Will the city of Boston ever learn?

Will it ever wake up one day and say to itself, "We will not say anything about the Red Sox being a sure lock for the American League East pennant until the last pitch of the last baseball game of the regular sesaon is thrown. We will keep quiet until then."

No way.

Four days ago, the Sox were leading the Yankees by six-and-a-half games. The Boston Herald splashed a huge number eight on the front page, standing for Boston's magic number. Any combination of Yankee losses and Sox wins that add up to eight would give Boston its second title in three years.

Get your tickets to Oakland, honey.

It was supposed to be a lock. The Sox were supposed to put this race away by today. The Yankees, Tigers and yes, even the Milwaukeee Brewers were supposed to be as far away from the Sox as Fenway is from Seoul.

All those great expectations.

Doesn't Boston know that the easiest way to jinx the Sox is to say the race is over before it's really over? The Fat Lady hasn't started singing yet.

Today, the Sox are four-and-a-half games in front of the Yanks and travel to the Bronx tonight for a three-game series at Yankee Stadium. A sweep for the Yankees would make the race a virtual tie. The Yankees would be only one game down in the loss column, and with a week left...

Even if New York takes just two out of three, George's Boys would only be three-and-a-half games out of first place. A pretty big margin, but with the Sox, anything can happen.

A proposition: will the city of Boston please keep quiet until the last pitch of the series is thrown? No mention of the magic number, no mention of trying to make the Series again to face the hated Mets.

Boston, keep quiet. Zip it.

By now, the city of Boston should realize that when it comes to winning pennant races, the Boston Red Sox are a sure bet as picking this year's Green Bay Packers to reach the Super Bowl.

Boston, do you actually think that the ghost of Bill Buckner has left Fenway Park? Do you actually think that the Boston Red Sox, 1918 World Champions, could actually ignore 70 years of its history?

A message to all Bostonians: this is not the Oakland A's These are the Red Sox, your Red Sox. The team that had a chance to run away with this year's race in August but couldn't. The team that had a chance to run away with the title this week but couldn't.

Turn off all the lights in the Prudential Center, shut down Fanueil Hall and lock up the Boston Common until the Red Sox have won it. When they actually clinch the title.

The AL East is no lock yet. Didn't Boston realize this when the Tigers last year came out of nowhere the final week of play to defeat the Blue Jays for the pennant? Did it forget about that unforgettable day 10 years ago in Fenway against the Yankees...

Stop the "T." Evacuate the city to Cape Cod. Tell the Globe and the Herald to not print any magic numbers on any page. Magic can turn back on you.

Mike Greenwell could twist his ankle while running up the stairs of his hotel tonight. Wade Boggs could slip on a bannana peel. Lee Smith could go on a pizza-eating marathon three innings before he faces a basesloaded, no-out situation.

You say it can't happen, Boston?

Bucky Dent.

Bill Buckner.

The 1975 Cinncinati Reds.

That lonely world championship flag has resided in Fenway for 70 years. Ted Williams didn't win one. Yaz didn't win one. Freddie Lynn didn't win one.

Why is this year so different, Beantown? Because Boston has a shorstop named Jody?

Boston, wait until it's over. Until the Red Sox head to Oakland. Then you can say whatever you want for five minutes only. Because the Sox don't need you to jinx their chances of going to the World Series.

Boston, wait until it's over. Until the Red Sox head to Oakland. Then, you can talk about the A.L East champion Red Sox.

But don't talk long, because until the final out of the final game of the World Series is recorded, the ghosts of Fenway will still have a chance to continue their Bosox Jinx.