Curse of the Billy Goat
A goat ejected from Wrigley Field in 1945 and a 71-year pennant drought.
The Curse of the Billy Goat was a sports curse supposedly placed on the Chicago Cubs in 1945 by Billy Goat Tavern owner William Sianis, and it lasted 71 years, from 1945 to 2016. During Game 4 of the 1945 World Series at Wrigley Field, Sianis and his pet goat, Murphy, were asked to leave the stadium because the goat was bothering other fans.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- Game 4 of the 1945 World Series, Wrigley Field
- Placed by
- William Sianis, Billy Goat Tavern owner
- Goat
- Murphy
- Duration
- 71 years (1945–2016)
- Ended
- 2016 NLCS Game 6 and the 2016 World Series
Facts from the source article.
Background
Outraged, Sianis allegedly declared, "Them Cubs, they ain't gonna win no more." The Cubs lost the 1945 World Series to the Detroit Tigers and did not win a pennant again until 2016, when, on the 46th anniversary of Sianis's death, they beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5–0 in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series; they then beat the Cleveland Indians 8–7 in 10 innings in Game 7 of the World Series.
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