Curse of Coogan's Bluff

The Curse of Coogan's Bluff (1958–2010) was a baseball-related superstition that allegedly prevented the San Francisco Giants Major League Baseball franchise from winning the World Series following the club's move from New York City to San Francisco after the conclusion of the 1957 season. The curse began when upset Giants fans in the New York metropolitan area placed a hex on the relocated franchise. The curse ended when the Giants won the 2010 World Series in their fourth World Series appearance since the move to San Francisco.

Background and origin of the curse

While the franchise was based in New York, the Giants won five World Series titles, with the longest drought between titles being 21 years. The last title the team won while known as the New York Giants came against the Cleveland Indians in 1954, notably featuring Willie Mays' famous catch in game one. In the 1950s, Giants' owner Horace Stoneham began to consider moving the team to another city while needing a new stadium to replace the crumbling Polo Grounds. San Francisco mayor George Christopher negotiated with Stoneham, approving the move to San Francisco starting with the 1958 season.

Following the move, upset Giants' fans in New York allegedly placed a hex on the San Francisco Giants, claiming the relocated franchise would never win the World Series while based in San Francisco.[1] Many believed all of the team's good luck is in New York.[2]

World Series appearances during the curse

During the 50 years after placing the alleged Curse of Coogan's Bluff, the Giants made three World Series appearances and lost each time, two of which in 7-game Series. In 1962, in Game 3 of the playoff series that decided who would win the National League (NL) pennant and play in the World Series, the Giants overcame two-run deficit in the 9th inning against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers. In Game 7 of the 1962 World Series against the rival New York Yankees, down 1–0 and runner on second and third, Willie McCovey hit a sharp line drive, but the ball was caught by Yankees' second baseman Bobby Richardson to end the game and the series.

In the 1989 World Series, the Giants were swept by another San Francisco Bay Area team, the rival Oakland Athletics. The 1989 Series was infamous for the massive earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay Area, delaying Games 3 and 4 of the World Series by 10 days. In the 2002 World Series against the Anaheim Angels, the Giants led 3 games to 2 heading back to Anaheim for Games 6 and 7, but the Giants lost the last two for the third World Series loss since moving to San Francisco.

The end of the curse

In 2010, the Giants won the division after passing the San Diego Padres for the NL West division lead late in the season. The Giants qualified to play in the World Series after defeating the Atlanta Braves in the National League Division Series (NLDS), and the Philadelphia Phillies (who made back-to-back World Series appearances in the previous year) in the National League Championship Series (NLCS). The Giants defeated the Texas Rangers in five games to win the World Series Championship for the first time since moving to San Francisco in 1958, thus ending the Curse of Coogan's Bluff. At 56 years between the World Series titles, the franchise endured their third longest World Series Championship drought, after the Cleveland Indians (see Curse of Rocky Colavito) and the Chicago Cubs (see Curse of the Billy Goat).

The Giants would win two more World Series Championships within a five-year span — in 2012 and in 2014.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hayden, Matthew (April 3, 2009). "6 Insane Sports Stories". Cracked.com. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  2. ↑ Turner, Gus (May 20, 2014). "The Curse of Coogan's Bluff – The Worst Curses in Sports History". Complex. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
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