Reply to thread

Message: [QUOTE="SWC75, post: 1925911, member: 289"] The Cubs have now overcome "The Curse of the Goat", (and invention of Mike Royko and his tavern-owner friend) and the Indians are dealing with "The Curse of Colavito", (I assume that's about winning the World Series since they've been there a couple of times in recent years). The problem with both is that they don't cover the whole period of frustration. The Cubs won the fourth and fifth World Series in 1907-08. They were back in the series in 1910 but lost to the Athletics. In 1918 they lost to the Red Sox, (the "Curse of the Bambino" hadn't even started yet). They had a great stretch in 1929-38, going to the Series every three years - and losing to the A's, the Yankees, the Tigers and the Yankees again. Then they lost to the Tigers in 1945. That's seven straight losses in the World Series, something's that's been matched only by the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1916-1953. So they were the equivalent of the pre-championship Brooklyn Dodgers even before the Curse of the goat. The Indians won the Series over the Braves in 1948, (think of all the puns). They remained contenders for years afterwards. They were probably the second best team of the 1950's, behind the Yankees. But that was the problem. they were behind the Yankees, except in 1954 when they set an American league record for wins with 111 that lasted for 44 years. For many years the winningest teams in the history of the two leagues were the 1906 Cubs and the 1954 Indians, both of whom were upset in the World Series. It had already been 11 years of frustration when Rocky Colavito was traded by Frank "Trader" Lane, (who, like George Steinbrenner, made moves just o make headlines) to the Tigers. Since all that is needed for a curse is to make up a story decades after an event, I'll have a go at it. The Cubs' curse has nothing to do with a goat. I think it has to do with this man: [IMG]http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/002/427/798/fredmerklepic01_display_image.jpg?1342794432[/IMG] He looks kind of evil, doesn't he? He is Fred Merkle, a New York Giant whose base-running mistake against the Cubs allegedly cost the Giants the 1908 pennant. Of course there is more to it than that and merkle was more victim than perpetrator: [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkle%27s_Boner"]Merkle's Boner - Wikipedia[/URL] It makes perfect sense to me that the put-upon Merkle would have put some kind of curse on the Cubs in revenge. Curses are always aobut some kind of injustice. If he did, it would account for the entire 108 years, not just the last 71. It makes sense to me, so I'm going with it. Perhaps the most significant even in the Indiana's road to the championship in 1948 was a decision by the great Joe McCarthy to pitch this man: [IMG]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Denny_Galehouse_Browns.jpg[/IMG] for the Red Sox team he was now managing, (the Yankees had dumped him after 7 World Series titles), in the playoff for the AL pennant against the Indians. He looks like he's been on the wrong side of history, doesn't he? His name is Denny Galehouse, who started his career as a Cleveland Indian in 1934. he was unable to stem the tide against his old teammates: [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1948_American_League_tie-breaker_game"]1948 American League tie-breaker game - Wikipedia[/URL] He was an 8-8 pitcher with a 4.00 ERA. Three Boston starters had better records, three with better ERAs: [URL="http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/BOS/1948.shtml"]1948 Boston Red Sox Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics | Baseball-Reference.com[/URL] The one with the worse ERA had the best record at 18-5. Galehouse didn't submit to an interview about that game for 41 years. He said " “When people find out who I am, that’s [the playoff game] all they want to talk about.” I think Denny Galehouse may have put a curse on his old team, who had cuased him so much pain over the years. He probably didn't but it's a free country and I get to think whatever I want, especially when it's fun, (just like the voters). So that's was this series is: the Battle of the Curses". The Curse of Merkle vs. the Curse of Galehouse. May the best curse lose. [/QUOTE]

Verification: What is a Syracuse fan's favorite color?