Twas the night before Christmas and all through the park,

Red Sox fans were rejoicing long into the dark.

Hooray, the curse was exorcised after 86 years,

And the bars in New England were overflowing with beer.

You knew it would take an unforgettable run,

For the Red Sox to finally get the job done.

And it certainly looked grim against the Yanks in Game Four,

With Mariano Rivera poised to close the door.

But, of all things, it took a rarity in Red Sox lore,

A stolen base, believe it or not, that created an uproar.

Then a hit by Mueller, the game was tied,

And, eventually, a homer by Ortiz and the Red Sox were alive.

It was Ortiz again in game five, this time with a base hit,

And the Yankee turtlenecks were becoming an awfully snug fit.

Then came Curt Schilling with his bloodied leg,

And he bravely and miraculously went out and knocked the Yankees down another peg.

It was down to game seven and as everybody now knows,

The Red Sox received a gem from the enigmatic Derek Lowe.

But don’t forget the homers by Damon and Ortiz,

Yes, Virginia, the Red Sox had stunned the Yankee fans by winning in a breeze.

It was on to the Series and the Cards were overcome,

By a team with tremendous chemistry and momentum whose time had finally come.

The buzzsaw created by a first-time feat (overcoming a 3-0 deficit vs. NY),

Clearly led to four straight St. Louis Cardinal defeats.

It was only appropriate that relief ace Keith Foulke snared the final ball,

He had been like money in the bank, when he received manager Terry Francona’s call.

Plenty has happened since that memorable event,

Some players stayed, others went

Pedro Martinez left and took a parting shot,

Shaddup Pedro, you ungrateful snot

The Red Sox paid you well and offered you another attractive wage,

You should have thanked them and politely turned the page.

Enjoy the Mets, you’ll have fun at Shea,

You’ll be out of the pennant race by Independence Day

We’ll miss your antics and your three-pitch array,

Fenway always came alive every fifth day.

But now you’re gone and being replaced by guys named Clement and Wells,

How they’ll do in the rotation, only time will tell.

I have faith in Theo [Epstein], the owners and their blueprint for winning,

Thanks to them, Red Sox fans can still be seen grinning.

Now we turn our attentions to the Super Bowl kings,

Whose Monday night game certainly had a sour ending.

But the loss to Miami may turn out to be,

The kick in the pants that Brady and the Patriots need.

It’s better to learn a lesson during the regular season,

Than to have your postseason ended for the very same reason.

For fans in New England, 2004 may turn out to be a once-in-a-lifetime year,

So go out and deck the halls with all kinds of holiday cheer.

Pray for our brave soldiers as they carry on the fight,

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Larry Mahoney can be reached at 990-8231, 1-800-310-8600 or by email at lmahoney@bangordailynews.net.