It happened during the most deserted hours of the early morning of October 28th. Across the country, people slept, overnight shifts ended, and Red Sox fans celebrated. With tired bodies and teary eyes, we willed ourselves to stay awake to further enjoy the moment we had waited so long for. Over beer or coffee, sometimes both, we rehashed the game and the series, fearing the end to the day that sleep threatened to bring. High on the adrenaline that only the playoffs can provide, we said something rash, but at the time, we believed it to be true.

"If the Red Sox don't win another World Series for five years, it doesn't matter. If Johnny Damon hits under the Mendoza line next year, so be it. If Mark Bellhorn retires and moves to Amsterdam next year, that's ok."

We were drunk on Tequila and the Red Sox; at that moment, the future didn't matter. We were only interested in living in the present, because let's face it - the Red Sox's present had never been that much of a gift.

But now here we are, eight months later, and our words seem foreign to us. At least, to some of us.

* * *

It's almost July and the Red Sox are in first place in the AL East with a record of 44-32, despite some injuries, including that of pitching ace Curt Schilling. On the surface, there's not much to complain about in Boston this summer. But walk out to the bullpen and take a look around and you might find that things aren't as solid as they seem.

Mike Timlin and Alan Embree are in danger of being Quantrilled due to Francona's lack of trust in the rest of the bullpen. We're still two weeks from the All Star Game, and Mike Timlin has pitched 38.1 innings and Alan Embree has pitched 32.1. To put those numbers in perspective, last year they pitched a total of 76.1 and 52.1, respectively.

And then there is the matter of our closer. Keith Foulke has been less than stellar this season, to say the least. According to Nick Cafardo in today's Globe, "Foulke has an 11.00 ERA in save situations in 2005 -- in 18 innings, he's allowed 29 hits, 22 earned runs, 6 walks, and struck out 12. In non-save situations he has a 1.40 ERA in 19 1/3 innings."

Many think that Theo owes it to the team to go out and find a quality closer - a guy who can be trusted on the mound late in a one run game. No matter what Foulke has done in the past, the bottom line is that he is not the same pitcher this year, so lots of Red Sox fans are ready to say thank you and goodbye to Keith Foulke and welcome a new closer to Fenway. Still, others are steadfast in their dedication to the guy who stood on the mound as the Red Sox became World Champions. They would prefer to see Foulke remain the team's closer, as they trust that if he keeps pitching, eventually he will work through his problems and become the pitcher he was last year.

The fact of the matter is this: when we said that the immediate future of the team was of little consequence, they were the best team in the league. Who were we to think that things would change so quickly? But now that they have, how long are we willing to give these players a pass because of their performances last season?

What most of us didn't realize last October is that the competitive nature of sports infects all of us. No matter how many heartbreaks you suffer, no matter how many times you say, "I hate this team" in a fit of passion, no matter how many times you celebrate a victory, some things never change - we want to see our team succeed. We hope to see them work hard and reap the rewards that come with such an effort. For most lifelong fans, it's impossible to store away your competitive fire. If it was possible, we would watch each night through distant eyes, enjoying the wins and quickly dismissing the losses. But for those of us who live and breathe the game, that's not an option.

Will Keith Foulke be relegated to the role of middle reliever while Theo works his magic to bring a solid closer to Boston? Or, will Theo, like so many fans, stand by the reliever that shut the door on the Cardinals in October and hope that his mechanics return to normal?

I, for one, am hoping to see Theo show the baseball world the same kind of fortitude he exhibited when he traded Nomar and bring in an effective closer. I appreciate everything Keith Foulke did in the 2004 postseason, and I will never forget the way I felt when he lobbed the ball to Mientkiewicz at first. But this is a new season. And I want to see the Boston Red Sox win a World Series. Again.