The Boston Red Sox’s World Series victory last night was very different from the win four years ago. In 2004, they were the Wild Card team, the underdog. They had managed to get into the World Series only after coming back from a 3-0 deficit against that team from New York that shall not be named. And the National League’s representative in 2004–the St. Louis Cardinals–was a very good team. Somehow, it was hard to believe it actually could happen. They had not done this in 86 years. They could not possibly be doing it now.

Not until that final out, not until Keith Foulke jogged the ball half way to first base and threw his excessively cautious underhand toss–and not until Doug Mientkiewicz actually caught it for out number three of game number four in the bottom of inning number nine–did you really believe they were going to win. Until that moment, something could go wrong. It had gone wrong in the past–very, very wrong. There was, after all, The Curse, which still could show up to stop the Red Sox when they needed only a simple out. It had happened before. Why should this year be any different?

The win in 2004 was magical, something many Red Sox fans had waited full lifetimes to witness. Headlines all over New England had a single, emphatically printed word: Finally!

This year, we knew the Red Sox were going to win the World Series even before the last game started. The Curse was dead, and nothing was going to stop this team. They simply were the better team by far, and it was just a matter of time. Certainly, the Rockies could win a game or two, but not four. Not against these Red Sox.

The 2007 Red Sox were the best team in baseball all year. Yes, they had intervals of mediocrity, and there were other teams that played amazing ball in the final weeks, including the Colorado Rockies. But the Red Sox’s 96 wins at the end of the regular season was tied only by Cleveland (the true runner up this year). They won their division for the first time in a great while, then earned the American League pennant by taking three straight against the Indians after trailing in the series 3-1. When it came time to play the World Series, they were expected to win. And when they did win, it was great. We stood there in the living room beaming at the TV as the players jumped all over each other. But if it was not magical like in 2004, that’s okay. That team had defied History to win the title. This team simply was the best.

And now, of course, we expect them to win every year. But all I want at the moment is to get some sleep.