Certainly, there is great joy for Chicago Cubs’ fans today with the signing of left-handed pitching mega-star Jon Lester – one of the top pitchers in this year’s free agent market.  And rightfully so!  After all, when an organization holds the record for futility and has embraced the ‘lovable-loser’ mentality for more than 108 years (but who’s counting) the signing of a top-shelf pitcher and proven winner like Lester is big news not only in Chicago but across the nation.

So, if Cubs Nation is hoopin’ and hollerin’ today and chanting that seldom-used line ‘Cubs win .. Cubs win’ I say let them enjoy their moment in the sun as we count the days until Spring Training.

OK, that’s long enough to celebrate, now let’s talk about facts and legend and lore.

I hate to be the person (really I don’t) to partially deflate the euphoric high that Cubs’ fans are feeling right now but I feel that somebody — and who better than me — has to mention the facts behind Lester’s hefty contract and … ugh … ugh … that 800-pound billy goat sitting in the corner.

Let me explain.

As I read the stats on Lester I just couldn’t help but think yet again that $155 million just won’t buy what it once would.  And that certainly isn’t sour grapes on my part or an indictment that the Cubs overspent to get their man.  You see, I think professional sports owners across the board (especially baseball) have more money than they do common sense so overspending is now a part of the game.  Do the names and contracts of A-Rod, Pujols and Zito ring a bell?  Check out this link for more of the insane spending for marginal players.

The $155 million, six-year deal that Lester signed for translates to $25.83 million per year.  During the past nine years the 30-year-old Lester has an overall record of 116-67, which factors out to 12.8 wins and 7.4 losses per season.  Lester has also pitched more than 200 innings in six of the past seven seasons, so he is durable and has stayed healthy, two very important stats.  During that same stretch Lester has had a not-so-great 3.58 ERA.  He has also shown the ability to win in big game situations as evident by his 3-0 record in World Series starts.

Let’s look at Lester’s numbers against his salary.  If he stays healthy (and that’s always the question on a zillion dollar contract) he will get a maximum 32 starts per year, which equates to $807,000 per start.  And if he continues on with his average wins per season — 13 wins per year over nine seasons — Lester will be paid $1.97 million per win.  But hey, that’s the world of professional baseball, every team overspends and takes chances.  It’s the name of the game.

However, while baseball pundits can dissect Lester’s contract from every angle, there is one gigantic issue that must be addressed – the ‘Billy-Goat Curse.’  The ‘curse’ that many Cubs’ fans believe really exists and is solely responsible for a century without winning a World Series.  While looking for some information on the ‘curse’ I was somewhat surprised to find that there is a website (Cubbiesbaseball.com) dedicated to this topic (see I told you some Chicago fans embrace the curse).  So, I just copied the information that you will find below.  It’s pretty amazing stuff … and information that probably didn’t come up in contract negotiations with Lester.

Chicago Cubs Curses

The Goat of 1945

Back in 1945, a man by the name of William “Billy Goat” Sianis attempted to bring a goat named, Murphy, to Wrigley Field during Game 4 of the World Series. Sianis was the owner of the “Billy Goat Tavern” and was a diehard Cubs fan.

Since there was no signs or warnings that barred animals from the park, Sianis figured he would have no problem bringing Murphy to the park. Ready with one ticket for himself and one ticket for Murphy, Sianis and his pet watched the game until late in the game when they were asked to leave. Orders came directly from Cubs owner, P.K. Wrigley, asking that both Sianis and his pet goat be ushered out of the park. The reason given was “because the goat stinks”. As a disgusted Sianis left, he was heard saying “The Cubs ain’t gonna win no more. The Cubs will never win a World Series so long as the goat is not allowed in Wrigley Field.”
After the Cubs lost the Series to the Tigers in seven games, Sianis sent a telegram to Wrigley that said “Who Stinks Now?” Diehard Cubs fans believe the curse still exists today.

The Collapse of 1969

The 1969 Cubs was a team consisting of Cubs legends like Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Fergie Jenkins, and Billy Williams. It was considered to be the greatest Cubs team ever assembled.

With a late season lead of 9 1/2 game lead over the Mets, nothing looked like it could stop the Cubs from returning to the World Series.

The curse is said to have reared its ugly head again on September 9th, 1969 when a black cat ran onto the field as the Cubs played a crucial series against the Mets at Shea Stadium. After running circles around Ron Santo in the on-deck circle, the black cat quickly disappeared underneath the stands.

The 1984 Cubs

Finishing the 84 season with a 95-64 record, the Cubs were primed and ready to finally return to the World Series. Led by MVP, Ryne Sandberg and Cy Young Winner, Rick Sutcliffe, the Cubs jumped to an early 2-0 series lead over the San Diego Padres. The Padres won game three and then won game four after Steve Garvey broke a 9th inning tie with a home run. Leading game 5 late in the game, it looked like the Cubs would finally break the curse. Instead, the Padres scored two runs to trim the lead to 3-2. In the 7th inning with a runner on second, a ground ball was hit to First Baseman, Leon Durham. Instead of making an easy second out and retaining a one run lead, the ball rolled between Durham’s legs and the Padres scored on the error. Two batters later, the Padres would take the lead, which eventually led to a Padres win.

Buckner’s Batting Glove in the 1986 World Series

Most baseball fans are aware of the infamous ball between the legs of Bill Buckner during the 86 World Series. The error caused Boston to lose game 6, forcing a game 7. Eventually the Mets won the series and many fans blamed Buckner, thus extending the Red Sox curse.

What hasn’t been noticed until recently was what Bill Buckner was wearing under his first basemen’s glove during that play.

A picture taken over 20 years ago showing Buckner walking off the field after committing the error revealed something that has been undiscovered until recently. As Buckner walked off the field, he removed his glove, exposing a worn Chicago Cubs batting glove with the Cubs logo on the back. Buckner had previously played for the Cubs before joining the Red Sox and was apparently wearing the batting glove for luck. Instead it acts as one more piece of evidence as to why the Cubs Curse exists.

Santo’s 1998 Call

Late in September of 1998, the Cubs were in a tight Wild Card race with the Mets and Giants. On September 23rd, the Cubs were leading the Brewers 7-0. As the Brewers crawled back, the Cubs still led 7-5 in the bottom of the 9th with two-outs and the bases loaded. With a count of 2-2, Rod Beck threw the pitch and a routine pop-fly to left field should have ended the game. Instead, the ball was dropped and the Brewers won the game. The loss was most felt through the emotions of broadcaster Ron Santo.

HUGHES: “Two down, the Brewers have the bases loaded, and a 2-2 count on the hitter. Here’s the pitch. Swung on. Fly ball to left field. Brant Brown going back. Brant Brown … drops the ball!”

HUGHES: “Three runs will score, and the Brewers have beaten the Cubs.”

Steve Bartman and the 2003 Cubs

On Tuesday, October 14, 2003 during a playoff game against the Florida Marlins, Steve Bartman, a local 26-year old global human resources worker from the Northern suburbs of Chicago, became the latest “goat” when he attempted to catch a foul ball near the left field wall. As Cubs left fielder, Moises Alou, attempted to catch the same ball, Bartman, and others could be seen deflecting the ball. What could have been a momentum killer for the Marlins eventually was a major blame to the collapse of the Cubs after being one game away from the World Series. After the game, Bartman apoligized to fans:

“There are few words to describe how awful I feel and what I have experienced within these last twenty-four hours. I am so truly sorry from the bottom of this Cubs fan’s broken heart.

I ask that Cub fans everywhere redirect the negative energy that has been vented towards my family, my friends and myself into the usual positive support for our beloved team on their way to being National League champs.” – Steve Bartman

Though Wrigley Field ushers will not tell you where Bartman sat during that game, a Cubs sticker can be seen on the back of the famous seat where Bartman interfered with the ball. Each game, you can see fans taking pictures at that same spot in the same pose as Bartman.

Since the Boston Red Sox won the 2004 World Series, the Cubs are the last team to be suffering from their famous curse. Whether its the curse of the goat or the curse of the 2003 playoffs, fans hope that each year they do not have to “wait until next year.”

——————-

See, I told you, it’s pretty amazing stuff.

In closing, as a St. Louis Cardinals’ fan I’d like to welcome Jon Lester to Chicago, the National League Central Division and one of the great rivalries in sports history .  And Mr. Lester, don’t believe all that nonsense about the ‘Billy Goat Curse’ … however it might be a good thing to avoid ladders, broken mirrors, black cats, full moons and anything that has to do with the number ’13.’

Play Ball!

I am yielding the floor for the second week to my friend Mark A. Pearson. Now retired, for more than a quarter of a century Mark was an institutional psychologist working in 7 different institutions for the states of Alabama and Illinois. Working with a diverse set of forensic and mental health populations, he continues to search for solutions to individual and group problems.
 
Walter V. Wendler

————————————————————————
By Mark A. Pearson

As we know from history republics (essentially governments of, for and by the people) at best survive only into a third century of existence, then collapse under the weight of more and more added on programs in a (misguided) effort to constantly do more and more for the people. Programmatic/governmental Apoptosis would limit maybe even reduce the likelihood of what is often perceived by historians as inevitable; that any republic, in fact, any governmental system, will end on the scrap heap of history. Planned apoptosis just might reduce the inevitability of that journey/ending.

In spite of the bureaucrat’s intentions to hold onto “the way things were” and to fight for more and more government, history also tells us that things do change. Since my Grandfather’s birth shortly before the beginning of the 20th century and on through my Grandson’s birth shortly after the beginning of the 21st century the world has changed radically. Long lived empires have fallen (the Ottoman; Japan), empires have risen and fallen (the Soviet Union; Nazi Germany), Central Europe and much of the continent of Africa has changed internal boundaries and governments numerous times, the United States has expanded and, if current administrators have their way – will be “fundamentally transformed.”

The problem is not that there is not change, the problem is that change tends to be poorly predicted, prescribed and managed; leaving it a chaotic process. Governmental apoptosis would constantly change things in predicable, prescribed and manageable ways. Problems would be identified and programs created to address them for the likely duration. Programs would not be created to be tended indefinitely. Historically, the military has been expanded in times of war and reduced in times of peace. All governmental problems can be addressed that way.

The intention here is to create a system (subject to review, of course) whereby programs – all programs – die in a prescribed, predictable fashion. Hopefully the program has “solved” whatever problem it was created to solve and resources can be moved onto other current problems (in this way money won’t be spent on eradicating small pox, but rather will be available to manage/eradicate Ebola). If the problem persists in a similar or advanced form a more up-to-date program can replace the previous, no longer useful program. Toward that end it is proposed that every law has a standard, time certain “sundown” provision. Ten years seems a reasonable time to address any identifiable problem (after all it only took the U.S. Military to mobilize, fight and win the greatest conflict of all time (WWII) a little over 4 years). Setting “sundown” dates addresses new laws, those presumably designed to address current problems.

But what do we do about “old” laws; created at some historical moment to address what was an important historical problem. The important thing is to not create a crisis, but rather a process. Thus, every law in existence can be assigned a number from one to 10 (two random number generators can be used – one to select the law as all laws are numbered and one to select the number from one to ten.) The process then is that on 1 January of the following year each and every law with a “one” becomes null and void. This allows the legislature a year to address the issues underlying one-tenth of the laws currently in effect (of course, as they research a given “problem” they may discover duplication of laws and act to “sun set” them also). On the next 1 January the laws enacted in the previous year would become effective while each law numbered “two” becomes null and void. Again, allowing the learned, deliberative legislators to deliberate on a current, better, right answer – knowing full well as the problem morphs, it will be readdressed ten years hence. Each year, in a systematic, predictable fashion one-tenth of the laws of the land – the answers to the old problems of society – are reviewed and updated. The “daughter laws” are more able to address the current state of affairs.

In addition to constantly updating the responses to the here-and-now problems of a society, Governmental Apoptosis, in effect making government more effective, Governmental Apoptosis will give politicians, legislators and leaders something (organized) to do. They say idle hands are the devil’s workshop. Under the current (non) system, when there is not a “crisis” legislators sit around idly and worry that they are – with nothing really to do – irrelevant. This leads many to search out ideas to implement that have nothing to do with the legitimate powers of government – much, if not most, of what the Federal Congress has done in the last century does not seem to be “limited and enumerated” in the U.S. Constitution (but that is for another column, another day).

Governmental Apoptosis will, then, reduce Fraud, Waste and Duplication. It will keep governmental solutions up-to-date with here-and-now problems and it will limit the damage unfettered and uncontrolled legislators can do (often called “unintended consequences”). A positive side-effect is likely that the amounts of money spent on any given problem will be markedly reduced and the workforce necessary to address a here-and-now problem will be reduced as Waste, Fraud and Duplication – especially Duplication are reduced.