Can the Red Sox Win the World Series for Boston?

The much eagerly anticipated World Series finally starts on Wednesday night with two of baseball's most fabled clubs, the Boston Red Sox taking on the St Louis Cardinals.

While the world debates whether America's big leagues should really be deeming their champions as World Champions especially given that there are strong baseball and basketball leagues outside of the MLB and NBA, there is no doubt that for every baseball fan, the World Series is the bees' knees and the highlight of the year.

Even with the World Series finishing later in the year than ever and right in the middle of college and NFL season, it still grabs the attention of the nation - and the media.

And with the Red Sox in the World Series this year, the media attention will be better than it has been over the last couple of seasons; much as it has been great seeing two Giants wins and a Cardinal win in the middle, the biggest media market in America is definitely the East Coast.

Indeed, not having a team from the East Coast in the World Series since 2009 has hurt the World Series somewhat in the eyes of the media with even the big networks giving the World Series the cold shoulder in favour of Sunday and Monday Night Football.

So it is Boston's most recognised sports team that will probably have much on its head and be the team that everyone wants to see win not just because it is the Boston Red Sox and people want to see them win the World Series and catch up to their great rivals in New York.

Moreover, it is the events of April 15, 2013 which shook the sturdy and rugged city of Boston on one of its most favourite days - Boston Marathon day - that have perhaps inspired this Red Sox side to turn around its disastrous campaign last season and pitched and batted for a wounded city.

We all know about what happened that day with the images of the bombing, the maimed and the perpetrator Tamerlan Tsarnaev, replayed time and time on news networks. What wasn't seen was the hurt that the city suffered in the wake of the marathon bombings and that has poured out into its sports teams, symbolized by the #BostonStrong movement on Facebook and Twitter.

Tragedy seems to galvanize teams and even a Boston Red Sox side that was never expected to challenge for the division title let alone the World Series because of the changes in the roster and on top - John Farrell came in with a great rep from the Toronto Blue Jays but wasn't expected to turn around a team that was appalling in 2012.

The two moments that have capped their turnaround? Shane Victorino's and David Ortiz's grand slams against the Detroit Tigers in the ALCS Championship series that helped the Red Sox get here - a sign of the never-die spirit evident with Dustin Pedroia, Jacob Ellsbury, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and Jack Lester, et al.

A win in the Fall Classic would be fantastic for the Red Sox and make this the sporting story of 2013 period.

But the Red Sox do face an indomitable challenge to their Cinderella story.

Unfortunately, the St Louis Cardinals, a popular team they are amongst baseball fans, will play the role of the evil witch and stepsister this autumn. And they are a formidable team with batting power in Carlos Beltran, Yadier Mollina, David Freese and Matt Holliday and a few terrific starting rota and bullpen. The Cardinals also dispatched another fabled team, i.e. the Los Angeles Dodgers, in clinical fashion and will be very tough at home.

On the other hand, the last time these two played each other in the World Series, the Red Sox won 4-0 and given the trend of the World Series in the last few seasons, a thrashing could very well be on the cards.

Hopefully it's to the Red Sox again.

#BostonStrong