2007 World Series Preview: Rockies @ Red Sox

Colorado Rockies (90-73)
vs.
Boston Red Sox (96-66)

-GM 1 Wed Oct 24 @ BOS
-GM 2 Thu Oct 25 @ BOS
-GM 3 Sat Oct 27 @ COL
-GM 4 Sun Oct 28 @ COL
*GM 5 Mon Oct 29 @ COL
*GM 6 Wed Oct 31 @ BOS
*GM 7 Fri Nov 1 @ BOS

After 172 games filled with gasp-inducing highs and groan-inducing lows, chock full of meteoric rises and near-catastrophic falls, and a season in which the motto at the beginning of the year was 'World Series or bust', the Sox have finally reached their preferred destination.

Now we'll find out if their journey will be a bust.

Boston will take the field for its second Fall Classic in four years Wednesday night, a feat that has practically deified the once-vilified Terry Francona, and no one seems to mind that its opponent won't be a traditional baseball power like the Braves, or a team with a longstanding tradition and legion of adoring fans like the Cardinals, or even a box office draw like the Barry Bonds-led Giants.

Instead the small-market, bandwagon driving Rockies will put its 21-1 hot streak, 14-years of history and month and a half of loyalty on the line when the two best teams in the majors square off for the right to be called the 2007 champs.

Wonder which team has the advantage?

The Rockies were hotter than a California wildfire when the postseason began, winners of 13 of its last 14 regular season games to force a one-game playoff with San Diego, and then they stole a breathtaking play-in game from the stunned Padres to make it to the big dance for the first time since 1995.

Since then the Rox have reeled off 7 straight postseason wins, first grabbing three quick wins against the hapless Phils, then by blowing the doors off the over achieving Diamondbacks, and here they are just a month removed from sitting on the outside of the playoff picture looking in to the verge of pulling off one of the most improbable runs of all time.

Only thing standing in their way is a motivated, determined, focused and most important experienced Boston team.

The Sox have weathered every kind of storm this season after jumping out to a huge division lead just two months into the season. A second half swoon nearly cost them a shot at their first division title in 12 years, but a late sure propelled them to the postseason for the third time in the last four years.

But after dispatching with their personal playoff bitches, the overrated Angels, in three games in the ALDS, the season-ling sporadic performances of the pitchers and batters haunted the Sox in the ALCS against Cleveland.

That inconsistency, especially an inane inability to push runs across the plate in key situations, caused Boston to fall into a 3 games to 1 hole against the pesky & talented Tribe.

But just like Stella, Boston got its groove back just in time to, running off a 30-5 run-scoring blitzkrieg in the final three games of the series to send the Tribe packing and make it back to the Series for the first time since that magical 2004 season.

And here we are.

No matter what everyone thought at the beginning of the season, it's still hard to believe that after an 8 1/2-decade drought, Boston could bring the title back to Beantown for the second time in less than half a decade.

Or it could suffer another monumental collapse of historic proportions.

Either way the Sox have given the Nation everything it could ask for in 2007: scintillating pitching performances (Beckett, pick one; Schill's near no-no; Bucholz' actual no-no), epic offensive exploits (four consecutive homers; 5-run 9th inning comebacks; Youk hitting an inside-the parker), and eye-popping defensive gems (Coco Crisp every game; J.D. Drew's back-breaker; Eric Hinske's gravel-scraper).

Now all it needs to do is complete its primary objective.

That's not too much for a title-hungry Nation to ask for, is it?