THE Boston Red Sox try to build on their new image of success, while the Colorado Rockies write the first chapter of their Fall Classic history in U.S. Major League Baseball’s World Series starting tonight.

The Red Sox shed their lovable losers label in 2004 when they became baseball’s first team to overcome a 3-0 playoffs deficit, winning four straight from the Yankees, before sweeping the Cardinals for their first Series crown in 86 years.

Boston showed their grit once again in battling back to beat Cleveland for the American League pennant after falling behind three games to one, outscoring the Tribe 30-5 in taking three in a row.

Colorado hope to pen a happy ending to a Cinderella run to a first World Series in their 15th year in existence.

The soaring Rockies have won 21 of their last 22 games and 10 straight, including playoff sweeps against the Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks to go from longshot playoff hopefuls to National League champions.

Colorado have also mastered the art of the comeback this season, getting great pitching in their charge to the national league title with a postseason earned run average of 2.08 to go along with young sluggers like Matt Holliday and Troy Tulowitzky.

The Colorado comeback kids were 4.5 games out of the wildcard chase Sept. 15 before climbing back. In a one-game playoff against San Diego Padres for the postseason berth, the Rockies overcame a two-run deficit in the 13th inning to win.

Josh Beckett, the American League MVP winner of two games against the Indians, is expected to start the best-of-seven Series opener at Boston’s Fenway Park against Colorado lefty Jeff Francis.

Beckett, who won World Series MVP honours in Florida’s 2003 triumph over the Yankees, said he is focused and full of confidence when he takes the mound in the postseason.

“Nobody wants it more than me,” the hard-throwing righthander said after Sunday’s pennant-clinching 11-2 over the Indians on Sunday.

(SD-Agencies)