Photo Courtesy of the Chicago Tribune

76 years ago a single crack of the bat reminded the Chicago Cubs that the Detroit Tigers and Hank Greenberg would not go gentle into that good night. Greenberg rocketed a homer against Cub’s pitcher Henry Ryse giving the Tiger’s a 3-1 lead in a game that they would ultimately win. The Cubs already had a one game lead after a tremendous 9-0 first game of the Series. Some credit this crack, Greenberg’s wicked powerful swing as the momentum that would eventually lead to the Tigers 4-3 Series victory over the Cubs and the beginning of the Curse of the Billy Goat, the longest running curse in the MLB. The Billy Goat Curse has become arguably the only superstition in baseball directly tied to a domesticated animal but many question the validity of such superstitions. Whether the kid who cursed the Cubs had hooves and straw in his mouth, or a cap one and hickory in his hand, tonight will prove whether the Cubs can break free from their 76 year curse, or perhaps, a Cleveland player will step into the shoes of Greenberg and send Chicago home packing yet again.

Read more about superstitions in baseball here and Hank Greenberg’s Jewish ball player dilemma here.