The Curse Of 2001?

The blog Red Sox Reality Check takes a shot at comparing the Yankees and Red Sox this year. One of the questions that they ask is:

Can the Yankees break the mysterious curse placed upon them in 2001 by a former employee’s wife?

This was a new one on me. So, I did some searching - which brought me back to Red Sox Reality Check, where, on October 07, 2006, they wrote:

I traveled to a conference in August and met a former Yankee employee at the most unlikely of places, the Lazy J Ranch not far from Vail. He explained how the Yankees would not win the World Series this year, just as they had failed the past five seasons. George Steinbrenner had fired him not long before the 2001 World Series. He didn’t sulk, whine, or complain. His wife cursed the Yankees.

I have no idea who this former employee could be…and if you’re reading this and you do, please let me know. In any event, in searching, I did find this theory (from 2005) for the Yankees post-2000 blues: The Carpetbagger Curse - here’s how it goes:

Could the fortunes of the storied New York Yankees be tied to the tenure of Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) in one of New York’s Senate seats?

Here are the facts: Clinton, elected in 2000, took office in January 2001. The Bronx Bombers last won a championship in 2000 and have endured a five-year dry spell since, despite making the playoffs every year. Most recently, they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels.

Coincidence? Some think not. As James Taranto of The Wall Street Journal’s GOP-leaning OpinionJournal blog put it last week, “This is known as the ‘Carpetbagger Curse’ — though at least it’s not as bad as Boston’s ‘Curse of the Bambino,’” which allegedly deprived the Red Sox of a title for 86 years.

For further perspective, we turn to Kevin Madden, spokesman for Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) and one of the Hill’s notable Yankees fans, to say nothing of his status as a rare Republican from the New York metro area.

“A theory that sturdy has GOTTA be true,” Madden wrote us. “We have the bats, we have the pitching and we have the best manager in baseball. But having a Chicago Cubs fan who is also a Democrat serving as one of New York’s senators is like tying a brick to a cinder block. We need to defeat her in 2006 and get back to winning championships and getting real leadership in the Senate.”

To be fair, however, Clinton has long said that growing up, the Yankees were her American League team of choice.

Yet, however strong or weak the theory, some quick research reveals that this isn’t the first episode of “carpetbagging” that’s coincided with a turn in Yankee fortunes.

From 1960 to 1964, the Yankees made the postseason every year, winning championships in 1961 and 1962. In fact, they missed the playoffs only nine times in the 30 years ending in 1964.

Back then, however, Massachusetts’s own Robert F. Kennedy stepped down as President Kennedy’s attorney general to run for Senate — from New York. He was elected in November 1964 and took office the following January.

The result? No more Yankee postseason trips until 1976.

Finding this, I have to offer now that Hillary has got to go. It may not be fair, or logical, but, better safe than sorry when it comes to dealing with whammies (I always say).

January 28, 2007 | Filed Under Rivalry Snapshots 

Comments

8 Responses to “The Curse Of 2001?”

  1. baileywalk on January 28th, 2007 12:31 pm

    Re: Clinton.

    Don’t worry about her, Steve. She’ll be President in the blink on an eye.

    (Insert evil laughter as Republicans everywhere fall to the floor and shiver uncontrollably.)

  2. JohnnyC on January 28th, 2007 12:54 pm

    Red Sox fans have to locate someone with the creative genius of that literary giant, Dan Shaughnessy, who fabricated the original Curse for his eponymous 1991 book. No half measures from literary lightweights here, guys. Maybe Ben Affleck can get one of his Hollywood buddies to write something up. Otherwise, it’ll be boring as hell waiting out the next 84 years until their next championship.

  3. JohnnyC on January 28th, 2007 12:55 pm

    TCB, CHB!

  4. Jen on January 28th, 2007 2:12 pm

    Somehow I doubt that this guy’s wife was the first to ever curse the Yankees.

  5. Athos333 on January 28th, 2007 8:41 pm

    >>>>The blog Red Sox Reality Check takes a shot at comparing the Yankees and Red Sox this year. One of the questions that they ask is:

    Can the Yankees break the mysterious curse placed upon them in 2001 by a former employee’s wife?<<<<<

    ========================================

    man… Boston fans are lamer than I thought…

  6. bobtaco on January 28th, 2007 10:21 pm

    How about the curse of George W Bush? They have not won since he was innaugurated.

    Go back and check when the Yankees win World Series. They have won a larger percentage under Democratic administrations than Republican.

    1923 - Republican
    1927-1928 - Republican
    1932 - Republican
    1936 - 1939 - Democrat
    1941 - Democrat
    1943 - Democrat
    1947 - Democrat
    1949 - 1953 -Democrat
    1956 - Republican
    1958 -Republican
    1961- 1962 - Democrat
    1977 - 1978 - Democrat
    1996 - Democrat
    1998 - 2000 - Democrat

    So 20 rings for the Dems and 6 for the Repubs.
    Notice also that the Yankees lose in 1976, then Carter gets elected, they win. Carter loses to Regan, Yankees lose in 1981. Yankees thrive under Clinton, Gore loses to Bush and the Yankees lose to Arizona.

    Vote Democratic for Yankee Dynasties!

  7. Garcia on January 29th, 2007 12:41 am

    I just saw a big fat dude with 12 reindeers.

  8. Mike on January 29th, 2007 8:55 am

    Amen Bobtaco! As far ast the Hilary thing goes, you think they would have interviewed someone, anyone that didn’t work for that indicted crook and overall douche bag Tom Delay and some schmuck from the OpinionJournal - neither of whom come to the discussion without ideological baggage and likely hatred of Senator Clinton.

    Ain’t it just like a right-winger to see the imperial evidence (20 rings under Dems and 6 under Republicans) and blame Hilary Clinton? Especially when the only decade the Yankees DID NOT win the World Series was under their “great” leader Ronnie Reagan.



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