Curse of the Cowboy

Angel Stadium, Anaheim, California  www.wikipedia.org

    The Anaheim Angles (I know, I know; they are now the Los Angeles Angels or Anaheim), were born in 1961, the owner was the Cowboy, Gene Autry.
    Management decisions, mis-plays and a host of other mistakes haunted the Angels.  Mr. Autry wanted more than anything for "his" team to win a Championship.  It never happened in his lifetime.  People compare the Angel teams to the Boston Red Sox, a club also known for long-suffering fans, and for collapses in the autumn.
    Then, when all else failed, came the "rally monkey", with fans holding in the air the rally monkey, a common sight at games, the Angels won in 2002.  World Series Champions,  the rally monkey is now standard "protection" for the Angels fans.

Gene Autry www.wikipedia.org

For more information see www.baseball.about.com

Curse of Captain Eddie Grant

Eddie Grant in 1913 www.baseball.about.com

  Eddie Grant was a major league player for the New York Giants who, in 1917, became the first major league player to volunteer to fight in The Great War (World War One).  Grant was a Captain in the New York National Guard, the Statue of Liberty Division.
  Captain Grant was killed in action during the Meuse-Argonne Operation in France.  To honor his life and service the New York Giants had a plaque made and it hung on the outfield wall.
   In 1957 the New York Giants left to become the San Francisco Giants and during the move the plaque was lost, maybe looted, it has never been found.
  In 2007 the now San Francisco Giants commissioned a new plaque, a replica of the original, and hung it near an elevator at the new AT&T Park in San Francisco.
  In 2010 the Giants won the World Series.
          Coincidence?

The Polo Grounds, Giants home in New York  www.baseballparksofbaseball.com

AT&T Park, Giants home in San Francisco www.wikipedia.org

Curse of Rocky Colavito

  Rocky Colavito was the Major League Home Run king in 1959 but in 1960 Cleveland GM Frank "Trader" Lane traded him to the Detroit Tigers for Harvey Kuenn, who was the American League batting champ in 1959.
  That sounds like sort of an even deal but it wasn't.  New ownership of the Cleveland team had traded every player that was on the team when he purchased it only two years earlier, Colavito was the "last straw".  The Cleveland Indians have not won an American League Pennant and not the World Series since Colavito was traded.
  In the meantime the Indians have had some stellar players and good teams, while they managed to win some Division Titles they have not gone on to win the Pennant.

The Cleveland Municipal Stadium where Colavito played-it's gone now.
The Cleveland Browns and Indians played in this venue.

Curse of the Black Sox

Cominsky Park, Chicago www.explorechicago.org

  In 1919 the Chicago White Sox had several players suspended for the rest of the season, as a result the White Sox couldn't win the League Pennant.  According to baseball writers at the time, and others, it should have been the year that the White Sox went on to win the World Series.
  The incident is call the Black Sox Curse because the players that were suspended were accused of gambling on baseball, the most major no-no of baseball rules.  All of them including Shoeless Joe Jackson were suspended for life.  The saying "say it ain't so Joe" is the result of the suspensions too.
  It is thought that the players gambled to earn more money, the Cominsky family was not very generous with the players.  The Cominskys' sold the Sox to Bill Veeck, and other owners have had the team since.
  In 1959 the White Sox finally won another League Pennant but lost to the Dodgers in the World Series, they would win several more pennants in ensuing years but not the Series.  Finally in 2005 the White Sox won the pennant again, and went on to win the World Series beating the Houston Astros.
Outfielder Aaron Rowand stated that if the Red Sox could "break the curse" and win in 2004, the White Sox could do the same.


The headline of the New York Times.  www.kids.britianica.com

 

Curse of the Bambino



Babe Ruth in 1918 Red Sox Uniform

  The "curse" of the Bambino started when Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold his rights, or traded for cash, to the New York Yankees.  There may be some merit to this curse, I'll explain.
  Up to the 1918 season the Red Sox had been in and won one-third of all World Series that had been played.  The Yankees have never been in a World Series much less won one, that team was a lackluster one at best.  The Babe Ruth deal certainly changed all of that!
  Harry Frazee was a Broadway producer, the money he received on the Ruth deal was used to produce the play "My Lady Friends" which went on to become the musical "No No Nanette" five years later,
Frazee sold the Red Sox in 1921.
  There were so many attempts to "break the curse" that I couldn't possibly list them all in one days work (I'm old), but people even hired/paid Father Guido Sarducci to perform an exorcism.  The Sox went on to play in, but not win, eleven World Series.  The Yankees meanwhile won an incredible share of Series and became the team to win the most World Series.

  In my humble opinion the curse ended when Manny Ramirez hit a foul ball into the seats at Fenway Park, it hit a seat in Section 9, Box 95 in Row AA.  The ball hit teenager Lee Gavin, whose favorite player was Ramirez, and Gavin lived at the Sudbury Massachusetts farm once owned by Ruth.  That very day the Yankees played their worst game ever losing to the Cleveland Indians 22-0!

The Curse was reversed!

Harry Frazee

Photos and information from www.wikipedia.org

The curse of Billy Goat and the Chicago Cubs

Wrigley Field, Chicago

  The story behind the curse that the Cubs will never win a World Series in Wrigley Field goes as follows. 
   In 1945, during a World Series game with the Detroit Tigers, a bar owner Billy Sianis - who owned the Billy Goat Tavern, was asked to leave the game.  Fans who were watching the game had complained about the odor of Billy's pet: Billy Goat.  He, and his pet, were thrown out.
   Mr. Sianis sent a telegram to Phil Wrigley, the team owner, that stated; "you will not win this series, and the Cubs will never win a series again, you insulted my pet." or words to that effect.
   Many attempts, by bringing goats to games, have been attempted, nothing has worked, the "Curse of Billy Goat" lives on.
   In 2003 (the Chinese Year of the Goat) the Cubs won the division title and were playing the Florida Marlins for the title to play in the World series.  The Cubs were five outs from winning the game when the Marlins scored eight runs after the "Steve Bateman" incident.
   Bateman reached over a wall and caught a ball, interfering with the play for an out.  The Cubs lost and the Marlins went on to win the World Series.

Mr. Sianis gives Billy Goat a beer at his tavern.

A fan, Steve Bateman, interferes with play.

Well,.....

..they're still at it! Lost another game!
Do they think we'll forget that they played the same?
Or, should we just be patient, wait for the return...
..of the injured players, while the bridges burn?

I don't have an answer, neither does the team,
fill in here or there, if you know what I mean;
there is no easy answer, just have to wait it out,
but, boy, don't those Texans have a lot of clout!

It's good that there are other things to occupy the mind,
there are a couple of good ones not to hard to find,
The British Open, what a time they had,
trying to control the ball, while the wind was blowing bad.

Meanwhile over there in France, the bicycles are in style,
on their way from Rotterdam to Paris, mile after mile;
climbing over the Alps, through country side too,
it's kind of fun to watch, and you get to travel too.

Of course you don't have to wait, for something to do,
just go to the web, pick a tab, start where you want to;
I'd suggest you pick them all, one at a time will do,
simply push the buttons, you did?, Well good for you.

And don't forget the motto, of this very day,
you can probably guess, what I'm going to say;
Live and Let Live...that's the way to go,
you don't have to fear, some things that you don't know.

Enjoy your weekend

It wasn't...

a good night for a Celtics fan,
seeing them lose wasn't part of the plan;
done in by age and injury prone,
no congrats here, don't hold the phone.

And so it goes for sports fans in Maine,
teams lose or explode, it's always the same,
now the Red Sox are only two games away,
from taking first place, oh yeah! They're on the way.

Will we be disappointed, well just wait and see,
but way up here, we know, what will be will be.
There are so many ups and so many downs,
all in a days news those smiles, and those frowns.

So we'll just hang in there, hat in hand,
will it be thrown in the air, strike up the band?
Or will it be stomped underfoot?
Stomped on, and dirty, who knows where it's put.

All in the life of a Maine sports fan,
it's the way that we live, it's all part of the plan,
but we'll be alive in winter and fall,
basketball season will be a part of it all.

So let's not feel sorry, we've got work to do,
pushing some buttons, both me and you;
let's go to the web-site that we both know,
feed pets, mamograms, books in order just so.

And let's not forget to put things in order,
one, two, three and up it's easy, no bother,
just start at the beginning, it can't get worse,
always remember: First Things First.

Enjoy!

There are...

....times when I should eat my words,
and admit my impressions are for the birds,
then again, maybe I wasn't so wrong.
Now- what was the name of that song?

The song seems familar, stuck in my head,
the damn thing may stick there until I am dead,
it's all about Red Sox and scores of the game,
and about Celtics, how close to the edge they came.

But yesterday, I now understand,
both teams won games, I have it first hand;
in fact one basketball player tied a record of sorts,
a big triple double - that's a big one in sports.

Rajon Rondo is one heck of a player,
when he gets real good, the opponent does not have a prayer,
which 29 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists.
what more could I possibly add to this list?

Those are high numbers that only 3 players have reached,
Oscar Robinson, Wilt Chamberland, now Rondo have breached,
the high game of playing a magnificent sport - too.....
...much to handle for this old geezerly fool.

So I must have had a good night,
I went to sleep without much of a fight,
got up and ten-thirty, watched the rest of the game,
the Red Sox made it look kind of tame.

So now I'll have time to push a button or two,
oh, I guess the green, or maybe the blue,
how about red, purple or maybe yellow,
how about you, are you a giving "fellow"?

And let's think for a moment, what else can we give?
Oh! That's right! Live and Let Live!
That means that all people are nowhere near the same,
each of us plays, our own type of game!

Enjoy the day!

Josh Beckett..

...makes millions, Paul Pierce earns millions more,
so go look in the paper, now, what was the score?
Even the Bruins, and super goalie Tukka Rask,
last night the Flyers, took that team to task.

I suppose one lousy night does not a season make,
but with a night like that, I hope they catch a break.
The Sox still have a season a couple of months long,
but the other two are in playoffs, or is it swan song?

Maybe they were all sleepy, all the travel you know,
that may be the reason that the bat speed is so slow,
or those missed foul shots, and missed jump shots too,
or even why the ice turns players black and blue.

But when you earn that kind of money - even win or lose;
maybe it's not important to win, just play the game you choose;
BUT if the pay came only when they won,
what a difference, maybe - or a long losing run.

So that's the early morning stuff, that I get for waking up,
but now the coffee's ready - I think I'll have a cup;
those guys will play the way they will, we have no choice but watch, our suppossed hero,
I still don't think it matters to them, it's just numbers followed by zeros.

So I'll go on my way, waiting for the next,
grateful that I can see, and read the sober text;
We'll never make that money, it's on the sidelines that we stand,
all the while the millionaires take money from our hand.

So....let's go and push some buttons, see what good we'll do,
to heck with the athletes, let's start by pushing blue,
followed in succession, by yellow, pink and green;
and don't forget the purples, ain't that the prettiest you've seen?

And we all must remember, "it's only a game!",
but we have to stop and wonder, why don't they ever play the same,
one day they'll score runs, point or goals,
the next day they look like they don't own their souls.

Smile ;)

Note: Beckett earns $12,100,000.00/year, or about $74,692 per game; last
night he threw 107 pitches, which is about $691.58 every time he threw the ball!!
So it's important to keep that in mind, it's big business.

Note: This loss was the worst loss in a playoff game in the long Celtics history;
Captain Paul Pierce earns $19,795,712.00 this year, almost $240,000 a game!!!

I don't....

...know, if I can describe,
just how it is - that I feel inside;
It's a feeling that may win a prize,
all teams won! Surprise! Surprise!

Past records considered, it's a wonderous thing,
and all three at once, BUT, will the fat lady sing?
The Celtics won on the opponents home floor,
do they really have what it takes, to win three more?

The Bruins skated on home ice,
now they've beaten the Flyers twice;
the regular season was shakey at best,
can they put Lord Stanleys cup to rest?

The Red Sox after taking a beating,
won big at home, hooray the fans were bleating;
the bats have awakened, the place is alive,
now just how long can they keep up this jive?

Yes, wonder of wonders, I'm telling you now,
all three were winners, or pigs mom's not a sow;
I can't help but wonder - oh, where will it end,
has bad luck Boston turned 'round the bend?

Well, anyway, it's Tuesday you know,
there are things to do and places to go.
Oil Change, Inspection a tire rotation,
on the day before Hollie and I tour a part of this nation.

Of course there's the usual stuff,
meetings, coffee, talking enough.
And lest we forget out here in the bush,
don't we have some buttons to push?

You don't have to do that all at once,
and in life you have to expect bumps,
so little or no walking now, and you will find,
things will get better - One Day At A Time!

Enjoy Spring!

It's still...

...odd not to go for a walk,
but - I still can have coffee and talk,
and go to a meeting, set up and take down,
that's just what I do, when I go to town.

Yesterday was the same old basic stuff,
but, I watched the Yankees get beat - poor babies, that's tough!
My hands got sore, what with the clapping,
and my midriff suffered, for all the laughing.

That's just a pre-season game, let's hope their always that lame,
meanwhile downstate the Red Sox won - Hey! Isn't this all just a game?
Sometimes it is and sometimes it's not,
just wait for August, when the going get's hot.

Meanwhile the Celtics lost - just found a way,
but hey, what's a loss, just a few games to play,
they'll be in the playoffs - for the first round,
then they'll go home, heads hanging down.

Today won't be anything more,
then yesterday, or the day before,
I've got to hang in there, and rest up my body,
afterall I'm a long way from when I was forty.

Time to make coffee!!!!