09:34 AM EDT on Thursday, October 28, 2004

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

ST. LOUIS -- The Boston Red Sox are World Champions.

This is not a dream. It is not a cruel joke, Red Sox fans.

At exactly 11:40 p.m., Eastern time, last night, the Red Sox accomplished something that their legion of ardent fans throughout New England and across the country, numbed by so many years of heart-wrenching failures, had feared would never happen in their lifetimes.

The Boston Red Sox won the World Series.

After a drought of 86 years, the Boston Red Sox rule the baseball world, an exalted status they achieved last night by beating the St. Louis Cardinals, 3-0, in Game 4 of the World Series at Busch Stadium.

Johnny Damon's leadoff homer and Trot Nixon's two-out, two-run double in the third inning off St. Louis starter Jason Marquis staked Derek Lowe to an early lead, and the Sox held on.

The victory gave the rollicking Red Sox a sweep of the best-of-seven World Series, adding to a lifetime of memories for their fans in a magical postseason that included an historic overtaking of their bitter rivals, the New York Yankees, in the American League Championship Series.

"I'm just so happy we were able to bring this to the city of Boston." said Pedro Martinez, who was the winning pitcher in Game 3. "I feel maximum [pleasure]. "I couldn't express how I feel to bring a championship to Boston. A lot of people have waited so long.

"I'm thankful I was part of this. I'm glad I didn't let the city of Boston down. I'm going to enjoy this moment. My heart is with (the fans of Boston)."

Boston became the first team in big-league history to overcome a 3-0 deficit to win a postseason series in finally obliterating the Yankee ghosts that haunted them for so many decades.

"All that adversity just makes this that much sweeter. This means so much because of all that came before it." said general manager Theo Epstein. "It was great (being in the dugout for the ninth inning). You just want to make sure that you enjoy it. This is for everybody before us who didn't win. This is our brand of idiots. They're pretty good people."

And, if you believe in curses, the Sox wiped out the so-called Curse of the Bambino for good in humbling the Cardinals to win the 100th World Series.

"I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to play the game I love," said Tim Wakefield. "And I am so proud to be holding this trophy. We've lifted up the City of Boston. We are World Champions. I'm just so proud to be part of it.

"It took 25 guys to win this thing. We had great starting pitching, clutch two-out hitting, good defense. We never let up (after falling behind New York, 3-0). We just kept going out to win the next day. That's how we got past New York, and we had the same philosophy against St. Louis.

"We can act like idiots now."

No dramatics were necessary against the Cardinals. Indeed, Boston became the fourth team to never even trail in a game in a series, joining the 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers (against New York), 1966 Baltimore Orioles (Dodgers) and 1989 Oakland A's (San Francisco Giants).

St. Louis posted the best record in the majors during the regular season, racking up 105 wins. But the Cardinals were no match for the Red Sox, whose frat-boy-like personality, coupled with gutsy pitching performances and a lusty hitting attack, ran Boston's postseason roll to eight straight victories, four each against the Yankees and Cardinals.

The Sox didn't exactly make the most of their chances last night, but with Lowe limiting the Cardinals to three hits in seven shutout innings, it didn't make much difference.

So go ahead, pinch yourself black and blue, Red Sox fans. It has really happened. The Sox are winners. It's time to revel in the present glory and it's also time to absolve all of the "goats" of World Series past.

Johnny Pesky, you're off the hook. Somehow, today it doesn't seem all that important that maybe you held the ball a little too long, allowing St. Louis' Enos Slaughter to score the winning run in Game 7 of the 1946 World Series.

Bill Buckner, you're off the hook, too. Somehow, it doesn't seem like such a big deal that Mookie Wilson's dribbler went through your legs, costing the Red Sox Game 6 of the 1986 World Series against the New York Mets, a Series Boston would lose in Game 7.

Jim Burton, you're also off the hook. So you gave up a hit to Cincinnati's Joe Morgan in the ninth inning of Game 7 that lost the 1975 World Series. So what? Does that really matter anymore?

And Grady Little, so are you for leaving Pedro Martinez in too long in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series last year, costing the Red Sox a berth in the 2003 World Series. That all seems so long ago, and so much less important.

All that's important now is that the Boston Red Sox have won a World Series.

It has finally happened. The term "long-suffering," which has been the modifier attached to the Red Sox' fans for 86 years, has to be deleted.

The Boston Red Sox are World Champions.

Roll that around on your tongues for a while, Sox fans, as you get ready for a parade to end all sports-celebration parades.

"The Red Sox didn't have the team that generally could compete with the Yankees." said owner John Henry. "We can now. It's a great feeling."