October 18, 2003

Curses, Foiled Again

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Well, the Fish won it.

Yippie?

Oh, I don’t know what to feel. Elated that the Marlins won and head to the World Series? Saddened that the Cubbies found a way to lose a 3-1 lead in the NLCS? Having been born in Chicago and grown up in Miami put a real damper on the series. One thing is for sure; I’ll root for the National League in the World Series. (Like I’m some kind of baseball fan, or something.)

But it’s still shocking. Sure, I’m happy that the Fish move on, but 58 years is long enough to wait for another shot at a title.

Then there’s the Red Sox. Bleeding a game after a 2-2 tie, then got it back to force Thursday night’s game seven. They must not have wanted the win bad enough to give up a 4-0 lead going into the seventh inning. Who does that?

What’s worse is that the only way the Curse of the Bambino would have been exorcised would be to beat the Yankees in the ALCS. To do it in the Bronx would’ve been that much sweeter.

But the taste of another series was too strong for the Yankees to pass up. Boston even had a two-out potential for a rally in the top of the 11th, but that bit the dust with an easy fly ball. With a 5-5 tie going into the bottom of the inning the Yanks saw their opportunity, and it took one swing of Aaron Boone’s bat.

And just like that the game was over. The closest opportunity to put an end to at least one of the curses in baseball screeched to a halt with an eruption in Yankee Stadium as Boone trotted around the bases. Celebrating in front of them, the roar of the crowd must have twisted the suicide knife the Red Sox thrust into their own collective gut.

The collective, “I hope we don’t lose,” attitude just won’t win games for anyone, especially with the Charlie Brown-like curses that follow the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox.

- Rich