Breaking the curse

By Jordan Dee Sports Central Columnist

Yankees manager Joe Torre took the fate of the Cubs into his own hands.

In a match made in interleague heaven, Torre's removal of starter Roger Clemens from Saturday's game at Wrigley Field in Chicago may have been exactly what the Cubs needed to break their 95-year-old World Series curse.

The game buildup was a story in itself. Both teams came into the game after being recently upended from the top of their respective divisions. The Sammy Sosa corked bat incident was the talk of the sports world. The following day, the blue and white dropped a game to the hapless Tampa Bay Devil Rays. They were sure to be without their international star for an extended period of time. And, on top of all that, Roger Clemens was making his third attempt at 300 wins.

Cubs ace Kerry Wood would certainly testify to the fact that Saturday's game against the Bronx Bombers marked the climax of the almost century-long struggle with championship futility. Wood was pitching a no-hitter when he collided with first baseman Hee Seop Choi attempting to catch a popup in the fourth inning. Choi was rendered unconscious, forcing oft-injured Eric Karros to enter the game as a replacement. With two outs in the fifth, Wood gave up his first hit, a homerun to Hideki Matsui. The Yanks held the 1-0 lead through the sixth.

With two men on base for the Cubs in the seventh, Torre pulled Clemens in favor of Juan Acevado. He later said the move was made because the future Hall of Famer was battling an upper respiratory infection. Acevado's first pitch to the aforementioned Karros was deposited into the left-field seats, putting the Cubs ahead for good.

On the surface, a 5-2 regular season win may not seem like a result capable of changing the course of history. After all, there are still around 100 games left on the schedule. However, the chain of momentum it creates could drive the Cubbies to the promised land for the first time since the Teddy Roosevelt administration.

First, the win allowed the Cubs the opportunity to take the series with a win in a nationally-televised game three. This would create a good feeling going into a stretch that includes 17 of 23 games away from the friendly confines of Wrigley.

A positive showing, followed by a 10-game homestand, should have the Cubs in contention at the All-Star Break. With solid pitching, a powerful offense, and the Sosa blunder fading away, a pennant run in the second-half of the season should be a foregone conclusion.

Finally, there's the X-factor: manager Dusty Baker. He came to Chicago after 10 seasons with the San Francisco Giants. During that time, he led the team to 840 wins, three postseason appearances, and last year's World Series appearance. Add that to his four postseasons as a player, including a championship in 1981, and you get a proven winner.

It is true, a successful manager does not make a successful team.

However, a manger's decisions -- even if from the opposing team -- can make or break a team's season.

Article courtesy of Sports Central.