To all Boston Red Sox bashers or non-believers: this IS the year! That's right, the Red Sox are going to end 80 years of frustration. They are going to end 80 years of heartache. The 1998 Red Sox are going to win the World Series!

As you know, the Red Sox traded Babe Ruth in 1918 to the Yankees for some cash. The Sox have not won a World Series since, while the Yankees rode the Babe's bat into immortality. That's all irrelevant now. Sure, the Yanks won 100 games this year faster than any team ever. And, sure, the Red Sox just lost 4 in a row to the Blue Jays, who now trail the Sox by only 5 games in the wildcard chase. Sure. But, I'm telling you, the Sox will win it all in October.

And here's why...

1. 1998 is the year of breaking records. Baseball has undergone resurgence in 1998. Stadium attendence is soaring. Mark McGwire successfully chased the record for the most home runs in one season. A New York team might achieve more regular season victories than any other. Fine, that's the regular season. With these records gone, fans need something to get pumped about in the post-season. Something else that is historic. The home run record? It stood for a mere 37 years. The Sox have gone 80 full years without a post-season title. Now that's historic, and now that is going to change.
   
   
2. The Sox have the element of surprise. Strangely, no one seems to know how good they are. Everyone is too distracted by Mark McGwire, and how the Yanks might have the best record of any team in baseball ever, to notice the powerful ball playing arsenal up in Beantown. That's great: less media pressure for Boston. The sportswriters are so busy weeping over Mark McGwire hugging his son that the Sox will be three wins into the playoffs before the crying towels are folded.
   
   
3. The Yankees have too many stars. Jeter, Williams, O'Neill, Wells, Cone -- who's the leader there? The Yanks might be the number one team in September, but too many cooks spoil the pot, and the Bronx Bombers will have indigestion by October. On the other hand, the Sox all bow to the leadership of mighty Mo Vaughn. Behind him stand lieutenants Pedro Martinez and Nomar Garciaparra. Three stars whose clear leadership will bring their team of gutsy role players to deliver in the clutch. If a game 7 situation poses itself, the Sox will be ready.
   
   

   (Sure, the Red Sox lost each of their four World Series since 1918 in the final game (1946, 1967, 1975, 1986). And, I'll admit, in 1986 they were just one strike away from winning it all in game 6. A routine ground ball rolled through Bill Buckner's legs, forcing the game 7 that the Sox lost. Yeah, that was no fun, but none of it will matter after next month is over.)

   
   
4. The 13-Game theory: The Sox have lost their last 13 playoff games -- every one since Billy Buck's ground ball. The natural conclusion? With unlucky 13 out of the way, fate has slated a hot streak for the Sox. They will begin this post-season by winning the first series (best of 5) in three straight. They then will probably face the Yanks, considered by many as one of the best teams ever put together. OK, that's daunting, but who better to beat than the hated Yanks? No one, and that's another reason why this is all coming together.
   
   
5. Communism is on the rise in Russia: With the Ruskie economy tanking, Communism is once again poised to take over the government in Russia. When was the last time Communism was so popular with Russian citizens? How about 1918, the year after the Russian Revolution? And you know what else happened in 1918? You got it: World Series rings for the Boston Red Sox.
   
   

After beating the Yanks, the Sox will face the Cubs, who have actually gone longer than the Red Sox without a title. Over 160 years of agony between them and only one team will end it. The Cubs have already had Sammy Sosa's chase to get excited about, so it makes complete sense. It will go down to the final game, the final inning, the final pitch. The game tied and a runner on third. Mo Vaughn batting. Here's the pitch…. a routine ground ball to first… and into right field! The Red Sox win!