Curse of the Bambino

Prior to Ruth leaving Boston, the Red Sox had won five of the first fifteen World Series, with Ruth pitching for the 191 and 191! championship teams "he was with the Sox for the 191# World Series but the manager used him onl$ once, as a pinch%hitter, and he did not pitch&' (he )an*ees had not pla$ed in an$ World Series up to that time' +n the !, $ears after the sale, the )an*ees pla$ed in -9 World Series, winning . of them, twice as man$ as an$ other team in /a0or 1eague Baseball' /eanwhile, over the same time span, the Red Sox pla$ed in onl$ four World Series and lost each in seven games'234 5ven losses that occurred man$ $ears prior to the first mention of a supposed curse in 19! ,234 have been attributed to it' Some of these instances are listed below6

+n 19, , the Red Sox appeared in their first World Series since the sale of Babe Ruth, and were favored to beat the St' 1ouis Cardinals' (he series went to a seventh game at Sportsman7s Par* in St' 1ouis' +n the bottom of the eighth inning, with the score tied at -%-, the Cardinals had 5nos Slaughter on first base and 8arr$ Wal*er at the plate' 9n a hit and run, Wal*er hit a double to ver$ short left%center field' Slaughter ran through the third base coach7s stop sign and beat Boston shortstop :ohnn$ Pes*$7s rela$ throw to home plate' Some sa$ Pes*$ hesitated on the throw, allowing Slaughter to score, but Pes*$ has alwa$s denied this charge' ;ilm footage is inconclusive, except that it shows Pes*$ in bright sunlight and Slaughter in shadow' Boston star (ed Williams, pla$ing with an in0ur$, was largel$ ineffective at bat in his onl$ World Series' +n 19,!, the Red Sox finished the regular season tied for first place, onl$ to lose the pennant to the Cleveland +ndians in the ma0or leagues7 first%ever one%game pla$off' +n 19,9, the Red Sox needed to win 0ust one of the last two games of the season to win the pennant, but lost both games to the )an*ees, who would go on to win a record five consecutive World Series from19,9 to 19#-' +n 19 3, the Red Sox surprisingl$ reversed the awful results of the 19 season b$ winning the <merican 1eague pennant on the last

wee*end of the season'2194 +n the World Series, the$ once again faced the Cardinals, and 0ust as in 19, , the Series went to a seventh game' St' 1ouis won the deciding contest 3%. behind their best pitcher Bob =ibson> =ibson defeated Boston ace :im 1onborg, who was pitching on short rest and was ineffective' =ibson even hit a home run off 1onborg in the game'2.?4

+n 193., the Red Sox lost the division title to the @etroit (igers b$ a half%game'2.14 (he season began with a 1-%da$ stri*e that resulted in some teams pla$ing up to nine fewer games that season'2..4<dditionall$, the Red Sox lost a game when it was rained out and the decision was made not to repla$ it' +n the second%to%last game of the season, the$ lost to the (igers, ,%1, after a potential run was lost when1uis <paricio slipped rounding third'2.-4 +n 193#, the Red Sox won the pennant and met the d$nastic Cincinnati Reds in the World Series' (he Red Sox won =ame on a famous wal*%off home run b$ catcher Carlton ;is*, setting the stage for the deciding =ame 3' Boston too* a Auic* -%? lead, but the Reds tied the game' +n the top of the ninth, the Reds brought in the go%ahead run on a :oe /organ single that scored Ben =riffe$, Sr', winning what is regarded as one of the greatest World Series ever pla$ed' +n 193!, the Red Sox held a 1,%game lead in the <merican 1eague 5ast over the )an*ees on :ul$ 1!'2.,4 8owever, the )an*ees subseAuentl$ caught fire, eventuall$ t$ing Boston atop the standings on September 1? after sweeping a four%game series at ;enwa$ Par*, an event *nown to Red Sox fans as the CBoston /assacre'C2.#4 Six da$s later, the )an*ees held a - 1D. game lead over the Red Sox, but the Sox won 1. of their next 1, games to overcome that deficit and force a one%game pla$off on 9ctober . at ;enwa$ Par*' (he memorable moment of the game came when light% hitting )an*ee shortstop Buc*$ @ent crac*ed a three%run home run in the seventh inning that hit the top of the left field wall "the =reen /onster& and s*ipped out of the par*, giving Eew )or* a -%. lead' (he )an*ees held on to win the pla$off game #%,, eventuall$ winning the World Series' +n =ame of the 19! World Series, Boston "leading the series three games to two& too* a #%- lead in the top of the 1?th inning' +n the bottom

half of the frame, Red Sox reliever Calvin Schiraldi retired the first two batters, putting the team within one out of winning the World Series' 8owever, the Eew )or* /ets scored three unanswered runs, t$ing the game on a wild pitch from Bob Stanle$ and winning it when Boston first baseman Bill Buc*ner allowed a ground ball hit b$ the /ets7 /oo*ie Wilson to roll through his legs, scoring Ra$ Bnight from second base' +n the seventh game, the Red Sox too* an earl$ -%? lead, onl$ to lose !%#' (he collapses in the last two games prompted Fecse$7s articles'2. 42.342.!4 2.94

+n 19!! and 199?, the Red Sox advanced to the <merican 1eague Championship Series, onl$ to suffer four%game sweeps both times at the hands of the 9a*land <thletics' (he$ were also swept b$ theCleveland +ndians in the 199# <1 @ivision Series in three games "extending their postseason losing strea* to a ma0or%league record 1- games&, lost again to the +ndians in the 199! <1@S three games to one, and were defeated b$ the )an*ees four games to one in the 1999 <1CS' +n .??-, the Red Sox were pla$ing the )an*ees in =ame 3 of the <merican 1eague Championship Series' Boston held a #%. lead in the eighth inning, and manager =rad$ 1ittle opted to sta$ with starting pitcherPedro /artGneH rather than go to the bullpen' Eew )or* rallied off the tired /artGneH, scoring three runs off a single and three doubles to tie the game' +n the bottom of the 11th inning, <aron Boone launched a solo home run off *nuc*leballing Boston starter (im Wa*efield "pitching in relief& to win the game and the pennant for the )an*ees'

Red Sox fans attempted various methods over the $ears to exorcise their famous curse' (hese included placing a Boston cap atop /t' 5verest and burning a )an*ees cap at its base camp> hiring professional exorcists and ;ather =uido Sarducci to Cpurif$C ;enwa$ Par*> spra$ painting a CReverse CurveC street sign on Storrow @rive to change it to sa$ CReverse the CurseC "the sign wasn7t replaced until 0ust after the .??, World Series

win&> and finding a piano owned b$ Ruth that he had supposedl$ pushed into a pond near his Sudbur$, /assachusetts farm, 8ome Plate ;arm'

+n Ben Burns7 199, documentar$ Baseball, former Red Sox pitcher Bill 1ee suggested that the Red Sox should exhume the bod$ of Babe Ruth, transport it bac* to ;enwa$ and publicl$ apologiHe for trading Ruth to the )an*ees' Some declared the curse bro*en during a game on <ugust -1, .??,, when a foul ball hit b$ /ann$ RamGreH flew into Section 9, Box 9#, Row << and struc* a bo$7s face, *noc*ing two of his teeth out'2-?4 1 %$ear%old 1ee =avin, a Boston fan whose favorite pla$er was RamireH, lived on the Sudbur$ farm owned b$ Ruth' (hat same da$, the )an*ees suffered their worst loss in team histor$, a ..%? clobbering at home against the Cleveland +ndians'2-142-.42--4 Some fans also cite a comed$ curse%brea*ing ceremon$ performed b$ musician :imm$ Buffett and his warm%up team "one dressed as Ruth and one dressed as a witch doctor& at a ;enwa$ concert in September .??,' :ust after being traded to the Red Sox, Curt Schilling appeared in an advertisement for the ;ord ;%1#? pic*up truc* hitchhi*ing with a sign indicating he was going to Boston' When pic*ed up, he said that he had Can ! %$ear old curseC to brea*'

+n .??,, the Red Sox once again met the )an*ees in the <merican 1eague Championship Series' <fter losing the first three games, including a 19I! drubbing at ;enwa$ in =ame -,2-,42-#4 the Red Sox trailed ,%- in the bottom of the 9th inning of =ame ,' But the team tied the game with a wal* b$ Bevin /illar and a stolen base b$ pinch%runner @ave Roberts, followed b$ an RB+ single off )an*ee closer /ariano Rivera b$ third baseman Bill /ueller, and won on a .%run home run in the 1.th inning b$ @avid 9rtiH' (he Red Sox won the next three games to become the first /a0or 1eague Baseball team to win a seven%game postseason series after being down - games to none'

(he Red Sox then faced the St' 1ouis Cardinals, the team to whom the$ lost in 19, and 19 3, and won in a four%game sweep'2#4 Cardinals shortstop 5dgar RenterGaJwho wore number -, Babe Ruth7s uniform number with the )an*eesJhit into the final out of the game'2#42- 4

<fter Eew )or*7s defeat, the Curse was po*ed fun at during the CWee*end KpdateC segment of Saturda$ Eight 1ive, when the ghost of Babe Ruth explains that he left during =ame ;our with the ghosts of/ic*e$ /antle and Rodne$ @angerfield to go drin*ing' 9n the television show 1ost, :ac* and his father Christian often use the phrase CThat's why the Sox will never win the damn seriesC to describe fate' +n season -, Ben shows the end of the .??, game to tr$ to convince :ac* that the 9thers have contact with the outside world'