The shift is complete. No more negative vibes about the Red Sox' chances this year. Suddenly, the Sox are the dark horse that everyone loves. They are the trendy pick, not just to make the playoffs, but to win the World Series.

This week Jayson Stark of ESPN and brilliant baseball scribe Tom Boswell of the Washington Post went on record predicting that the Red Sox are going to win the World Series.

It's all going Boston's way. The Sox are the hot team at the right time. They are going to outslug the 1927 Yankees. Their starters are coming together in five-part harmony. The media is on board. Even talk radio. Seldom is heard a discouraging word.

"Actually, I kind of liked it when people were criticizing us," said general manager Theo Epstein, as he watched his mashers take batting practice before last night's 7-4 win against the White Sox. "It seems like our people respond when they're criticized. I don't want everyone to pick us."

Favorite status does have its drawbacks. Paranoid Sox skipper John McNamara, noting that his Sox were picked to finish atop the AL East before the 1988 season, actually said, "Some people pick you to finish first just to see you get fired."

Turns out Mac was right. The Sox did finish first. And he did get fired, in July.

These Sox aren't afraid to be favorites. If anything, it's a switch from the sky-is-falling mind-set that annually plagues Yawkey Way. Newcomer Kevin Millar, who earlier this year spoke out about people rooting against the team and fans frightful of failure, seemed like a player who could best speak to the team's new status as national media darlings.

"To be honest, all we're concerned about is winning baseball games," said Millar, sounding unusually boring. "We control our own destiny, whether it's the wild card or the East.

"This team never got too low when everyone was against us and we're not going to get too high now that people are with us. We're never going to get too happy or too down.

"We've got just the right chemistry here."

As Millar spoke, teammates Mike Timlin and Todd Jones joined the interview. Both renowned media watchers -- Jones has his own column and Timlin wishes he did -- they said they wanted to see how it was done. Using his PayDay candy bar as a microphone, Timlin started asking his own questions.

"Tell me, Kevin, just how important is team chemistry?" Timlin asked.

"Well, I'd say it's probably the most important thing in baseball," answered Millar.

Timlin nodded his head, then took a bite out of his PayDay.

"Your microphone is getting shorter," said Millar.

Oh, those wacky Red Sox. And to think there was a time when they thought the media was against them.

Now they're practically sending pizza up to the press box in mid-game.

"This is the most fun I've ever had in baseball," said owner John Henry (at least I think that's what he said -- Henry is captain of baseball's low-talker team). "I didn't think I'd ever replicate that feeling I had as a kid, when everything was new and magical. But this team is just so much fun. I was just in the locker room and it's such a great group and they're having as much fun as I am."

Henry's made millions (billions?) reading the market, selling pork bellies, and predicting the future.

By his numbers, the Sox' chances of winning the World Series are 10 percent, up 3 percent from a few weeks ago. He welcomes the national media to his bandwagon.

"I guess they're right," said the owner. "It's about time we got recognized. With our offense, if we get pitching we should be difficult to beat. I remember in spring training, Theo asked me how many runs I thought we could score. Nine hundred? Nine fifty? A thousand? [they are at 892]. Now we know it's really going to come down to pitching and we're seeing good signs.

"This week we had the opportunity to pick up another starter and we said, `No.' There's no one we'd want to replace.

"We've certainly got a chance. We need to make the playoffs first."

They will make the playoffs. They almost can't mess this one up. Given their wild-card lead over the Mariners, their 47-24 record at home where they play 10 of the last 16, their low-level opponents and the fact the Mariners and A's play one another six more times, the Sox are a virtual lock to be playing in October.

Some of the wiseguys even think they'll win the World Series -- which would make Fenway in autumn the happiest place on earth.

By Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe Staff.

This story ran in the Boston Globe on 9/13/2003.

Copyright 2003 Globe Newspaper Company.