It was game four of the 1945 World Series. The Cubs enjoyed a two games to one lead over the Detroit Tigers when the offensive scent of a "Cubbie fan" would forever change the Cubs franchise. That fan was Murphy, the pet goat of Billy Sianis, owner of the Billy Goat Tavern. Sianis and Murphy were ejected from Game Four because a light rain had caused to Murphy to ripen to the offense of Philip Wright Wrigley, owner of the Cubs franchise. Sianis was so offended by his ejection from the game that he put the infamous Billy Goat Curse on the Cubs, supposedly dooming them to never play another World Series game at the sight of his displeasure, Wrigley Field. And for 62 years, that curse has held up (thanks, in part, to the Cub meltdown following the Steve Bartman incident).
Now, the Cubs were not exactly enjoying a lot of World Series success at the time, with or without a curse. In fact, they had already gone nearly 40 years without a Series title. That brings us to the 2008 season. It has officially been a full century since the Cubs last earned a World Series title - are the stars aligning just right to make this a storybook season for the Northsiders?
The Tigers have positioned themselves to become possibly the most proficient offensive team in the history of the game. They've got solid starting pitching and a pretty good closer. All they're missing is some middle relief. How fitting would it be for the Cubs to break the Goat Curse against the very team that brought it into existence? Some "experts" are predicting the Cubs to have a run at an NL title in 2008. Many are predicting the Tigers to make a run at the AL pennant. Is this the year the Billy Goat Curse gets put behind the Cubs in a scenario befitting a Hollywood script? Stay tuned.
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