"The “Billy Goat Curse” It is game six of the National League Championship Series, and the Cubs lead the series 3 games to 1 over the Florida Marlins. It's the 8th inning of the sixth game with the Cubs leading 3 to 0. The Florida Marlins are up with a runner on first and only 1 out. The batter, Derek Lee, hits a pop fly down the left field line one row into the stands. Moises Alou, the Cubs' left fielder, reaches for the ball, but before he could grab the ball, a fan reaches up and knocks it away from him. The Cubs would go on to lose game six 8 to 3 and would later go on to lose game 7 and the series. After game 6, many people, including fans and the media, believed that the actions of this one fan cost the Cubs their one chance to end the 95-year drought and the curse of the Billy goat. In my speech today, I plan on giving you a brief history of the Cubs, what the Billy goat curse is, and the fans' reaction to the losing and the curse. On Oct 6, 1945, a Greek tavern owner by the name of Sam "Billy goat" Siannis, (he was nicknamed the Billy goat because of his goatee), bought box seats for himself and his goat. It was the 4th game of the World Series, the Cubs having won 2 out of 3 in Detroit. They came back to Chicago favorites to win it all. In the past, and the entire season, he was allowed to bring his goat to the games. This time, however, management said no. Siannis and his goat were escorted out of Wrigley Field. Not happy with what was going on, Siannis stopped in the middle of Wrigley field, threw both arms up in the air, and yelled, "There will never be another World Series played at Wrigley Field." The Cubs beat the Detroit Tigers in the 1907 and 1908 World Series.
However backing out from a deal from gangsters was not very easy. When the gamblers learned about that they were gonna start winning games instead of losing like they had agreed they started to threaten them and their families. Game eight of the world series, instead of winning they lost and many people think that they lost on purpose because of the threats that their family had received.
In 1961, Roger and teammate Mickey Mantle received national attention as they chased the single season home run record of 60 set by Babe Ruth in 1927.
As the decade opened up with the year 1950, the Yankees were celebrating an American League Pennant and a World Series victory from the previous year. It was apparent in 1950 that the team had not taken too much time off as the team posted a 98-56 regular season record, winning their second straight Pennant and a trip to the World Series where they would match up against the Philadelphia Phillies. In 1950, the Phillies were known as the Whiz kids because of their youth and amazing talent, but in the series against the Yankees they were swept in 4 games thanks to Joe DiMaggio- a legend in Major League baseball- and Phil Rizzuto- a shortstop who would enjoy one of his most productive seasons as well as the honor of earning American League MVP. Whitey Ford, a rookie pitcher for the Yanks, also enjoyed a stand out career, winning all 9 of his starts and losing only one game in relief. (Baseball History)
In 1993, the Toronto Blue Jays went to the World Series as the American League Champion against the National League Champion the Atlanta Braves, the Series opened in Atlanta where Toronto lost their game one of the Series 3-1, faith was not lost as the Jays went on and win the next three games 5-4, 3-2, 2-1. By this time, the fans had real high faith, and even though the Braves dominated the fifth game 7-2, if the Blue Jays win one more the title is theirs, and so it was when the Jays won the sixth game 4-3 winning the 1992 World Series. Canadian Baseball had never been so successful before. When the 1993 season comes, the Blue Jays once again end up first place in their division with a 96-67 record and won all the playoffs games to advance to the World Series for a second time in a row against the National League Champions the Philadelphia Phillies. Th...
For this rhetorical analysis paper I chose one of my favorite, and most famous, sports speeches of all time, Lou Gehrig’s farewell to baseball address. Lou Gehrig was a famous baseball player in the 1920’s and 30’s. Lou didn’t really need to use a attention getting introduction, he was well known and loved by so many that people piled into Yankee Stadium to watch and listen to him give this speech. Although he didn’t need an attention getter, he began his speech with one of the greatest baseball quotes of all time, “Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” (Gehrig, 1939) Every single time I hear or read that opening line it sends chills down my spine and stops me for a moment to reflect on everything that is going on in my own life.
In 1953, the Braves moved to Milwaukee Wisconsin, and winning the franchise’s 2nd World Series only 4 years later in 1957. (Atlanta.braves.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/atl/history/atl_history_timeline.jsp)
Throughout the course of American history, there have been copious amounts of famous speeches, spoken by many different people. From political figures to sports players; these people have provided deep thoughts and great insights about who they are and the world we live in today. Being a sports enthusiast, a memorable speech comes to my mind. Lou Gehrig’s “farewell speech”, given on July 4th, 1939, to more than 62,000 fans at New York City’s Yankee Stadium, has become a cornerstone in the history of baseball in America. Lou Gehrig is considered one of the most under-rated sports players of all time. Gehrig played in the same era with greats like Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio. In Fact, Gehrig played on the same team and actually batted behind Ruth and DiMaggio. Gehrig’s nickname is the “Iron Horse,” which came about with Gehrig’s amazing consecutive games played streak. Gehrig played in 2,130 consecutive games, which stood as the consecutive games record until just recently broken by Cal Ripken, Jr. Gehrig died in 1941, at the age of 37. Though many famous speeches have been spoken throughout time, Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech has remained one of the most memorable speeches of all time, due to the way he captivated his fans with the use of rhetoric.
on day in early june gablin was sitting in the dugout of the san jose sunbirds stadium remembering last season. It was the eighteenth inning of the second game of the Western Division play-offs against the Santa Ana Lionettes and Gamblins idol. Carol Spanks was at the plate Spanks lined the ball to the left of third base a shot lit so hard that it pulled the glove off Gamblins hand and rolled onto the artificial turf Gamblin scrambled for the ball spun around and threw her idol out at first base. It was she thought the best play she ever made.
The World Series of 1919 was found out to be thrown by the Chicago White Sox, creating many problems within the American League. This World Series was different than many others. The 1919 World Series was played in a best-of-nine series, rather than being played in best-of-seven like all other World Series games before it. The other team involved, the Cincinnati Reds, had no idea of the scandal. The Baseball Hall of Fame states in their article “Guide to the Black Sox Scandal (American League),” Gambling was not new to baseball. There is evidence that White Sox players, in 1917, paid pitchers from the Detroit club, who beat Boston during the pennant stretch run $200 each.” This shows that the White Sox not only cheated in the 1919 World Series, but also in the 1917 season. There were 8 players involved in gambling with the 1919 World Series, including many of the league’s best players. The eight players involved included Eddie Cicotte, Oscar “Happy” Felsch, Arnold “Chick” Gandil, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, Fred McMullin, Charles “Swede” Risberg, George “Buck” Weaver, and Claude “Lefty” Williams. These 8 players, threw the game for a cash reward from 5 separate gamblers who were involved in the scandal. Abe Attell, Bill Burns, Arnold Rothstein, Billy Maharg, and Joseph “Sport” Sullivan, were all indicted along with the players for gambling with the 1919 World Series, and was considered as a “crime against baseball
scandal of all time, The 1919 World series. Corruption, money, greed, power, and even organized
October 15th, 1988, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. Kirk Gibson of the Los Angeles Dodgers limps to the plate, walking on two severely injured legs, Gibson sets in as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the ninth inning in game one of the 1988 World Series. The home team Dodgers trailing 4-3 to the Oakland Athletics, with two outs and Gibson the final hope for the Dodgers. The pitcher for the Athletics, Dennis Eckersley throws Gibson a Slider, Gibson swings and hits the game wining two run home run. The legendary Hall of Fame announcer Vin Scully poetically states, "In a year of the improbable, the impossible has happened." The Dodgers win and the stadium, as well as most of Los Angeles, is raucous and wild with excitement. Some residents of Los Angeles did not celebrate with the city, they do not ever cheer for the Dodgers, nor will they ever go back to Dodger Stadium. To these residents Dodger Stadium will always be Chavez Ravine, and to them the improbable an impossible has already happen decades earlier.
N/A. “1908 Chicago Cubs.” The 1908 Chicago Cubs-Cubs Win the 1908 World Series. 2013. 30
The New York Yankees lost to St. Louis in the 1926 World Series and came out in 1927 for revenge. (Geisler, 1) The Yankees opened the season on April 12th with an 8-3 victory over the Philadelphia Athletics and they never looked back. (Frommer, 5) The Yankees never fell out of first place after that first day and finished 19 games ahead of Philadelphia who won 91 games respectively. (New York Yankees, 3) An astonishing feat for today's strategic baseball moves, the '27 Yankees went all year without a single roster move. (Geisler, 1) With a tremendous team built by owner, Jacob Ruppert and General Manager, Ed Barrow, the scene was set for a big year. Certainly meeting the New York standards with a record of 110 wins and 44 losses the Yankees had many indiv...
This game of a stick and ball has captivated the United States during good and bad times. In either time most of us today can remember stories of players from the late 1800’s to early 1900’s. These are legendary figures in the sport of baseball that have are celebrated as hero’s and in scandal, i...
Now let’s talk about the World Series. “The first World Series was played in October of 1903. The two teams the went that battled each other were the Boston Americans of the American League and the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League in a best-of-nine series, with Boston prevailing five games to three, winning the last four.” (1903 World