In 1908, the Chicago Cubs defeated the Detroit Tigers four games to one in the World Series. The Cubs team that year included the famous double play combination of Joe Tinker to Johnny evers to Frank Chance immortalized in the popular poem.
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The Chicago White Sox beat the Chicago Cubs in the 1906 World Series.
The Cleveland Indians prior to their World Series appearance in 2016 against the Chicago Cubs in which they had lost against the Cubs in seven games the last time they had played in the World Series was in 1997 in which they had played the Florida Marlins and lost to them in seven games. They had also lost in the 1995 World Series to the Atlanta Braves.
The Curse of the Billy Goat, or Billy Goat Curse is the name of an urban myth, superstition, used to explain the World Series drought that Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs have had to endure since their last appearance in the 1945 World Series, and their last World Series championship in 1908. The curse is a classic example of a scapegoat. As the story goes, Vasili "Billy Goat" Sianis, a Greek immigrant who owned a nearby tavern (the now-famous Billy Goat Tavern), had two 7.20 USD box seat tickets to Game 4 of the 1945 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Detroit Tigers, and decided to bring his pet goat, Murphy (or Sinovia according to some references), with him. Sianis and the goat were allowed into Wrigley Field and even paraded about on the playing field before the game before ushers intervened. They were led off the field. After a heated argument, both Sianis and the goat were permitted to stay in the stadium occupying the box seat for which he had tickets. However, before the game was over, Sianis and the goat were ejected from the stadium at the command of Cubs owner Philip Knight Wrigley due to the animal's objectionable odor. Sianis was outraged at the ejection and allegedly placed a curse upon the Cubs that they would never win another pennant or play in a World Series at Wrigley Field again and left the States to vacation in his home in Greece. The Cubs lost Game 4 and eventually the 1945 World Series, prompting Sianis to write to Wrigley from Greece, saying, "Who stinks now?" Following a third-place finish in the National League in 1946, the Cubs would finish in the league's second division for the next 20 consecutive years. This streak finally ending in 1967, the year after Leo Durocher became the club's manager. Since that time, the cursed Cubs have not won a National League pennant or played in a World Series --the longest pennantless drought in Major League history. Sianis died in 1970. The Billy Goat Curse In 1945, William "Billy Goat" Sianis tried to bring his pet goat, Murphy, with him into Wrigley Field for Game 4 of the World Series. Ushers at the game said the goat was too smelly and told Sianis he had to leave. To retaliate, Sianis cast a "goat curse" on the Cubs by saying, "Cubs, they not gonna win anymore". The Cubs lost the 1945 World Series to the Detroit Tigers and haven't made it to a World Series since.
Ruth didn't play in the 1919 World Series. That was the infamous "Black Sox Scandal" Series between the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago White Sox. He appeared in the 1918 Series against the Chicago Cubs and won Games 1 and 4. The Red Sox won the world championship in six games.
In the World Series ... 1932 and 1938 both of which were won by the Yankees in sweeps. In the regular season ... 2003 when the Cubs won twice and the Yankees once and 2005 when the Yankees won all three games. Prior to their meeting for three games on June 17-19, 2011 the Yankees lead the all time series 12-2.