Cubbing
Featuring the Curse of the Billy Goat
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Early in the July 31 game at
Later in the game the scoreboard showed Cubs’ logos being burned. Lou Piniella’s remark:
“Tasteless. When they come to
Associated Press writer Steven Wine wrote:
“The Marlins had a laugh at the Cubs’ expense. As part of a promotion a goat was brought onto the field between innings, a reference to the Billy Goat Curse that has hounded the Cubs since 1945. The goat was paraded in front of the Cubs’ dugout by the Marlins’ mascot, Billy the Marlin.”
(The curse was leveled during the 1945 World Series by William Sianis when the Cubs’ ushers wouldn’t allow him to seat the goat even though he had two tickets. Sianis declared, “Them Cubs, they ain’t gonna win no more.”
And they haven’t!)
The Cubs ended July play with 18 wins and nine losses and four days into August were in first place by .0013722 of a percentage point over the Cardinals. Then disaster struck as for the Aug. 4-31 period they won only 9 while dropping 16, falling 10 ½ games behind the Cards who won 19 and lost 5.
Prior to the appearance of the Billy Goat the Cubs won 14 of 19 and immediately after the goatwalk they went 11-18 as the Cards were 20-6.
How can one explain the Cubs misfortunes. It has to be the curse, the Curse of the Billy Goat.
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About the Book
Right Now You Are Cubbing
Whether you are at Wrigley Field, discussing the baseball team at work, or reading about the Cubs—you are Cubbing.
Just thinking about the Cubs—you are Cubbing. Just writing about the Cubs—I am Cubbing, and pleased you have joined me as we go Cubbing.
In the 2009 season, the Cubs were in first place by two percentage points on July 31.
From the start of Spring Training as related in this book, my Cubbing comments were positive as I was positive about the 2009 season. The first three months I felt that the Cubs any day would pull away from the pack. And when in late July they started making their move, actually being in first place by a percentage point, I just knew they were on their way. As Lou Piniella would say, I really knew.
I said “Go, Cubs, Go” to friends and strangers alike. I placed a large placard with a W in a window. And I kept Cubbing for this book with the day-to-day games, other activities, and here and there a remembrance and comment of the Cubs in years gone by—some of them, I’m sure, never before related.
And then in
Consider this: The month of July the Cubs won 18 and lost six. Then the goat strolled. The month of August the Cubs lost 17 and won only 11.
The Billy Goat Curse of 1945, taking its toll once again. It must be real, really real. How else can you explain happenings such as the black cat strolling in front of Ron Santo in 1969, the Playoff failures of 1984 and 1989, the Bartman incident of 2003, and the more recent collapses, especially the Dodgers’ sweep of the 2008 Playoffs.
I have begun to believe. There is no other explanation. The words were uttered thusly by Bill Sianis: “The Cubs no win here no more.“
However, a one hundred-plus year of losing hasn’t deterred Cubbing. So join me. Let’s go Cubbing.
—Russ Leonard
About the Author
About The Author
R. Rathbone Leonard began his journalism career at age 16 as sports editor of the school paper at Culver Military Academy, and as late as mid-summer of 2006 at age 79 was an active journalist, writing a sports column for an Indianapolis suburban newspaper. In between, he worked for a Cass County (Ind.) weekly on the G. I. Bill, owned a weekly in Wabash County (Ind.), was sports editor of the Frankfort (Ind.) Times, and was a reporter, sportswriter, assistant Sunday editor, assistant state editor, and photo editor during a 23-year stint at The Indianapolis Star. Leonard attended the
About the Illustrators
John Merritt Bigelow was an acclaimed editorial illustrator for The Indianapolis Star prior to his 2003 retirement to pursue a freelancing art career. A native of Findern