The Red Sox are BACK!!

Remember back in the day, back before the 2004 miracle comeback against the New York Yankees? Remember when the Boston Red Sox M.O. was to break our hearts every year and then come back to a loyal fan base the next year and expect us all to cheer as loudly as we possibly could because this might be THE year?

Those were the good old days weren't they? The time when everyone in New England (sans Southern CT because let's face it, I'm in Yankee country) commiserated over the failure of the Red Sox to get over the hump. That's when watching baseball in Boston was fun.

Then came 2004 and the miracle comeback. Then it was the sweep of the World Series which was euphoric. Then there was 2007 which was a much easier trek to the World Series and another easy win.

We were ok with the way 2008 and 2009 went down because we had those rings. The team was still fun to watch and we had a future of endless possibilities in Pedroia, Ellsbury, Dice-K...those were the days.

Then came 2010. The season of the injury for the Boston Red Sox. Now you watch a game and you never know what your gonna get, but most likely you won't get all of the big name guys you love. These days your likely to get a streaking Big Papi (good news for the Nation if they ever make a run) and a bunch of other schlubs from the minors.

So why then would I say the Boston Red Sox are back? Well, it's simple, they are back to their pre-2004 form. When the hopes and dreams of Red Sox Nation were dashed night in and night out. Remember in 2003, you would watch a game and the Red Sox would be down maybe 6-3 to the Cleveland Indians. You'd stay up to the 7th or 8th inning to see what happens and all of a sudden the offense would explode for a couple of runs. They were making a game out of it. The Indians would get out of the jam in the 8th and you still stayed with the game because you knew they were going to win it in the 9th. Someone would get a base hit with just one out and the fate was sealed, the Red Sox were going to win that game...only...THEY DIDN'T. They blew it.

Oh wait...that as last night's game.

The Red Sox are BACK!!