By Kiran Damodaran ’17, Sports Editor

Luis Castillo is at the plate with a full count. The Chicago Cubs are five outs from their first World Series appearance in 58 years. Holding a 3-2 series lead in the NLCS (National League Championship Series) against the Florida Marlins, and a 3-0 lead in the game, they appear in control, with pitcher Mark Prior practically unhittable. Meanwhile, an unsuspecting young man sits in the first row down the left field line, a green turtleneck around his throat and a Walkman headset over his Cubs hat. Fox Sports announcer Thom Brennan follows the play: “Again in the air, down the left field line. Alou… reaching into the stands…. and couldn’t get it and is livid with a fan!” That fan’s name, the one with the Walkman headset, was Steve Bartman. After that play, Prior went on to walk Castillo on the next pitch and the Cubs let up eight runs that inning. The Cubs lost the game, and the series the next night, knocking them out of the playoffs. For many fans, this infamous play, known as the Steve Bartman Incident, drew back to something much larger and more lasting than just this one game; it all comes back to the Curse of the Billy Goat.

It all began much earlier than that fateful night in 2003. It began with a goat named Murphy. It began when Billy Sianis, the owner of the Billy Goat Tavern, a local Chicago spot, decided to bring Murphy into Game 4 of the 1945 World Series. During the game, Sianis, a lifelong Cubs fan, was asked to leave because of fellow fans’ complaints about the odor of his goat. Outraged, Sianis declared, “Them Cubs, they ain’t gonna win no more.” (The MLB on the Curse of the Billy Goat) And so the Curse was born. Despite their 2-1 lead in the 1945 World Series, the Cubs went on to lose Game 4 and eventually, the World Series. Since then, the Cubs are yet to return to the World Series.

This year, however, for the first time in a while, it appeared like the Cubs had a real chance. They finished the regular season with an impressive record of 97-65, the third best in the entire the MLB, and on an eight game winning streak; however, since their division (the NL Central) also had the top two teams in the MLB, the Cubs were forced to play in a Wild Card Game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, to decide who would take the final spot representing the National League in the playoffs. Despite this challenge, the Cubs rolled onwards, taking down the Pirates 4-0 in dominant fashion, behind the unhittable pitching of star Jake Arrieta, a strong candidate for NL Cy Young. Throwing a four-hitter shutout, Arrieta took care of business like he had all season. Not only did he end the year with a 22-6 record, hold opposing batters to a .185 average, and throw 236 strikeouts, but he also set an MLB record with a 0.76 ERA in the second half of the season.

It seemed like nothing could stop the Cubs as the young team clicked at just the right time, guided by new manager Joe Maddon. With pitching led by Arrieta, Jon Lester, and young gun Kyle Hendricks, and hitting supported by star Anthony Rizzo and emerging talents Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber, the Cubs were well primed for a long playoff run. Despite their youth, heading into the playoffs many were wondering, could this be the year the Curse was finally broken?

In the beginning, it appeared so. The Cubs slid past the Cardinals 3-1 in the NLDS (National League Division Series), behind strong hitting and clutch performances. One thing was amiss, however: the Cubs’ ace, Jake Arrieta, who was essentially unhittable all year, faltered. Letting up four runs in 5.2 innings, Arrieta had an uncharacteristic ERA of 6.35 in Game 3 of the series, which raised questions about the star ace and a Cubs pitching rotation clearly lacking depth. Against an extremely strong pitching team in the Mets, the Cubs were bound to struggle in the NLCS (National League Championship Series). As a result of their lack of pitching depth and hitting woes against the likes of aces Noah Syndergaard and Matt Harvey, the Mets dominated the Cubs, sweeping them 4-0 and trailing for a total of zero innings. And so, in anticlimactic fashion, the Cubs’ season came to an end, the Curse still unbroken.

But does this mean it will never be broken? Over the years, fans have certainly tried. From bringing Billy Sianis’ nephew, Sam Sianis, and his goat onto the field on Opening Day, to blessing the Cubs’ dugout with Holy Water, to butchering a goat and hanging it, Cubs fans across the nation have tried. The Cubs may not have broken the Curse this year but they had a fantastic year, especially considering the youth in their team and the low expectations many had for them at the beginning of the season. Best of all for Cubs fans, they should only improve. While the Curse of the Billy Goat still looms large, for the first time in a while there is hope; and that is something to which Cubs fans around the nation will continue to cling tightly.