Hurley: Don't let recent run convince you that Red Sox are going somewhere

For most clear-headed and impartial individuals, last year's Patriots season was a bit of a magical, charmed sort of run. Fortuitous? Yes. But also very real. They won 14 games en route to winning the AFC -- they hang banners for that in some corners of the world, you know -- and played in the Super Bowl. Any way you slice it, that's a real and successful season.

Yet there was one man who made it his mission to undercut that reality any chance he got, as he seemed determined to let everyone know that it was, as he bluntly put it, "fool's gold."

And while I don't share the same extensive collection of foofaraw to wear on my head, and while I don't believe I share the same eagerness to micturate into the proverbial punch bowl, I do feel an obligation to state unequivocally and with no prejudice or partiality that people ought to keep clear eyes about the current and future state of the Boston Red Sox.

Or, to just come right out and be a Cam Newton: Don't fall for the fool's gold.

Of course, you might be saying that to deliver such a statement on the heels of the Red Sox' second sweep of the entire season is in poor taste. Perhaps so. But I must share that some momentum toward this peculiar swell of Belief (with a capital B) has been building for some time.

It might have started on Sunday afternoon, with this tweet:

That one had odd timing, as Brayan Bello had been tagged for seven runs in a non-competitive start that afternoon in Atlanta, but the statement was clear: The Red Sox aren't as far away from being a good team as the 19-27 record (at the time) might indicate.

Theo Epstein, whose role behind the scenes at Fenway Sports Group remains somewhat of a mystery, pushed that narrative forward in an appearance on the Dirt From The Dugout Podcast.

"The pitching and defense have been fantastic, and ... that’s not an easy feat, to have that foundation now," Epstein said. "Having to figure out the offense and fix it midstream is important. But yeah, there's something to build around, the pitching and defense, and I know [Craig Breslow] and the guys are hard at work on fixing the offense."

With the Red Sox in the midst of sweeping the Royals in Kansas City this week, more of the commentary followed. NESN's Tom Caron pointed out that the Red Sox are in a similar -- and perhaps better -- position as they were a year ago, when they ended up making the playoffs.

Speaking of October, WEEI's Adam Jones -- not exactly your prototypical root-root-root-for-the-home-team type of local sports commentator -- started to believe that this year's Red Sox would be a tough out if they're able to make it to the postseason.

By Thursday, you had Rob Bradford on that same show declaring that the Red Sox are just one Yordan Alvarez away from being a World Series contender.

You get the idea. This is not to call out people whom I and many others like and respect. It is merely to note that the observation of this movement is not imaginary.

Yet, using every ounce of that due respect, I think some folks might be out of their minds.

The idea, I suppose, is that given the effectiveness of the pitching staff (top 10 in WHIP and ERA despite still missing Garrett Crochet) and defense (No. 1 in multiple team defensive metrics), the Red Sox are merely a bat or two away from being a viable big league baseball team, one poised to make a run into and perhaps even through October.

That thinking might lead many down a path to believe that if Breslow can merely upgrade the offense with a deal or two, then this Red Sox season can be not only salvaged but fully resurrected