The Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx. You know it is real because it has its own Wikipedia page. If you are unfamiliar with this specific jinx or curse, it is basically an urban legend that teams or people appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated will be the recipient of some back luck - that could be in the form of losing a big game, suffering an injury (some people even attributed deaths to the SI Curse), losing a job, or in some cases ruining a reputation.
Earlier this season the Dodgers were featured on the cover with the caption “Best. Team. Ever?”. The team went on to lose seventeen of its next twenty-two games.
So when SI produced this cover on June 15, 2014, some people were a bit apprehensive:
And in 2014 the finished the year with seventy wins, after finishing with fifty-six, fifty-five, and fifty-one the previous three seasons. On top of all that, earlier that season someone leaked information illegally obtained from their database “Ground Control”.
For the Astros, it has been a weird few years. And for their efforts and patience, they have been rewarded. Jeff Luhnow rebuilt the team from the ground up, using the draft and player development to field a team rich with talent and under team control. It is a brilliant strategy in a time where team control is six years and the free agent market is no longer the place to acquire talented players during their peak performing years.
Obviously the next phase for the Astros is maintaining what has been built, which has proven to be one of the most difficult aspects of running a team, but for now, they are World Series Champions and no curse was going to get in their way.
what else is going on in baseball...
The baseball world pulled off some epic Halloween costumes this year | MLB.com
Joc Pederson reacted to a big World Series homer in the same way you probably imagined you would | MLB.com
Game 7 the only fitting ending for '17 Series | MLB.com
World Series reminder of thin margin of error | MLB.com
Tonight’s Matchup Is the Greatest of All-Time | FanGraphs Baseball
The History of Starters Relieving on Short Rest | FanGraphs Baseball
Home-Field Advantage and Game 7 | FanGraphs Baseball
Dodgers lose World Series Game 7 to Astros, but this isn’t the end | SBNation.com
The Astros and A.J. Hinch won the World Series without a bullpen | SBNation.com
Yasiel Puig found his home burglarized after losing Game 7 of the World Series | SBNation.com
what the cardinals are up to...
BenFred: Tip of the cap to Beltran — World Series champion at last | Ben Frederickson | stltoday.com
Game 7 winning moments in St. Louis | Derrick Goold: Bird Land | stltoday.com
Cardinals: Will Matheny Allow New Coaches to Chime in? An Analyst Gives His Thoughts | 101Sports.com
KNOW THINE ENEMY...
the nl central
Milwaukee Brewers outright Carlos Torres, Quintin Berry to AAA Colorado Springs | Brew Crew Ball
Joey Votto plays a predictably great baseball analyst | Red Reporter
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