Overview:
For years, the Chicago Cubs were synonymous with bad luck. The story of “the Curse of the Billy Goat” became one of the most infamous legends in baseball. While skeptics dismiss it as coincidence, the Cubs’ century-long drought — and the eerie timing of certain events — continue to fascinate fans to this day.
Play Ball
This evening marks Game 3 between the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers in the MLB Division Series. The Brewers lead the series 2–0, meaning a win tonight would send them to the National League Championship Series (NLCS). A Cubs victory, however, would keep their playoff hopes alive.
Curiously, Game 2 — played on October 6th — fell on the 80th anniversary of the “Curse of the Billy Goat.”
A Man and His Goat Go to a Cubs Game
On October 6th, 1945, the Cubs led the Detroit Tigers two games to one in the World Series. During Game 4 at Wrigley Field, a local tavern owner named William Sianis brought along his pet goat, Murphy. But after complaints about the animal’s odor, both were asked to leave the stadium.
The Tigers went on to win the series — and legend says that Sianis, insulted by the ejection, “cursed” the Cubs, vowing they would never win another World Series.
For decades, it appeared to hold true. The Cubs wouldn’t even reach another World Series until 2016 — 71 years later.
The Legend Keeps Going
Back in the Playoffs (1984)
After a 38-year absence, the Cubs made the postseason in 1984. Yet they fell to the San Diego Padres, dashing hopes of a long-awaited return to glory.
Return to the Past (1989)
In the 1989 NLCS, the Cubs lost to the San Francisco Giants, marking another near miss — and the start of another decade without playoff success.
Light at the End of the Tunnel (2003)
The Cubs beat the Atlanta Braves in their first postseason series win since 1908. But the Florida Marlins eliminated them in the NLCS, and another drought followed.
Back for the Attack (2015)
The Cubs reached the NLCS once more but fell to the New York Mets. Yet momentum was building — and history was about to turn.
The Big Screen Curse
Even Hollywood couldn’t resist the myth.
Back to the Future Part II (1989)
In Back to the Future Part II, Marty McFly travels to the year 2015, where a news broadcast declares that the Cubs had won the World Series.
At the time, the notion seemed laughable — but in real life, the Cubs reached the NLCS in 2015, and then, in 2016, actually won it all.
The movie missed by just one year, adding another uncanny coincidence to Cubs lore.
Putting the Nail in the Coffin
The Goat Comes Full Circle
William Sianis — the man who brought his goat to Wrigley Field — passed away on October 22, 1970.
Exactly 46 years later to the day, on October 22, 2016, the Cubs clinched their first National League pennant since 1945.
A poetic twist, or something stranger?
World Series Win
On November 2, 2016, the Cubs defeated the Cleveland Guardians 8–7 in a thrilling Game 7, ending a 108-year World Series drought.
The curse was finally broken — and history made.
Lessons from the Field
As the Cubs face the Brewers tonight, the echoes of history remain. The Brewers aim for their first NLCS appearance in seven years, while the Cubs fight to keep their season alive.
Yet perhaps the most curious part of it all is timing — the 80th anniversary of the day the “curse” supposedly began.
History is full of coincidences — and when it comes to the Chicago Cubs, coincidence might just be part of the magic.
Sources
- Milwaukee Brewers vs. Chicago Cubs Playoff Schedule (JS Online)
- University of Mary Washington – The Curse of the Billy Goat
- MLB 1984 Postseason History
- SABR: Cubs Clinch First Postseason Berth Since 1945
- MLB 1989 NLCS Recap
- MLB 2003 Cubs-Braves NLDS Recap
- Baseball Reference: 2015 NLCS
- Back to the Future Part II (1989), dir. Robert Zemeckis
- MLB: How Back to the Future II Predicted the Cubs’ Victory
- Find a Grave: William George Sianis
- ESPN: Goatbusters — Breaking the Cubs’ Curse
- MLB: Cubs Win 2016 World Series
More at Presence:
