The Chicago Cubs finished the 2008 season with a record of 94-67. For those of you who do not follow baseball, 94 is the total number of wins and and 67 is the total number of losses. The Cubbies had the National League's best record and received the number one seed in the playoffs. The cubs played the weakest team in that qualified for the playoffs in the National League, the Dodgers. The team formerly know as the White Stockings even received home field advantage throughout the playoffs. On paper, this team should be on track for the World Series. However, there is one attribute that the Cubs posses that is not desired by any team in the MLB, a curse.
The Curse of the Billy Goat was brought upon the Cubs when man named Billy Sianis was told to leave the 1945 World Series because his pet goat was disrupting some fans. Billy did leave Wrigley Field, but not before he placed a curse on the Cubs. The curse has made its presence felt ever since 1945. In 1969, the Cubs blew a 8.5 game lead in August to the Mets and lose the division. In 1984 the Cubs lose a National League championship to the the Padres due to a ball going under the legs of their first baseman.(ESPN.com) In 2003, the Cubs were ahead in the National League Championship Series 3 games to 1. In the 8th inning there was a foul ball hit towards the left field foul line. Instead of Moises Alou making the third out with a catch, a fan by the name of
Steve Bartman leaned over the railing and caught the foul ball. The cubs would later lose the series and Bartman has disappeared from society. He has even turned down millions in interview request from major new companies.
The latest impact the curse has had on the Cubs was in the current postseason. The Dodgers swept the Cubs 3-0 . The number one team throughout the entire season was swept. The result was not lack of talent. One of the greatest hitters in the league, Alfonso Soriano, currently plays for Chicago. The pitching staff was un-hittable in 2008. Carlos Zambrono through a no-hitter only a month ago. There is only one logical explanation for the loss, a curse.
Will the curse ever be broken? How do you break the spell? Can the Cubs ever win in Wrigley? These question can only be answered with time. If you really someone really wants to know the answer, they better be ready for a long wait. The Cubs have not won a World Series since 1908.
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