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A while back I wrote a blog about the futility of the Chicago Cub's since moving to Wrigley Field.
Sam Zell sold the team to the Ricketts family.
The Jim Hendry era ended.
Wrigley Field has received a "marketing make-over".
The Theo Epstein "experiment" has begun.
And Kerry Wood has officially retired (what a great last outing!).
The two things that haven't changed since 2009 (which is when the blog was posted) is the Cub's overall World Series record (8-24) and their post-season consecutive loss streak, which is currently at 8 games.
Game 2 of the 2008 NLDS at Wrigley Field changed my perspective on the so-called curse that has bestowed itself on the former seminary grounds. The 4 consecutive errors the infielders committed was followed up by a Manny Ramirez steroid-induced-home run.
post-season research and I was stunned at what I found.
The numbers dont support any lame-brain curse theories, but prove the Cub's futilities (in post-season play) since the inclination of the World Series.
The futile ball club sports a 2-11 record in World Series games played at Wrigley Field. The only 2 wins coming in Game 5 of the 1935 World Series (played against the Yankees) and Game 6 of the 1945 World Series (played against the Tigers).
Let's break this down even further:
The Cub's were swept at Wrigley Field in the 1929, 1932, and 1938 World Series.
In 3 World Series appearances (1929, 1932, 1935) the Cubs lost 6 consecutive World Series home games ending the loss streak in Game 5 of the 1935 World Series.
In their last 2 World Series appearances (1938, 1945) the Cub's lost 4 consecutive home games ending the loss streak in Game 6 of the 1945 World Series.
Against the Yankees in '32 & '35 World Series, the Cub's were outscored almost 2-1 (59-28).
The Cub's have never won consecutive World Series home games at Wrigley Field.
The Cub's have never won a World Series at Wrigley Field. (You'd be surprised how many people don't know that)
A key factor in clinching any series against an opponent is having success on your home field.
Something the Cub's know not of.
To my surprise, I had also discovered that Cub's were swept at home in the 1906 World Series against the White Sox.
At first glance I was appalled by these telling statistics. Are the Cub's cursed?
Of course not.
They played a Babe Ruth/Lou Gehrig led team in 1932 (don't forget the myth of the called shot). In 1935, Hank Greenberg and the Detroit Tigers were making their second consecutive World Series appearance. The futile ball club then played a talented 1938 Yankees team featuring a Hall of Fame Manager Joe McCarthy, a young budding star named Joe Dimaggio, and soon to be Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig. For those that don't know, the Billy Goat didn't show up (and be turned away) until 1945. The Cubs were already sinking fast at that point.
It's the equivilent of Billy Sianis (the goat's owner) looking at a burning building and yelling "That building will never reach the sky again!". Then two minutes later the top of the building collapses and crashes to the ground.
Billy and his goat timed that one out perfectly.
That billy goat crap is just that. Crap. Simply put, every team the Cub's lost to in the World Series, were just better teams.
The Cub's downward trending post-season play doesn't give Cub-Nation much to smile at. The "North-Sider's" find themselves these days with a not-so mind boggling 8 game consecutive loss streak in the post-season dating back to their last two losses (at home) in the 2003 NLCS.
So let's break that down(again):
In the last 106 years the Cub's have compiled 4 different home consecutive loss streaks.
3 of the 4 consecutive loss-streaks taking place during 6 different World Series appearances.
(The other is their current 8 consecutive post-season losses)
Currently in a consecutive 5 home game post-season loss-streak and are one loss away from tying their all-time post-season/World Series consecutive loss record (6).
I wonder if Theo was aware of these "stats" when he decided to take the job.
"Well, there's always 3 years from now........"
