The 2016 World Series: Battle of the Curses

The Chicago Cubs ended a 71 year drought when they won over the Dodgers in the NLCS, heading to the World Series for the first time since 1945 (where they lost 4 games to 3 to the Detroit Tigers). To get to a year when the Cubs actually won the World Series one must travel all the way back to 1908.

The 1908 World Series was the first ever rematch, as the Cubs and Tigers met in October of 1907 with the Cubs coming out on top. Could they be back-to-back champions? In the 5 years the World Series had been played, no team had won more than once but a 4 games to 1 victory over the Tigers saw the Cubs set a World Series record! Albeit a short lived record, but a record none the less. The Philadelphia Athletics would go on to win back to back in 1910 (beating the Cubs) and 1911. Currently the New York Yankees hold the record for most consecutive World Series wins with 5 in a row beginning in 1949 through 1953.

Not to be out done, the Cleveland Indians have their own championship win drought, though they played in a World Series as recently as 1997, they haven’t won since 1948. Since 1948, 23 different teams have won the World Series, with the Dodgers winning for Brooklyn and Los Angeles and the Giants winning for New York and San Francisco.

Now, some may say the Cubs were cursed on a fateful day in 1945 when Billy Sianis attempted to bring his goat to Game 4 of the World Series. Presenting a ticket for the goat at the front gate, the goat was turned away and Billy declared the Cubs would not win ever again. From then on the Cubs have not made it to the World Series, let alone win a championship. 

To put it in perspective let’s take a look at other events that occurred in 1908, the last time the Cubs won:

• The ball drops in Times Square, New York to signify the new year for the first time
• Star #46 is added to the US flag for Oklahoma
• Henry Ford introduces the Model T car, the cost is $825
• Albert Einstein presents his quantum theory of light

The Indians’ curse takes a cue from the Boston Red Sox’s Curse of the Bambino. In 1960 the Indians traded Rocky Colavito to the Detroit Tigers, much to their fans’ dismay, and haven’t won a World Series since.

1948 may not be that long ago (especially in comparison to 1908) but there were still significant events that occurred that will baffle millennials:

• The first tape recorder is sold
• ABC begins television broadcasting
• Subway fares in NYC jump from 5 cents to 10 cents
• The Honda Motor Company is founded

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No matter how this series turns out a win for either team is one for the history books! Be sure to watch Game 1 of the 2016 World Series on Fox, Tuesday October 25th at 8:08 pm EST.

Written by Kristen