The season had plenty of highlights: Mo Vaughn hit 39 home runs, John Valentin cemented his position as best shortstop in the AL, free agent Erik Hanson had a great season, and Pirates castoff Tim Wakefield had three months of godhood as he contended for the Cy Young. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be; the 95 Sox were a good team, but they weren't a great one. The offense fell short in the Division Series, and Wakefield fell apart in August and September.

Fortunately, there is hope for the future. The farm system appears just about ready to blossom again, most likely producing pitcher Jeff Suppan and OF/DH Jose Malave. General Manager Dan Duquette has expressed an interest in re-signing Hanson and possibly Jose Canseco, and there are rumors surrounding Craig Biggio. (It's mid-October 1995 as I write this.) Duquette has proven adept at turning castoffs into quality players; in addition to Wakefield, the Sox worked with Troy O'Leary, Lee Tinsley and Dwayne Hosey in 1995. O'Leary looks like a solid platoon player, and Hosey may well be a solid player and has an outside chance at stardom.

And it was a fun season. I got to see Tim Wakefield shut down the Twins in July at Fenway park. He nailed Chuck Knoblauch trying to steal home in the first inning, and later picked someone off of first. Sox win 4-1. And then I saw the last two games of the season in Milwaukee. Both were 8-1 blowouts, with each team winning a game. Troy O'Leary looked very impressive in right field in the first game, but the second game was pretty pathetic from a Sox standpoint. Well, two outta three ain't bad!

I think it will be a couple of years before the Sox are really ready to go to the World Series, but that day does seem to be in sight. Can we break the Curse of the Bambino before the millennium is out?