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The Curse of the Bambino
The Boston Red Sox last won the World Series in 1918. Two years later, they sold the contract of a promising young pitcher and batter on their roster - Babe
Ruth - to the New York Yankees. In the years since, the Yankees won 26 World Series titles - while the Red Sox have remained winless. The coincidence is unmistakable, and baseball fans worldwide have come to believe in the "Curse of the Bambino."
The Rookie
Nineteen-year-old Babe Ruth began his career in professional baseball with the
Boston Red Sox. He was acquired by the team in 1914 through an $8,000 purchase
that also included two of Ruth’s teammates on the then minor league club, the Baltimore Orioles. Although he was also a capable batter, the Babe’s
main contribution to the team was expected to be his pitching.
Babe made a formidable addition to the Red Sox lineup, and the team went on to
win World Series titles in 1915, 1916 and 1918. In fact, his 29 2/3 consecutive
scoreless innings in the 1916 World Series stood unmatched on the record books
until 1961.
Sale of the Century
Several years later, despite the Babe’s continued success in pitching and hitting, the Red Sox were willing to sell him to the financially equipped New York Yankees. On January 3, 1920, Ruth’s
contract was purchased for fee of $125,000 and an additional loan of $350,000.
And so the “Curse of the Bambino” began. After joining the Yankees, he out-homered
the entire Red Sox team in 10 of the following 12 seasons. With the Babe on their
roster, the Yankees won four World Series titles (in 1923, 1927, 1928, 1932)
while the Red Sox remained winless.
The Legend Lives On
Even now, 75 years later, the legendary curse is still a force to be reckoned
with. While both ball clubs started in 1901, the Boston Red Sox have only five
World Series titles to their record - a meager accomplishment when compared with
the Yankees whopping 26 titles.
This year, the faith of Yankees fans was tested once more. In anticipation of
the 2003 American League series championship, Yankees and Red Sox fans alike
visted Ruth's grave with flowers and mementos, each hoping to sway the favor
of the Bambino's spirit. Despite a fantastic battle by the two talented teams,
the Babe's New York Yankees took the AL title once again. The Yankees won the
game in overtime with an 11th inning homerun by Aaron Boone, who fearlessly swung
at the first pitch from Tim Wakefield.
Babe Ruth once said, "Never let the fear of striking out get in your way." He
would have been proud.
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