1945 - ??

The infamous black cat circles Ron Santo in 1969 at Shea Stadium, just before the "Mircale Mets" write another chapter of the Cubs curse.

The curse placed on the Chicago Cubs seems like it has lasted a lifetime, and unfortunately for many of us it has.  While the Cubs have not won the World Series since 1908, the curse actually began in 1945 - the last time the Cubs made the World Series. As legend has it, the curse began on October 6th, 1945.  This was the day of Game 4 of the World Series, with the Cubs holding a 2-1 lead over the Tigers, and the next four games to be played at Wrigley Field.  However, William "Billy Goat" Sianis, owner of the Billy Goat Tavern and a lifelong Cubs fan, showed up to the ballpark with two tickets, one for himself - and one for his pet goat, Murphy.  After struggling his way into the park, Mr. Sianis and his goat took their place in the box seats he had purchased - only after causing a commotion by having the goat run onto the field.  They were almost ejected before the game, but since Mr. Sianis had two tickets and they said nothing about animals being banned, they were reluctantly allowed to stay.  However, later in the game, on the orders of Cubs owner P.K. Wrigley, Mr. Sianis and his goat were ejected, "Because the goat stinks."  As the curse goes, an angry Sianis threw his arms in the air in disgust and proclaimed, "The Cubs ain't gonna win no more. The Cubs will never win a World Series so long as the goat is not allowed in Wrigley Field."  And so began the curse that this site so desperately wants reversed.  The Cubs went on to lose that World Series in 7 games to the Tigers.  They haven't even been back since.  After that Series collapse, Sianis sent a telegram to Wrigley that read "Who Stinks Now?"

      While earning the moniker of 'Lovable Losers' for their many last place seasons that still manage to draw legions of fans, the Cubs have also had several near successes that only further fuel belief in the curse.  The first such instance was the 1969 season.  With a lineup that included Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins, and Ron Santo, it looked like it would finally be the Cubs year.  In mid-August the Cubs had a seemingly insurmountable 9 1/2 game lead over the New York Mets.  However, the Mets started to get hot, and the Cubs began to slump.  Some say their doom was written on September 9, 1969, during a pivotal series at Shea Stadium.  On that day, a black cat, a definite sign of bad luck, ran around Ron Santo in the on-deck circle and near the Cubs dugout before scurrying beneath the stands.  The Cubs would lose that game and collapse down the stretch, finishing 9 games behind the Mets.  Arguably the best Cubs team ever, and no October glory to show for it as a result of the curse.

      The goat would attempt a comeback on July 4, 1973.  This time, it was Sam Sianis, a cousin of the late Billy Goat Sianis, who with the help of a Tribune reporter would attempt to bring his goat in order to lift the curse.  Arriving in a white limo to a red carpet entrance up to the main gate, the goat Socrates, a descendant of Murphy, wore a sign that read, ""All is forgiven. Let me lead the Cubs to the pennant."  However, the goat was again denied admission.  The Cubs, who led the division by 8 games on that day, dropped 16 of their next 20 en route to another losing season.  The curse continued.

Despite a great year in 1984, the Cubs and Leon Durham were seemingly bit by the curse, as a ground ball, and the Cubs season, rolled through Durham's legs in Game 5 of the NLCS.

On April 13, 1984, Opening Day at Wrigley Field, Sam Sianis was this time invited with his goat to Wrigley Field, the first return trip for a goat to the Friendly Confines since that fateful day in 1945.  This led to an improbable summer where the Cubs would cruise to the Eastern Division title with a 96-65 record and Ryne Sandberg leading the way as National League MVP.  However, with no goat in sight for the Playoffs, the curse once again reamed its ugly head.  The Cubs won the first two games of the best of 5 series with the San Diego Padres, and traveled west needing one victory in 3 games to make the World Series.  After dropping Game 3, the fourth game was tied at 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth when Steve Garvey hit a 2-run homerun off Lee Smith to give the Padres a 7-5 win, and bring the Series hopes of both teams down to a final Game 5.  In that game on Sunday, October 7, 1984, the Cubs had their ace, Rick Sutcliffe on the mound, who had pitched his way to the NL Cy Young award.  Through 5 innings, the Cubs led 3-0, but perhaps overconfidence set in - or perhaps it was the curse.  In the sixth, the Padres closed the gap to 3-2.  But it was the 7th inning that will forever haunt Cubs fans.  There, with one out and a runner at second, a hopping grounder was hit to First Baseman Leon Durham.  If he fields it cleanly, there would be 2 outs and the Cubs would still be nursing a one run lead.  Instead, he didn't get his glove down, and the ball rolled through his legs, allowing the tying run to score.  The Padres would take the lead for good two batters later, sealing the Cubs fate and continuing the decades of torment over the Chicago faithful.

      In both 1989 and 1998, the Cubs made return trips to the postseason, only to get easily knocked out each time.  In 1989, the Cubs again won their division, but were dominated by the Giants in the NLCS, losing the series 4-1.  1998 seemed like it might finally be that magical season.  Rookie Kerry Wood had thrown an unprecedented 20 strikeouts in one game on May 6th.  Then in June, slugger Sammy Sosa began his rise to international star with a record 20 homerun month.  He would battle Mark McGwire the rest of the summer in the great Home Run Chase, eventually being edged out 70-66, but capturing NL MVP honors.  The Cubs, too, battled throughout the summer, hoping to reach the Playoffs through the newly created Wild Card spot.  After dropping their game to Houston on the final day of the season, it looked like they were done for, but the Giants blew a big lead over Colorado in the finale, leaving both teams with identical 89-73 records.  In a one game tie-breaker on September 28, 1998 at Wrigley Field, Sam Sianis and his goat were allowed to enter Wrigley Field prior to the game.  The Cubs won 5-4, advancing to the playoffs against Atlanta.  However, with no goat at their side in the postseason, the Cubs were swept in 3 games by the Braves, and their seemingly magical season still ended with the emptiness of no World Series.

      2003!  If ever it seemed the stars were finally aligned right to end the curse it was in the fall of 2003.  The Cubs swept a double-header on the next to last day of the season to clinch thier first division crown since 1989, and with a dominating pitching staff they looked set to do damage in the playoffs.  Everything seemed to go right to begin with.  Backed by two dominating performances in Atlanta by Kerry Wood in Games 1 and 5, the Cubs squeezed past the Braves to win their first postseason series of any sort since the 1908 World Series.  With a comeback upset of the favored San Francisco Giants by the upstart wild-card Marlins, the Cubs also earned the home-field advantage for the NLCS that they had lacked in previous postseason trips.

Had this foul ball been caught by a leaping Moises Alou, the World Series would have been the Cubs likely destiny in 2003.  But fate intervened again, proving that the curse is still in need of being reversed.

      After dropping Game 1 in an extra innings heartbreaker, the Cubs could do no wrong (for awhile).  They cruised to three straight victories, before dropping Game 5 in Florida.  This would set the stage for the NLCS to return to Wrigley Field, with staff aces Mark Prior and Kerry Wood set to pitch Games 6, and if necessary, Game 7.  Through 8 1/3 innings of that fateful Game 6 on October 14, 2003, the Cubs led the Marlins 3-0.  With Prior in command, the bases empty, and only 5 more outs, it looked like the curse was about to be lifted and Wrigleyville was ready to erupt into a euphoria that had never been seen before.  With Luis Castillo at the plate, Prior threw a fastball that was fouled down the left field line, playable for the Cubs Moises Alou near the guar rail.  Alou seemed to time his jump perfectly, but as he jumped up for the ball, it got knocked off its path by a fan, Steve Bartman, who was looking for a souvenir, seemingly unaware that he had taken the out away from Alou.  An angy outburst by Alou, and a dejected Prior pointing for fan interference, made everyone aware of what had happened.  Castillo would go on to walk in that at-bat.  Following a few more hits and an untimely error by normally sure-handed shortstop Alex Gonzalez, the disgust of fans at Wrigley seemed to be pointed solely at the unfortunate fan who had unwittingly changed history and the fate of a ballclub.  A complete collapse that inning left the Cubs trailing 8-3, and led to Bartman being escorted out of the park by security who feared for the 26 year olds safety.  The Cubs would go on to lose Game 7 the next day, and the Wrigley faithful overwhelmingly pinned the blame on Bartman - the new generations latest, and arguably least fortunate, victim of the dreaded curse. 

      In an effort to possibly end the curse that had been inflicted upon that infamous foul ball, Harry Carey's Restaurant purchase the ball for over $100,000, and announced plans to blow up the ball at the annual toast to the legendary announcer on February 26, 2004.  With the entire team returning healthy from 2003, the Cubs wanted to put their latest misfortune behind them with their new found optimism that this team could finally be the one.  To add to the curse, Sports Illustrated declared on its cover on April 5, 2004 'Cubs Will Win World Series' adding the dreaded cover jinx, as if the curse were not enough to worry about.  Despite plenty of injuries (most notably to Prior and Wood) and a slumping Sammy Sosa, the Cubs still led the Wild Card race by 1 1/2 games with only nine to play.  However, in typical cursed fashion, the Cubs bullpen (most notably LaTroy Hawkins), blew 4 leads in the last 9 games, as the Cubs ended 2-7, finishing in third in the Wild Card race despite actually winning one more game than the year before.  After Sammy Sosa walked out on his teammates on the final day of the season, it became necessary to move him this past offseason.

      Hopefully, with a healthy talented core of Derrek Lee, Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Zambrano and Aramis Ramirez, and a fresh face at manager, the Cubs will make 2007 their year and try to avoid a dreaded century of misery.  This time, with your help......lets finally REVERSE THE CURSE!!!!!!

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