With baseball season right around the corner, why not bring up the greatest curses and superstitions the sport has to offer?
- The Curse of the Bambino
This is probably the most famous, involving the Boston Red Sox and Babe Ruth. After Ruth was traded to the New York Yankees in 1919, the Sox went 86 years without winning a World Series until 2004. The Yankees became the best and most profitable sports team in history. - The Curse of the Billy Goat
The Chicago Cubs suffered the wrath of this farmhouse animal from 1945 to 2016. Lasting 71 years, this came from Billy Goat Tavern owner William Sianis. Sianis was attending the 1940s game and brought his pet goat. Fans soon got irritated by the smell, and Sianis was asked to leave. He then said, “Them Cubs, they ain’t gonna win no more,” and the Cubs didn’t until 2016. - The Curse of the Black Sox
The White Sox were headed for another championship until several star players were suspended late in the 1920 season. This curse keep the White Sox from winning a championship from 1917 to 2005. A large group of Sox fans discredit the idea of a curse and say it was a ploy by the media to sensationalize the team just to increase viewership. - The Curse of Rocky Colavito
This affects the poor town of Cleveland, Ohio, as if Cleveland sports need any more bad juju. Rocky Colavito was a popular player and was traded in the 1960s. He didn’t place the curse, but his trade was strong enough to make sure the Indians haven’t won a World Series since. Colavito was traded to Detroit for Harvey Kuenn. Colavito was the American league home run champion, and fans saw it as poor management. - The Curse of the Colonel
We can’t forget our friends overseas who love the sport of baseball as much as we do! In the ’80s, there was a curse placed on the Kansai-based Hanshin Tigers baseball team by the ghost of the dead KFC founder – Colonel Sanders. Weird, right? Don’t worry. It gets weirder. A fan who was celebrating after the 1985 Japan Championship series is held responsible. The colonel statue, resting peacefully in front at a KFC, was thrown into the Dotonbori River. After this, the team suffered an 18-year losing streak. Some fans thought the curse would not end until the statue was recovered. It was finally found in 2009. - The Curse of Coogan’s Bluff
From 1958 to 2010, the San Fransisco Giants were set to lose due to their move from the empire state to San Fran. The curse ended in 2010 when they won the World Series. - The Ex-Cubs Factor
This one gets deep. Imagine having three ex-Cubs players on your team and thinking you’ll win a World Series. Ha! Think again. This was a hypothesis that began in the ’80s. It made a point to say that if you have too many of their ex-players, you won’t win. Several teams have had many ex-Cubs together and made it all the way to the final contest. But they never came out on top. The Milwaukee Braves; the LA Dodgers, twice; and even the Yankees all have experience in this area. - The Mets Bobblehead Curse
Every Mets player who has had a bobblehead of them made has gone downhill immediately after. Mike Piazza is a perfect example, being the first one to have one made after him. The next year, instead of his usual 33, he only hit 11 home runs. - The Curse of A-Rod
In 2003 the Texas Rangers saw a sad, sad feat. Alex Rodriguez was the MVP, and his batting averages were second to none. The Rangers then decided to trade him to the Red Sox. Eventually, the Yankees got him, and they still had not won a championship. They started comparing his trade to the curse that happened when Babe Ruth was traded. Finally, in 2009, they saw a World Series win. - The Curse of Donnie Baseball
The year after his retirement, Don Mattingly was passed up for the Baseball Hall of Fame. A journalist said that Mattingly was cursed. He played first base for the Yankees, and they never won a World Series with him. But he did have great success! Then, in 2004, he returned to the NYY as a hitting coach. They completely bombed it and lost to the Red Sox. Two years after he left the coaching gig, they won.
Written by: Shelby Williams
