MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Dave Pishkur looked around from his front-row seat down the left-field line at Wrigley Field. It was Oct. 14, 2003. The Andrean baseball coach and lifelong Cubs fan was amazed by what he saw and what it said about the fragile psyche of Cubdom.
Chicago led Florida three games to two. There was one out in the eighth inning and Mark Prior led 3-0, with a three-hitter going while facing Juan Castillo. Pishkur took one long look around the ballpark and took it all in.
"There were signs all over the place," Pishkur said. "And I bet one in five said something about 'The Curse.'"
This voodoo curse which was allegedly cast at Wrigley at Game 4 of the 1945 World Series. William Sianis said the Cubs would never get back to the World Series because the tavern owner was asked to leave because his goat, sitting next to him, smelled. The Cubs lost to the Tigers that year, and they haven't been back since.
"I don't believe in it," Pishkur said. "We took a picture of the scoreboard with one out in the eighth. We were going to take a picture after each out. We never took another one."
The infamous fingers of Steve Bartman helped the Marlins score eight runs, on their way to the World Series and championship. And Chicago just believed that they were cursed by the baseball gods. Or that blasted barnyard creature.
As the Cubs ready themselves for today's must-win Division Series Game 3 at Wrigley against Arizona, the fans -- with visions of black cats, a guy with headphones and grounders rifling through the legs of sure-handed infielders -- will nervously hope against hope, wondering if curses do exist in the world. Or, if they do just for Cubs fans.
Purdue professor of communication Glenn Sparks specializes in the effects of mass media on the paranormal. He doesn't believe in curses. But he is a lifelong Cubs fan.
"I've studied the role that the media plays in things like this," Sparks said. "If the Chicago media brings up the goat every time the Cubs lose, it becomes difficult for the fans. If stories are written about the goat, (Steve Bartman) or the black cat, then people have to work to convince themselves this doesn't really exist.
"And for Cubs fans, that's difficult."
Chicago's National League team hasn't won a World Series since 1908. Making it more difficult is the Red Sox breaking the Curse of the Bambino in 2004. Now, Cubs fans feel like they're on an island all by themselves. And as close playoff games go into the later innings, a sense gloom can permeate all of Wrigleyville.
Sparks believes that is a plausible explanation of what happened in 2003.
"The energy of the crowd, in this case negative, can affect the players on the field," Sparks said. "For something that runs this deep in Cubs lore, it is plausible. Even if it is a completely false belief, that belief can bring something about. I think it's counterproductive for the Chicago media to keep playing that song."
Crete psychic Irene Hughes believes in curses. The 87-year-old Cubs fan believes the alignment of the planets could have influenced the goat, which in turn influenced a baseball team, which in turn influenced generations of fans. The position of Saturn, she said, hasn't helped the Cubbies. But help is on the way.
"They're going into a great cycle," Hughes said. "I don't think they're going to get to the World Series this year. But they're close. Next year is their year. In 2008 they will win it all. The planets have moved to allow this to happen. When this happens, the goat will die."
Complete Cubs coverage
The Cubs' Rich Hill to take the mound today as he attempts to stave off elimination, plus George Castle's take on the NLDS. B8
History of a curse
Here is a brief history of the Curse of the Billy Goat that's haunted the Cubs for 62 years.
1945: William "Billy Goat" Sianis took his goat "Murphy" to Game 4 of the World Series at Wrigley Field. The Cubs led Detroit two games to one. Sianis paraded Murphy around the field with a sign hanging that said, "We Got Detroit's Goat." The local tavern owner gave two tickets and they watched the game until Cubs owner P.K. Wrigley ordered the two to leave because of the animal's smell. Sianis said the Cubs would never get back to the Series again. And after the Tigers won Game 7, he sent a telegram to Wrigley which asked, "Who stinks now?"
1969: The Cubs owned a nine and a half game lead over the Mets in August. But on Sept. 9 at Shea Stadium, a black cat ran onto the field and hissed at Ron Santo, who was in the on-deck circle. The Cubs went 8-17 in September, losing to the World Champion Mets by eight games. It was, and still is, one of baseball's greatest collapses in history.
1984: The Cubs took a 2-0 lead over San Diego in the NLCS, but back in California the goat was Steve Garvey's fist in the air and Leon Durham's glove. The Padres won three straight to get to the Series.
2003: After beating Atlanta in the Division Series, the Cubs stormed to a 3-1 lead over Florida. In Game 6 at Wrigley, the Cubs were five outs away from breaking the curse. Leading 3-0, Mark Prior induced Juan Castillo to fly to left. Left fielder Moises Alou leaped toward the sky near the bricks. Steve Bartman, who was in Aisle 4, Row 8 and Seat 113, stuck his hand out and hit the ball away from Alou. A walk was followed by a grounder was booted by shortstop Alex Gonzalez's legs. The Marlins scored eight in the inning on their way to the championship.
http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/ ... 25f181.txt
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
