Free Foul Ball Frame-up at Wrigley Field by David Aretha

Chapter 1
Rolling Into Chicago
    After nine antsy hours in Mr. Ovozi’s Pontiac Aztek, we finally reached our destination city.
    â€œWelcome to Chicago” stated the green sign, which glistened in the September sun.
    â€œWe made it, dudes!” exclaimed Kevin, our anxious friend, who high-fived Omar and me in the backseat. “The City of Big Shoulders.”
    â€œThe City That Works,” added Omar, our African-Uzbek-American pal.
    â€œWho said ‘City That Works’?” boomed Mr. Ovozi through his accent.
    â€œThat’s what they call Chicago,” replied Omar.
    â€œSo what, Chicago is the only city that works?” Mr. Ovozi said. “At my company, we bust our humps six days a week. Come to Cleveland—I’ll show you a city that works.”
    Mr. Ovozi took the weekend off to take us Clevelanders to Chicago. His brother, who lives there, had four extra Cubs tickets. That evening, we were going to Wrigley Field™! And what a game: the first-place Cubbies vs. the second-place Cincinnati Reds—under the lights.
    For Omar, Kevin, and me—known in our school as the Baseball Geeks—this would be the first big-league game we ever attended outside of Cleveland. Of course, some still wonder if the Cleveland Indians
are
a big-league team.
    â€œSo who has the more pathetic history?” I asked. “The Cubs or the Indians?”
    â€œPathetic or cursed, Joe?” asked Kevin.
    â€œCursed,” Omar said.
    That was a good question. The Cubs hadn’t won the World Series since 1908—or even been there since 1945. Some Chicagoans blame the “Curse of the Billy Goat.” During that ’45 season, Billy Sianis attended a World Series game at Wrigley Field. Sianis, who owned the Billy Goat Tavern, brought his pet goat to the game. That sounds cute, but the old goat stank, which bothered fans. Wrigley officials asked Sianis to leave and take his smelly goat with him.
    On his way out, an angry Sianis declared, “Them Cubs, they aren’t gonna win no more.” And they didn’t.
    â€œAnd that’s the Curse of the Billy Goat,” I said.
    â€œYeah,” said Omar, as he straightened his Indians cap. “But we have the ‘Curse of Bobby Bragan.’”
    The Indians last won a World Series in 1948. Four years after that, they fired manager Bragan. According to legend, Bragan returned to Cleveland Municipal Stadium and placed a curse on the team.
    Ever since, the Indians have been plagued by bad luck. Just one example: In spring 1987, the Indians made the cover of
Sports Illustrated
. The headline read: “Believe it! Cleveland is the best team in the American League!” They finished the season with a record of 61–101.
    â€œBut the Indians were good in the ’90s,” I said.
    â€œYeah,” said Omar, “but they never went all the way.”
    That’s right. They were on the verge of making the playoffs in 1994, but then the major-league players went on strike and the playoffs were canceled.
    In 1997, they were leading Game 7 of the World Series 2–1 in the ninth. But the Florida Marlins came back to win.
    â€œStill,” Kevin said, “that’s nothing compared to the black cat.”
    Kev was referring to another Cubs curse. On September 9, 1969, the Cubbies were in first place in the National League East, ahead of the second-place New York Mets. But that day at the Mets’ Shea Stadium, a black cat ran onto the field while the Cubs were batting.
    A black cat is a symbol of bad luck, and the Cubs fell victim. They lost that game and fell into a bad slump. The Mets went on to win the World Series.
    Through heavy traffic, Mr. Ovozi inched his way down Clark Street in Wrigleyville. I’d never seen a street as cool as this. Lining both sides were restaurants, pubs, theaters, and shops. We passed Murphy’s Bleachers, Nuts on Clark, The Cubby Bear lounge. The streets were