The Curse of the Billy Goat & Other Baseball Superstitions

If you’re a fan of Major League Baseball or if you’ve ever played baseball down from Little League all the way to the show chances are there is at least a little superstitious blood running through your body. I can remember wearing a red power rangers shirt under my jersey back in my early Little League years and the first time I did I went 3-4 and we won. So what did I do? I wore that same shirt under my jersey every single game until the superstition ran out. If you’re a fan of Major League Baseball you probably also believe in curses no matter what you say out loud. The Curse of the Bambino was a real thing, even if it was just in the heads of the Boston Red Sox fans and players, and until the Curse of the Billy Goat and other superstitions around baseball are broken by Cubs players and fans alike those traditions will remain a part of the game as well.


While the Cubs were looking to break the Curse of the Billy Goat every fall I wanted to take a look at some of the superstitions in baseball and some of the attempts to specifically end the curse surrounding Wrigley Field. Fans have tried to smuggle in goats into Wrigley Field and one local food company, Carnivore Inc., even went as far as to butcher a goat that lived 90 minutes south of Chicago to turn into sausage that would be served in the Chicago suburbs. Was it the thousands of Cubs fans eating a goat during the playoffs that reversed the Curse of the Billy Goat? Stay tuned, but I doubt it. I have a feeling it had more to do with Theo Epstein, a great farm system and a tad bit of luck.


Some other superstitions around baseball include Washington Nationals pitcher Sean Burnett putting a poker chip in his back pocket before taking the mound, Wade Boggs eating fried chicken before every start, Derek Holland watching scenes from “For the Love of the Game,” Jason Giambi and his gold thong he passed around the Yankees clubhouse, CC Sabathia keeps a picture of his children in his jersey while he pitches and so many other superstitions.

Players won’t step on the white line when entering or leaving the field, players won’t get a new hat or batting helmet if they are hitting well, no matter how disgusting they look. Roger Clemens would not take the mound without first rubbing the forehead of Babe Ruth in Monument Park, Phil Hughes doesn’t shave the day he is scheduled to pitch and so many more. Superstitions run rampant in Major League Baseball! Especially on Friday the 13th.


FYI, they Cubs did break the curse in case you missed it. I know you didn’t, but still. So did the Red Sox and their Curse of the Bambino, so I heard anyway. I'm still skeptical. What is your biggest superstition?

Hello… Friday the 13th

Good morning everyone and a Happy Friday the 13^th to you all. Superstitions are real things in everyone’s lives whether they realize it or not, and those superstitions tend to really come to light in Major League Baseball. Tap the plate twice before getting ready to hit. Touch the brim of your cap, then adjust your sleeve, and then touch the tip of your cap before you throw a pitch. Slumping? Try a gold thong, it worked for Jason Giambi and Derek Jeter. Hitting well? Never change your underwear again, period. It is little things like this that make the game unique and that make the game special, at least in my eyes, so go out there today with confidence. Make sure your cell phone is fully charged, don’t go out to any campsites in the barren woods, and don’t go down any sewer drains after a balloon and you should be fine. Oh, and step on a crack. Your mom will be fine.

I hope everyone has a great day and enjoys their weekend. I know this is a special weekend for my lovely girlfriend, it is the last Saturday she has to work because of tax season! One more Saturday baby! I love you, and you ALMOST made it through!

P.S. Alex Cora is a piece of shit, and Tyler Austin is my hero. That is all. 

Friday the 13th Article Revisit: The Curse of the Billy Goat & Other Baseball Superstitions

You have to admit that if you watch baseball, play baseball or have talked to anyone who has played or watched baseball that there is a certain level of superstition in the game. You also have to admit that if you talk to enough people about Friday the 13^th that there is a similar set of superstitions surrounding the day. What do you get when you have Game One of the ALCS on Friday the 13^th? Well besides the Yankees bombing Dallas Keuchel, my prediction, you also get this article revisit from the 2016 season covering some of the weird known superstitions in baseball as well as the now outdated Curse of the Billy Goat that the Chicago Cubs broke last season. Enjoy the article revisit as we wait on the game tonight inside Minute Maid Park. Go Yankees!!

Sunday, October 9, 2016

The Curse of the Billy Goat & Other Baseball Superstitions

If you’re a fan of Major League Baseball or if you’ve ever played baseball down from Little League all the way to the show chances are there is at least a little superstitious blood running through your body. I can remember wearing a red power rangers shirt under my jersey back in my early Little League years and the first time I did I went 3-4 and we won. So what did I do? I wore that same shirt under my jersey every single game until the superstition ran out. If you’re a fan of Major League Baseball you probably also believe in curses no matter what you say out loud. The Curse of the Bambino was a real thing, even if it was just in the heads of the Boston Red Sox fans and players, and until the Curse of the Billy Goat and other superstitions around baseball are broken by Cubs players and fans alike those traditions will remain a part of the game as well. 

With the Cubs once again looking to break the Curse of the Billy Goat this fall I wanted to take a look at some of the superstitions in baseball and some of the attempts to specifically end the curse surrounding Wrigley Field. Fans have tried to smuggle in goats into Wrigley Field and one local food company, Carnivore Inc., even went as far as to butcher a goat that lived 90 minutes south of Chicago to turn into sausage that will be served in the Chicago suburbs. Will thousands of Cubs fans eating a goat during the playoffs reverse the Curse of the Billy Goat? Stay tuned, but I doubt it. 

Some other superstitions around baseball include Washington Nationals pitcher Sean Burnett putting a poker chip in his back pocket before taking the mound, Wade Boggs eating fried chicken before every start, Derek Holland watching scenes from “For the Love of the Game,” Jason Giambi and his gold thong he passed around the Yankees clubhouse, CC Sabathia keeps a picture of his children in his jersey while he pitches and so many other superstitions. 

Players won’t step on the white line when entering or leaving the field, players won’t get a new hat or batting helmet if they are hitting well no matter how disgusting they look, Roger Clemens would not take the mound without first rubbing the forehead of Babe Ruth in Monument Park, Phil Hughes doesn’t shave the day he is scheduled to pitch and so much more. Superstitions run rampant in Major League Baseball! 

So will the Chicago Cubs win their first World Series since 1908 and will any other superstitions or outlandish beliefs be put to bed before the end of the 2016 season? Stay tuned. 

FYI, they Cubs did break the curse in case you missed it. I know you didn’t, but still. 

The Curse of the Billy Goat & Other Baseball Superstitions

If you’re a fan of Major League Baseball or if you’ve ever played baseball down from Little League all the way to the show chances are there is at least a little superstitious blood running through your body. I can remember wearing a red power rangers shirt under my jersey back in my early Little League years and the first time I did I went 3-4 and we won. So what did I do? I wore that same shirt under my jersey every single game until the superstition ran out. If you’re a fan of Major League Baseball you probably also believe in curses no matter what you say out loud. The Curse of the Bambino was a real thing, even if it was just in the heads of the Boston Red Sox fans and players, and until the Curse of the Billy Goat and other superstitions around baseball are broken by Cubs players and fans alike those traditions will remain a part of the game as well. 

With the Cubs once again looking to break the Curse of the Billy Goat this fall I wanted to take a look at some of the superstitions in baseball and some of the attempts to specifically end the curse surrounding Wrigley Field. Fans have tried to smuggle in goats into Wrigley Field and one local food company, Carnivore Inc., even went as far as to butcher a goat that lived 90 minutes south of Chicago to turn into sausage that will be served in the Chicago suburbs. Will thousands of Cubs fans eating a goat during the playoffs reverse the Curse of the Billy Goat? Stay tuned, but I doubt it. 

Some other superstitions around baseball include Washington Nationals pitcher Sean Burnett putting a poke chip in his back pocket before taking the mound, Wade Boggs eating fried chicken before every start, Derek Holland watching scenes from “For the Love of the Game,” Jason Giambi and his gold thong he passed around the Yankees clubhouse, CC Sabathia keeps a picture of his children in his jersey while he pitches and so many other superstitions. 

Players won’t step on the white line when entering or leaving the field, players won’t get a new hat or batting helmet if they are hitting well no matter how disgusting they look, Roger Clemens would not take the mound without first rubbing the forehead of Babe Ruth in Monument Park, Phil Hughes doesn’t shave the day he is scheduled to pitch and so much more. Superstitions run rampant in Major League Baseball! 

So will the Chicago Cubs win their first World Series since 1908 and will any other superstitions or outlandish beliefs be put to bed before the end of the 2016 season? Stay tuned. 

My Own Superstitions and My CPU Desktop

This all started back in the spring before the 2009 season. The New York Yankees had made a huge splash in the free agency and trade markets acquiring Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia, Nick Swisher and AJ Burnett in separate deals and the team was ready to make a deep run into the postseason. I have made it no secret that Burnett was my favorite pitcher at the time, there's something about throwing a no hitter with nine walks that can turn a guy on, and I was ecstatic to have him finally on the team. What did I do to celebrate? I placed the above image on my desktop to showcase to the world, or anyone in the room watching me type over my back anyway.

I don't need to tell you how the 2009 season went not only for the Yankees but for Burnett in particular. It was magical and it ended with a World Series championship, a championship that may not have happened had Burnett not pitched so brilliantly in Game 2 of the World Series. I of course took all the credit for that because of my own superstitions and I decided to make this a yearly tradition going forward.

In 2010 it was Phil Hughes and 18 wins later I had Mariano Rivera on the desktop in 2011. In 2012 I had Derek Jeter donning my CPU while in 2013 it was Robbie Cano, don't ya know? In 2014 the Yankees went on another spending spree so I decided to think long and hard about who would get the honor of gracing my desktop much like NFL players salivate over the Madden NFL cover and I stopped on one of the newest Yankees, Jacoby Ellsbury. Ellsbury had a relatively healthy and productive season in 2014 so I decided to let Masahiro Tanaka grace my computer last year with his presence with another good turnout... so who gets it in 2016?

The votes have been tallied and the results are in.... and the winner is.... no Steve Harvey stand back, I got this.... and the winner is...... Starlin Castro! Congratulations to him and his family on the award and the prestige that comes along with staying on my desktop all season long. Good luck!

New Superstitions & Winning Streaks

The New York Yankees started out the season on a terrible 3-6 record before the team started growing mustaches as a team building exercise. After the team grew out their mustaches, or in some cases it was more like peach fuzz, the Yankees went on a roll and started winning a ton of games. Now the team has been losing much more then they have been winning and in true superstitious nature the team shaved off the mustaches looking to turn things around. The shaving of the staches apparently did not do much for the team's offense, defense and pitching so I have come up with an idea for a new superstition and a new hope to turn the team around, shave their heads.

The Yankees have a no facial hair policy on the team where any player, coach or manager is restricted from growing a beard of any kind and is only allowed to grow a mustache that does not exceed their bottom lip. The team also cannot have long hair that touches their collar on their jersey but there are no rules against shaving their heads. Could you imagine?

Mark Teixeira as a skin head, Jacoby Ellsbury without that beautiful black hair of his, Nathan Eovaldi without his longer set of locks, Stephen Drew looking like a chemo patient just because and even Alex Rodriguez getting a 2014 Derek Jeter cut. It may or may not work but it would be interesting to see either way, Brett Gardner needs to get this done.

Call it "The Jeter" cut

For men or for women

Even Tom Brady is doing it....

and this guy thought he was original... psh

The Superstition of my Desktop

I am a baseball fan and baseball is in my heart and in my blood so naturally I am a pretty superstitious person sometimes (all the time). Way back in 2009 the New York Yankees signed AJ Burnett to a big free agent deal and as many of you probably know by now Burnett was my favorite player. I loved AJ when he was with the Florida Marlins and the Toronto Blue Jays because there is something about throwing a no hitter with nine walks that excites me. Anyway let me get back on track before I get too far gone, for the 2009 season I put a picture of AJ in a Yankees uniform on my desktop on my PC. I don't need to tell you the history, the Yankees won the World Series and AJ had a great and healthy season. So in 2010 I picked one player who I thought needed a pick me up and they were showcased on my desktop all season long... and I just picked my 2015 player this afternoon.

In 2010 I chose Phil Hughes because I felt it was finally his time to break out... 18 wins later I decided this would be a yearly thing. 2011, Mariano Rivera. 2012, Derek Jeter. 2013, Robinson Cano. Last season I had Jacoby Ellsbury on my desktop all season long and he was one of the best hitters on the team. Overall, Ellsbury stayed healthy as well in 2014 which led me to my 2015 pick, Mr. Masahiro Tanaka. Tanaka had a partially torn UCL in his throwing elbow last season and opted to rest and rehab it rather than head under the knife for a Tommy John surgery. If anyone needs a little bit of black magic and help it's Tanaka so the official revealing for my 2015 desktop picture... #TANAKA

Alfonso Soriano Has Another Big Game Vs. Angels

Alfonso Soriano followed up his two home run and six RBI game last night by driving in another seven RBI's and counting with another two home runs tonight in what looks like another Yankees victory over the Angels. I will continue to post this picture hailing the man they call Soriano until he cools off, call me superstitious.