Chicago Cubs’ fans to donate goats to needy families in an attempt to lift curse – MLB news
Chicago Cubs’ fans made yet another plan to lift “the curse of the Billy goat” that has prevented them from winning the World Series since 1945. This time they are planning to donate goats to families in need. For this, they will take help from a relief and development organization, World Vision, which specializes in donating goats to families in places like Uganda which they use for cheese, milk and yogurt.
The Curse finds its route back in 1945. The Cubs were in game four of a World Series against the Detroit Tigers at Wrigley Field when Billy Sianis, the owner of Billy Goat Tavern, was asked to leave the ballpark because his goat's stink was agitating other fans. Sianis got angry and cursed them with these famous words “Them Cubs, they aren't gonna win no more."
Sianis family also claimed that Billy Sianis dispatched a telegram to Cubs’ owner Philip K. Wrigley which read, “You are going to lose this World Series and you are never going to win another World Series again. You are never going to win a World Series again because you insulted my goat.”
And he was quite right. The Cubs were defeated by the Tigers in the same game and continue to lose that World Series by 4-3. Since then the club has never won a World Series.
Another factor that strengthens fans’ belief in this curse is the number of players who couldn’t win World Series while playing for the Cubs and won it when they were transferred to some other team. Center fielder Andy Pafko who was part of the team during the 1945 World Series, won the world series with Milwaukee in 1957. Lou Brock, who was transferred to the St. Louis Cardinals midway through the 1964 season, won the World Series in the same year. Same was the case with Glenallen Hill and Scott Eyre who won the world series with Yankees and Phillies respectively due to a mid season trade.
Cubs’ management and fans tried almost everything in the past to show their “sincere fondness for goats,” which is a cure suggested by the Sianis family. In the 80s and 90s, the nephew of Billy Sianis, Sam Sianis, was brought into the Wringly field with a goat several times but that didn’t help the Cubs. In 2003, Cubs fans headed towards Astros with a Billy goat named "Virgil Homer" but they were not allowed to enter the Astros’ home park. To satisfy themselves, they proclaimed that the Astros had reversed the curse to their side but it proved wrong two years later as the Astros won their first world series berth in 2005.
With the regular season started on Thursday, it will be interesting to see whether the efforts made by Cubs fans will pay off or will it be another season of disappointment for them.
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