After being swept three games to none, people continue to stupidly compare the Chicago Cubs to the defending World Series Champions, the Boston Red Sox.
The question iswhy?
Last World Series Victory in 1908
Ask any baseball fan which team has the longest World Series drought, and they'll probably be able to recite the answer: The Chicago Cubs, who last won it in 1908, successfully defending their 1907 crown.
The Chicago Cubs of the 20th century's first decade were a powerhouse, winning four National League pennants and two World Series, and setting the modern record for winning percentage at .763 with a 116-win season in 1906.
The Cubs Lose To The Red Sox in 1918
The long-noted irony until a few years ago was that the Chicago Cubs were the ones that the Red Sox beat in 1918, and the White Sox beat in 1906. Indeed, if the first decade of the 20th century was the Chicago's time, the second belonged to Boston. From 1912 to 1918, the Red Sox won four pennants and four World Series, and finished in 2nd place twice.
The Curse of the Billy Goat in 1945
Of course, the favorite theory for the Red Sox dry spell was that they had sold the contract of their star lefthanded pitcher and sometimes-OF to the New York Yankees, George Herman Ruth, a.k.a. The Babe, or in Italian, the Bambino. A similar legend was constructed for the Cubs after the owner of the Billy Goat tavern, Billy Sianis, was ejected from Game 4 of the 1945 World Series.
Five Outs Away In 2003
In 2003, the two franchises were compared again when both teams faltered in the 8th inning of the potential win to go to the World Series. In Chicago, it was Steve Bartman getting a glove on a foul ball in Game 6, preventing Moises Alou from making the second out and somehow causing the ensuing meltdown to lose that night and the next. In New York, Boston manager Grady Little refused to lift ace pitcher Pedro Martinez as the Yankees rallied in the 8th inning of Game 7 to tie it and then won it in extras on an Aaron Boone home run off Tim Wakefield.
Lovable Losers vs. Constant Contenders
Sure, the Chicago Cubs have had their fair share of June swoons, but this is what separates the Boston Red Sox from the Chicago Cubs: Excellence vs. futility. The Boston Red spent much of the 1920s in last place, fueling the "Curse of the Bambino" legend, but from 1933 to 1991, the Red Sox did not finish last -- the longest streak in the modern era. Over that same timeframe, the Chicago Cubs finished last nine times.
Game 7 Losses: 1946, 1967, 1975, 1986
This is what truly separates the Boston Red Sox from the Chicago Cubs, and what made them a Greek tragedy until 2004. Losing in 7th game of the World Series. Four times the Red Sox did it during their 86-year drought, usually with torturous circumstances. The held ball. Two days' rest vs. three. Johnson lifting Willoughby too soon. Bill Buckner. Red Sox fans don't need much more than a few words to recall the agony. The Chicago Cubs, on the other hand, have little more than Bartman and the June swoons.
