Let the Curse Begon

The Boston Red Sox hope to prove that the legendary curse of Babe Ruth is long gone after continually defeating the New York Yankees this season and beating them in the Championship Series.

Many claim this legendary curse started when the Red Sox rid themselves of the now legendary Babe Ruth and continued ever since that day. Before then, the Red Sox won five World Championships, and since, their number a mere zero while the Yankees have gone on to win 26 after acquiring Ruth.

Ruth, a player of heroic status, left his ex-team with a curse as they have never been able to duplicate the success they had with him on the team. Much of this is speculation, but in the hearts of baseball players and fans, the curse is real.

“This could be the end of the curse as the Red Sox have been hot and continually beaten the Yankees this season” said Matt Biermacher, an ex-college baseball player. “That may just be enough to prove that the curse is no longer present.”

The curse descended on Red Sox nation, January 3, 1920, when the Red Sox cheated themselves of having the legendary Babe Ruth, and instead sold him to the New York Yankees for $125,000 and the Yankees forking over $350,000 on a loan the Red Sox had to build Fenway Park. The Red Sox would continue to fall short and the Yankees would maintain their success and become the best despised team in baseball. Yankee success was maintained in all aspects of victory with 41 American League East Division Titles to the Red Sox measly seven.

“The numbers show that the loss of Ruth has provided for a continual downfall of the Red Sox and evidence that a curse is present and occurred once the Sox lost this legend to the game, Ruth” states Biermacher.

Removing Ruth from the Red Sox was a familiar mistake as it happens to all teams with great players. The difference now is that a team just needs to be one of the top four in the different leagues rather than be the most productive in the division as in the past.

Making the playoffs is one thing, but continually being second in the division is another. The Red Sox may just not have the numbers to match up with the Yankees. They did beat them throughout this year, but once again, found themselves as winners of the Wild Card rather than the division, finishing three games behind the Yankees.

“The Red Sox just need to understand that they are the number two team in the East Division” said Aaron Mullen, a past pitching coach in the Atlanta Braves organization. “It is nothing personal or against their organization as they make the playoffs each year.”

The Yankees’ championships and success in the division proves the point that the Red Sox maybe a good team, but just not good enough to beat the Yankees and have the opportunity to win a World Championship. The lack of playoff success and rich heritage in battling into October can provide jitters to the experienced, but inexperienced playoff team.

Baseball, being a mental sport, can quickly alter the picture of whether a curse is totally present or the Yankees are just the superior team. Individuals’ feeling that a curse prevents them from post-season success establishes a mental block hampering a story tell ending to this organization.

Kevin Makal, a baseball enthusiast feels, “baseball is a superstitious sport and that idea helps keep the thought of a curse in the back of the Red Sox minds each season. They may not be the better team, but the curse provides them with the excuse for another close, but not a successful season.”

Each year baseball fans count on two teams in the playoffs, but the idea of the Red Sox making it to the World Series recollects the Ruth curse continues to have its presence. This curse is another baseball superstition and hoax that players and fans have, but could be real for the Red Sox as a team. The Yankees have had the continuos success in the division and World Series.

“As fans we will have the opportunity to experience the playoffs and just see whether there is a curse that prevents the Sox from success,” states Makal.

For more information about the curse visit FOXSports.com.

If You Build it They Will Come

Today Major League Baseball officially announced that the Montreal Expos would be moving to Washington, D.C. for the 2005 season, according to an Associated Press article on ESPN.

Citizens of D.C. have been waiting over 30 years to get another baseball team in the area. The last team was 33 years ago and was the Washington Senators, but now Texas Rangers. The team name has yet to be named and the stadium will not be built for another three years, so the team will be playing at RFK Stadium.

This move did not come without controversy as the Baltimore Orioles had objects being only 40 miles away and feeling that the move would hurt the franchise. Bud Selig, the Commisioner of Major League Baseball, has stated that this would not happen and instituted a plan to prevent the Orioles from losing money selling the franchise or in ticket revenue. From all that is present, the situation seems like it is a win win situation for all people.

Yom Kippur Home Run

Friday in Los Angles, Dodger first baseman, Shawn Green and a Jewish baseball superstar, went against his religion and played on this sacred Jewish day, possibly upsetting many Jews, but making the fans in Dodger Stadium happy according to Fox Sports.

Shawn Green may have crossed many lines like Dodger great Sandy Koufax did many years ago when Yom Kippur landed on a day he was supposed to pitch in the World Series. He pitched the next day and lost, making many Dodger fans cringe and hate the Jewish religion. He then came back and gave to complete games in games five and seven giving the Dodgers a World Series Championship.

Well history repeated itself for the Dodgers as Shawn Green followed Koufax by playing on Friday, but sitting out Saturday to honor the Jewish holy day. He then returned Sunday, helping the Dodgers maintain their first place lead over the Giants by winning two of the three games. Green had amazing games both days and hit a home run Friday night on Yom Kippur to tie the game at two. He is more than a player as he showed the American people that religion can work alongside work.

Special Balls in Play

As Ichiro Suzuki inches closer to the single season hits record of 257, Major League Baseball, has begun to use special balls that are numbered with holograms on them. This coming from an Associated Press article on ESPN.

The balls are being used so that the player is able to keep the balls that he hits. This method was used with Barry Bonds when he was approaching 700 career home runs. Everytime Ichiro comes to the plate, a MLB securtiy guard hands the bat boy four balls to give to the ump. The ump then uses those balls for Ichiro's at bat. Any ball hit as a home run or foul ball can be kept by the fan, but all the balls hit in play are returned to the dugout after his at bat.

This is a new method that is being tried for significant events allowing the player to keep that specific ball without question, and also give fans the opportunity to capture one of the special edition balls signifying they were at a game close to a record being toppled.

Coming from Behind

The Texas Rangers swept the Oakland A's in a three game series last night with some ninth inning heroics according to an Associate Press article on ESPN.

As the Texas Rangers continue to push to be the American League West champion, they have to come from behind being 2 games back in the division from the division leading A's. This fight to the end is nothing new for this team as they have continually finished last the past few seasons and now see themselves as a playoff contender once again. Much of this is a surprise after the offseason transaction sending Alex Rodriguez to the Yankees. The Rangers just took that as a beginning to never give up as a team. Last night was just another case of how their season has been, coming from behind. Trailing the A's in the bottom of the ninth, David Dellucci hit a double that went to the wall allowing the Rangers to score the tying and game winning run.

They have continually had their obstacles throughout the year, but nothing has stopped this team from winning and finding a way to win even when many has continually counted them out from the start. This is just another team that goes to show that it is still a team game, and the game is not over until that final out is made in the game.

Seattle Plays Small Ball

Ichiro Suzuki closes in on George Sisler's 84 year old season hits record, making him need just 10 hits to tie, with four hits in the game against the Anaheim Angels as stated on Sports Illustrated.

As all eyes are on Suzuki as he inches closer to this record, the story of the night was his teammate's, Raul Ibanez, production. Ibanez had six hits on the evening as the Mariners beat the Angels 16-6. As a team the Mariners had 24 hits and 10 of those came from just two individuals. Suzuki's small ball of constant singles is now transfering to the team's production as well. There maybe less home runs from the Mariners, but the constant singles are adding up and have helped them beat the Angels the last two nights.

We may start to see a shift in the way the game is played with a basis on the team concept and small ball, just good hits, and how it is at the moment as individual production and who has more power hitters in the lineup.

Montreal Moving to D.C.

The Montreal Expos new home could be in Washington, D. C. for the upcoming 2005 season as relocation talks are heating up as the 2004 season comes to an end from a Fox Sports article.

Undisclosed sources have claimed that the D. C. Sports and Entertainment Division has released plans for a stadium to be built for the Expos to play in. Baltimore citizens are worried that the relocation of the Expos to D. C. will cut their attendance and fan base as the teams would be around 30 miles apart. All of this and the relocation is speculation as D. C. has yet to get funding for the stadium and Northern Virginia is still bidding for the team as well. Professional baseball hopes to make a decision on where the Expos will play the 2005 season by October 1.