sweet and satisfying themselves.
So here we are today, in 2018, with hopes and expectations running high for the Fenway faithful. And I can honestly say that, for the first time, it has finally hit me - I'm not nervous about this series, nor the ALCS if it comes to that. The World Series, God willing, might be a different story, but something about this 2018 Red Sox team puts me at peace. They had a miraculous, record-breaking winning season, pulling out victories and come-from-behind wins seemingly out of nowhere, with no real "hero" like Ortiz or Ramirez. Something about their raw passion and belief in themselves is infectious, and I don't have that post-season pit in my stomach.
Yes, I will be into the games. Yes, I may shout at the TV. But, all in all, as this ALDS series plays out against New York, I will have an overall zen-like calm.
These Red Sox are for real. And our fantasies of another championship are legit. Not guaranteed, but very possible. It won't be easy, but I, for one, believe.
Go Sox.