Their Title Droughts Over: Red Sox/Cubs Noteworthy, However, No Big Deal

In hours, the Boston Red Sox, they of venerable Fenway Park begin a series at also venerable Wrigley Field in Chicago, vs the Cubs.

They met in the 1918 World Series and for 86 years that was the last time the Red Sox had “titled.”

At that 1918 point, the end of the last war, (what a joke–alas military man “Ike” knew), months away, it had been 10 years since the Cubs won the W.S. (they won in 1907 and 1908).

It would become 108.

Now each team’s drought is pretty long over, the Red Sox, still a contender and with 4 titles since 1918 or 2004 (you choose) and by far the better “near misses,” are the better franchise, however, this is a virtual exhibition series in a nice place.

Maybe that is all it need be.

Babe Ruth, is shown above, having hit a home run at Wrigley Field for the Yankees vs the Cubs in the 1932 World Series. 

Mr. Ruth also played at “Fenway,” for the Red Sox, starring primarily as a pitcher.

Greats Lou Gehrig congratulating “The Babe,” and catcher Gabby Hartnett are also shown above. 

Another esoteric note regarding 3 straight titles involves Hartnett.

In 1938, the Yankees became the first of 15 major North American sports league teams to win a third straight title, something the Avalanche, within the last week of time, denied the Tampa Bay Lightning.

10 of the 15 times a team made it 3 straight titles and as noted here “those #’s!) 9 of 11 times a team was denied a third straight crown, the winning coach or manager had a last name which started with an earlier letter in the alphabet than the rival “losing” coach or manager in the final round entity.

Such was not the case in ’38 as Yankees’ manager, Joe McCarthy’s “M” is later in the alphabet than Gabby Hartnett’s “H.”