Tonight, game four. Will the Red Sox win and take the series? This Cubs fan hopes so, because if the Red Sox can bury the curse of the Bambino, perhaps there’s hope for the Cubs and the curse of Murphy’s goat.
I was moved to write a letter to the Raleigh newspaper this morning. In an article on the Sox and the curse, well, I’ll let the letter speak for itself:
Dan Shaugnessy writes in today’s sports section, “Suppan’s gaffe, destined to go into World Series lore alongisde Fred ‘Bonehead’ Merkle neglecting to touch second base in the 1908 World Series, changed Game 3 in every way.” Unfortunately for Shaugnessy and World Series lore, “Merkle’s Boner” occurred during the regular season–September 23, 1908–in a vital game between the Chicago Cubs and the New York Giants who were both in contention for the National League pennant. Merkle, believing that the Giants had won the game, ran back to his dugout rather than touch second base while the ball was still in play, and the Cubs recovered the ball from a rioting crowd and tag Merkle out. The game was declared a tie, and the Cubs and Giants played a one game play-off to determine the pennant winner. The Giants loss in that play-off sent the Cubs to the World Series for their second and final world championship. Some say it is not the Curse of Murphy’s Goat that has kept the Cubs from winning a World Series but that fateful day in September 1908 when the Cubs robbed the Giants of victory and their shot at the World Series.
Upon reflection, I suppose Merkle’s Boner is a part of World Series lore, the play that deprived the New York Giants of the chance to go to the World Series.
I’m curious if the News & Observer will print the letter. If they do, will they edit out the word “boner”?