The Curse Continues

Just when you thought the Curse of the Billy Goat had ended, the Chicago Cubs found another way to lose in the postseason, this time to the underdog Florida Marlins. Despite losing Game Five to send the series back to Chicago, the Cubs reentered the Windy City with a 3 games to 2 lead and Mark Prior and Kerry Wood slated to pitch.

Even the most pessimistic Cubs fan felt good about their chances with those two pitchers on the mound. Yet, even the Cubs' two all-star pitchers were ultimately unable to ward off 95 years of postseason misery.

In game six, with the game and the series seemingly wrapped up, the Cubbies surrendered a 3-0 lead with their ace on the mound. Although Mark Prior was responsible for several of the eight runs in that inning, the collapse was by no means his fault.

Supposed Cubs superfan, Steve Bartman, slightly interfered with Cubs leftfielder Moises Alou as he went over to the leftfield stands to catch a foul ball. After the missed opportunity, Moises went ballistic and the Cubs proceeded to lose all of their composure. With the help and an error by Alex Gonzalez, the Marlins went on to score eight runs in the top of the eighth, to win 8-3.

Cubs fans later pelted and pushed Bartman as he exited the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. But Cubs fans should blame no one other than the Cubs for their eighth inning meltdown. Their team had more than enough chances to get out of that inning without as much damage, and the fan interference was slight at best. Alou might not have even had a chance on the ball because it was trailing away into the stands. Regardless, the Cubs still had another game with Kerry Wood on the mound to get to the World Series.

The Cubs seemed destined to win game seven with a 5-3 lead going into the middle innings. But, even with a Kerry Wood homerun that almost went out of Wrigley, the lead was not enough to hold up. Marlins ace Josh Beckett came into the game in the fifth and proceeded to shut down the Cubs lineup. The Fish later took a 9-5 lead in the top of the seventh to put the game out of reach.

Throughout the series, Josh Beckett proved that he is one of the premier young pitchers in all of baseball. His dominance in his game one and five starts and in his game seven relief appearance, have forever made him an enemy of the South side of Chicago. Fox analyst Steve Lyons even said that Beckett was refused a reservation at a Chicago restaurant upon giving his name.

The Marlins now move on to the World Series where they will face the winner of the ALCS Game Seven match up between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Florida doesn't seem to hold an advantage over either club in pitching or hitting, but they didn't hold any in both of the series they have already won. No one in their right mind would pick this team to win the World Series no matter the opponent, but the Marlins will definitely make it interesting.