But if this is exactly how it happened — and I have no reason to doubt you, Josh — this is very similar to “The Curse of the Bambino”, which was also exploded as a myth invented by a Boston sportswriter.

You got it exactly right: let’s go out and win a World Series. It all starts tonight.

The real tragedy is that P.K. Wrigley squandered many an opportunity to turn around the Cubs during his tenure as owner. The Tribune Co. was marginally better.

How come nobody ever brings it up? Wrigley passed over Joe DiMaggio in a no risk deal to acquire him from the San Francisco Seals because of a knee injury. Instead the Yankees got him and the rest is history. He fired manager Phil Cavarretta because he thought Phil had a “defeatist attitude” when Phil didn’t like the subpar players P.K. got.

Some things are mentioned like the failed college of coaches and the failed Bob Whitlow experiment. Still, the media doesn’t give enough credit to things like this and opt for the more ludicrous stories like the billy goat curse.

The only good thing P.K. did was support WGN broadcasting Cubs games on the radio and later TV. He promoted it heavily during his years as owner, especially after WWII.

Granted P.K. Wrigley can only be blamed for 45 years out of 100. The Cubs problems were because of bad management and not silly curses. Today they have a manager, GM, and President that actually cares to win. If the next owner has the same attitude, we will see a different era of Cubs baseball.

I never thought the myth was a good story. The truth isn’t a great story, either. Those 20 seasons from 1947-1966 that the Cubs finished in the bottom half of the National League had nothing to do with any billy goat. There was a billy goat brought to Wrigley Field somewhere around 1982 to lift the so-called curse on the Cubs. Well, the Cubs did improve to 73-89 and fifth place that season after an awful 1981 campaign.

If the Cubs win 11 games this month, we won’t have to hear about this hogwash any longer.

was on the corner of Wabansia and Wolcott?

good post, great information, Lets get game one.

a damper on the whole curse business. This type of thing tends to be an excuse for losing and we really don’t need that kind of negative vibe. Of course, the national media love to pick up on this crap for a cute “story”. I wish they would just do their jobs and give us some real reporting. Go Cubs!

about to jump out of my skin waiting for 5:30. i’m pacing already this morning and have been for hours. lets go cubbies. its time!!

I’d heard parts of this story before, but never as one coherant truth. Cheers to you.

Just win, baby. Just win.

This story definitely fits into that exception. Kudos, Josh.

…I wonder how business at the Billy Goat will be affected by the Cubs winning the WS…..

FWIW – But its my understanding that the original Sianis was actually Sam not Bill, Bill is the current owner and nephew of Sam Sianis. In addition, I had a discussion earlier in the season with a Pete Calis, who knew Sam (and now Bill), this Calis guy completely buys the curse thing…but in everything he told me about the old man Sam, the guy was a self-promoter in every sense of the word…I mean you think woo woo wickers or the guy in the bear costume are out for self, this guy took the cake. I was unaware of many of the details and thanks to Josh for sharing… Incidently, this Mr. Calis…I met him at a Isotopes game here in Albuquerque, he currently lives in Santa Fe and works in a stained glass workshop, evidently he was involved in a similar trade while in Chicago for the last 40 years. He claimed that he has been hounding Bill Sianis to allow him to sculpt a bronze of the old man Sam and the goat.

there never has been and there never will be. You can attribute all the dumb luck that the Cubs have had over the years to bad management and poor play on the field plain and simple. While were on the subject the Red Sox were never cursed, you think Babe Ruth honestly cursed the Red Sox for trading him to the Yanks if anything he was happier then a pig in slop. And as far as that team on the other side of town that does not need a name they were not cursed, cheating is not a curse its stupidity if anything.

“across the street from the Chicago Stadium” would now mean the site of the United Center. (The area was a parking lot 30-40 years after the tavern was torn down)

We can see how the lingering effects of the ‘curse’ and the ‘ghosts’ hurt the Chicago Bulls in the past 20 years. (NOT) ….and don’t bring up the Blackhawks…their problems were caused by stupidity, not a ‘curse.’

Just win, and we can put all of this crap to bed, forever. Let them write about the ‘cursed’ Mets….who deserve to have some sort of legend manufatured about them for their miserable failures of the past few years,

…in the NY Times on the subject of the Cubs and 100 years, I thought his take was interesting as well. I would have to assume he is refering to PK Wrigley when he mentions the Cubs unwillingness to invest into a farm system in late 30’s?

Q: Why can’t the Chicago Cubs get into the World Series? Is it the small park? Low salaries? The curse of the billy goat? Does sabermetrics provide any insights?
A: Talking about the origins of it — the Cubs fell into a trench in history in the late 1930’s, when almost all baseball teams built farm systems, but the Cubs for several years refused to do so. This put them behind the curve, crippled them for the 1950’s, and really the organization did not fully overcome that until about 1980.
Since 1980 they have had several teams that could have wandered into a World Series, with better luck. They haven’t had any one overpowering team — like the 1984 Tigers, or the 1992 Blue Jays, or the 1998 Yankees — that was so good that it demanded a seat at the Last Banquet of Fall. And, unless you have a team that good, you’re at the mercy of the fates.

If you believe in that, a more logical choice could have been National League President Harry Pulliam. He upheld the out call on Merkle that allowed the Cubs to reach (and eventually win) the 1908 World Series. Pulliam was so distraught by it that he killed himself nine months later. Who’s to say the guy didn’t curse the Cubs before he died? Everything’s possible… in the Twilight Zone. Cue Rod Serling…

…but this one is plausible.

I’m reading a book about Mike Royko right now, as a matter of fact. The curse story has been told a dozen different ways.

Groundhog Day.

Soriano and Ramirez….

once said.. and i paraphrase

Going to a Cubs game..is like going to the opera.

The fat lady sings, and everybody dies in the end.