I try not to buy too much into curses, superstition, and luck
however I do enjoy folklore. I figured since the Chicago Cubs have now brought
an end to their 108 year drought it was a fitting time to discuss one of the
greatest curses in sports history; The Curse of the Billy Goat. While only a
superstition, to many Cubs fans this curse was the root cause to their many
many many years of suffering.
The Legend of the Curse
The Cubs last won
the World Series in 1908 against the New York Giants thanks to an infamous
baserunning mistake by Fred Merkle, known as Merkle's Boner. Some Cubs fans
believe the curse came after this game since they had won the championship off
of a mistake. However although they did not win a championship they remained a
good team throughout the next 30 years appearing in the World Series 6 more
times. However a new curse around in the 1940s which would become one of the
most popular curses in sports, the Curse of the Billy Goat.
Just like any
classic folktale the origins of the Billy Goat Curse are disputed and there is
no actual historical evidence of whether it happened or not. However the story
arose from an instance in 1945, the last time the Chicago Cubs were in the
World Series. William Sianis, was a local Greek bar owner, who had opened a bar
called the Billy Goat Tavern. He was known for his eccentric behavior as a
means to increase business.
William
"Billy Goat" saw the 1945 World Series as the perfect opportunity to
market his bar while cheering for the Cubs. In doing so he brought his goat to
game 4 at Wrigley Field where the Cubs were facing the Detroit Tigers. However
he was stopped by the Wrigley ushers who would not allow his pet goat into the
stadium stating that the goat smelled too much. At that point William made a
great scene in front of many, loudly declaring that the Cubs will never win a
World Series again. He took his act a step further by writing a letter to the
owner of the Cubs, Philp K Wrigley, that the Cubs would never win again for
disrespecting his goat. Following this exchange, the Cubs would go on to lose
the World Series to the Tigers, at which point William declared it was the Cubs
who stank and not his goat.
The Longest Drought in Baseball
The Longest Drought in Baseball
Following their loss
at the 1945 World Series, the Cubs would embark on a 71 year period without
making it to the World Series. It did not take long for journalists to recall
the incident as a good explanation as to why the Cubs continued to lose. One of
the more popular of these journalists was Mike Royko who published numerous
articles in the 70s for the Chicago Sun Times about the Billy Goat Curse.
Looking back however this was most likely a ploy to increase sales for both the
Billy Goat Tavern as well as the Chicago Sun Times. Nonetheless it became a
household legend throughout Chicago as to why the Cubs could not make it to the
World Series.
Before his death
in 1969, William Sianis claimed the curse had been lifted, however the Cubs
continued to lose over the next few decades. In 1984 under the new ownership of
the Tribune Company, the goat was welcomed into the stadium for the season
opener. That season the Cubs made it to the playoffs for the first time in
nearly 30 years. In the NLCS matchup against the San Diego Padres they were
only 8 eights away from going to the World Series when a routine groundball
went thru the legs of first baseman, Leon Durham. The Padres would then go on
to win the remaining games in the series, eliminating the Cubs. It appeared the
curse was still as alive as ever.
The Cubs continued
their losing ways for years after however did make it to the playoffs a few
more times. In 1989 they made it to the NLCS yet lost to the Giants; in 1998
they had a very good season led by their homerun superstar Sammy Sosa however
they were swept by the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS.
One of the most
infamous references to the Billy Goat curse came in the 2003 NLCS against the
Florida Marlins. I remember this one quite well since I was a freshmen in high
school and Cubs fever was everywhere. The Cubs were having a very hot season
led by their incredible starting pitchers of Kerry Wood and Mark Prior. It was
game 6 when the curse made it's greatest appearance yet. The Cubs were ahead 3
to 2 games on the Marlins, up by 3 runs, in the top of the 8th, and were only 5
outs away from going to the World Series. When a fly ball was hit towards the
right field, Moises Alou appeared to have the catch yet was suddenly interfered
with by a fan reaching for the ball. That poor fan, Steve Bartman, went down
into Cubs folklore as the turning point in that series. The Cubs would go on to
lose that game as well as the next one which eliminated them. It was one of the
most heartbreaking events in sports I have ever witnessed. After that it was
easy to understand how the curse had become more believable.
Following that
heartbreaking loss, the Cubs went on to have several more terrible seasons. In
2007 and 2008 they strung together two more playoff appearances yet loss both
times in the NLDS first to the Diamondbacks then to the Dodgers. They had
several more losing seasons, and the Tribune Company later sold the franchise
the Rickets, which finally paved the way for new light.
The End of the Curse
It was first in
2015 that the Cubs appeared as a credible contender. They had a completely new
look under the management of Theo Epstein and Joe Maddon. The young team made
an impressive run into the playoffs, defeating the Pirates in the Wild Card,
defeating the Cardinals in the NLDS, yet getting swept in the NLCS against the
Mets. However at that point many Cubs fans felt a hope that had not felt in
almost a lifetime. That for once the team was actually very talented and would
be back for years to come.
And sure enough
the following year the Chicago Cubs had the best record in baseball and went on
to win the World Series against the Cleveland Indians in dramatic fashion. In
game 7, the curse would not go down without a fight and made one final dramatic
appearance in the top of 8th sending the game into extra innings. However this
extra drama, only made the story all the sweeter as the Cubs were able to
overcome the final obstacles. After 108 years without a championship, and 71
years without even appearing, the Cubs had finally brought an end to all
curses. And now one can only hope that they will continue their winning ways
long into the foreseeable future.
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