When Kendry Morales broke his fibula celebrating a walk-off Grand Slam on Saturday, some of us long-time Angels fans bit our tongue. Here is the story I wanted to publish preseason. The Angels jersey #8 is cursed. I did not want to jinx Kendry with this article. Now that this break has occurred, it is imperative that he find another jersey.
You want statistical evidence? First examine the list of players who have worn Jersey #8 for the Angels and read on...
1961 - 1980: The jersey is worn by an Angel in every season save for 1970 and the team accomplishes very little, save for a division title in 1979. Backup infielder Merv Rettenmund, who appeared in only 35 games in 1979, wears jersey #8 in the ALCS that and the Angels lose. So far not much evidence, but curses are always born in small places. Read on...
1981: All-Star Fred Lynn takes jersey #8 in the strike-shortened 1981 season and has the worst year of his career. He promptly ditches it and within a season and half he has been named the ALCS MVP and hits the first ever All Star Game Grand slam.
1982-88: Angel great Bob Boone signs as a free agent after great years as a Phillie. He brings his #8 with him. Boone has an outstanding career as an Angel despite wearing the cursed jersey... but that does not mean the curse is not felt. Bob Boone, wearing jersey #8 is behind the plate calling for the pitch in the 1982 ALCS where the Angels are denied a trip to the World Series being only a few outs away form the fall classic and then to be one STRIKE away from the world series in the 1986 ALCS with two more games to play and to lose, the two greatest meltdowns in club history, let alone baseball history.
1989-1995: Low-impact players of no import pass the cursed 8 amongst themselves. Anyone recall Hubie Brooks?
1996-99: The Angels hype machine is in full gear telling us that Todd Greene is the stud of the future. With the #8 jersey on his back, Greene is a bust for the Angels.
2000: Justin Baughman is a bust
2001, 2002: Jose Nieves is a utility infielder of little to no impact. But it is important to note that when the Angels acquire Alex Ochoa and Sal Fasano for Jorge Fabregas, they DFA Nieves. They go on to win the World Series having unceremoniously dumped jersey #8. This is getting too suspicious.
2003: Jersey #8 returns with Eric Owen. You see how that went...
2004, '05: Another great debacle in the ALCS occurs in 2005 when backup catcher Josh Paul, wearing jersey #8, catches a low strike from Kelvim Escobar. Umpire Doug Eddings is conned by AJ that the ball hit he ground, Josh Paul and jersey #8 never tag him ... still difficult to talk about.
2006: Dallas McPherson switches from jersey #23 to jersey #8. That ended that.
Three consecutive division titles follow without any player wearing the dreaded ocho.
2010: Wearing jersey #8, Kendry says "Ouch!" - in the prior season, Kendry had garnered MVP votes wearing #19.
Is there a solution? Short-term, Kendry needs to don another jersey #. Long-term, the obvious solution here is for the Angels to retire #8 in honor of Angels great Bob Boone, who should be a hall of famer anyway. This is a win-win situation.
Why is the #8 cursed: Angels are infinite beings and it insults the natural order of the cosmos to stand the number infinity upright and assign it to one Angel. If that isn't valid analysis of the numbers, send your complaint to the astral plane.
0 recs | 31 comments
I just kicked over my drink reading this post. . . .
Ack! it’s so cursed even to read about it causes @ to happen.
Thanks Rev.
Wally's World - June 2, 2010
The strongest argument with a stupid premise Rev.
Well done.
Halowood - June 2, 2010
Here's more evidence.
If you read Kendry’s paperwork from signing with Scott Boras, and highlight every 8th word, it spells out “Pride cometh before the fall” eight times in a row.
Rally Manatee - June 2, 2010
The word "pride" is in a representation agreement 8 times?
You learn something new everyday.
Commander_Nate - June 2, 2010
D'oh!
I meant to say “every 8th letter.” I blew it. No, I don’t think the word “pride” would be in the contract, unless of course it was the contract of Curtis Pride.
Rally Manatee - June 2, 2010
LIneup for tonight...
Gazoo leading off at SS (our new power hitter)
Howie given another shot at the 2 hole while hot…tonight s/be interesting
Abrew in RF
Hula
Godzirrahh DH
Naps at 1b
Juarning Track in LF
Fransden
Wilson
K3YEROUT - June 2, 2010
Lovin' it.
Juarning Track.
Napo Smash at 1B is a very good thing in my book. No trades needed, if it means napoli’s bat is in the lineup every game and Mathis’ defense is behind the plate I’m all for it. Forget Berkman, Dunn and Konerko. I choose Napo Smash. Then next year, when Kendry’s all healed Napoli goes to DH and all is well in the world.
Halowood - June 2, 2010
So another year of Abrew in RF...?
Yikes!
K3YEROUT - June 2, 2010
Naps can go halvsies.
DH and catch. Abroo DH and RF. Which is what we should’ve done this year and saved the money we threw at Matsui.
Rally Manatee - June 2, 2010
Completely agree
Napoli 100 games at DH, 20 at catcher, 10 at 1B
Mathis 110 games at catcher
Abreu 100 games in RF, 30 at DH
Hunter 100 games in CF 30 at DH
Rivera 60 games in RF, 80 games in LF
Bourjos 60 games in CF, the rest of the season in AAA.
Willits 40 games in LF
Ryan 40 games in LF
Halowood - June 2, 2010
if he's DHing 100 games
he better play more than 130 total. try 150-ish.
howiestheman - June 2, 2010
Who's Catching the other 30 games
or is Napoli catching 50?
billhune - June 3, 2010
Bobby Wilson, I guess?
red floyd - June 3, 2010
We don't quite agree.
Napoli, Abreu, and Hunter don’t need 30 days off. And Willits and Ryan don’t need 40 starts. But the bottom line is, make sure Napoli is almost always in the lineup.
Rally Manatee - June 3, 2010
disagree
“and Mathis’ defense is behind the plate I’m all for it”
There is no evidence to suggest that Mathis belongs in the Major Leagues.
If Scioscia doesn’t feel that Napoli can field the catching position, I want to bring up or trade for someone that can.
Mathis has had enough time to prove himself. His .199 batting average , lack of power, and lack of plate discipline has shown that he can’t make in the big leagues. I haven’t seen one defensive metric that suggests that Jeff is any better than mediocre. It is past time to let him go.
Barca - June 3, 2010
What???? NO Q?
;)
Downing Rules - June 2, 2010
Quality Qontrol
Quinlan's Goofy Swing - June 2, 2010
OH For Ten....
Robb Quinlan FucQing sucks.
BryanHarvey'sMoustache - June 2, 2010
Crazy Eights
Funke5ive - June 2, 2010
Make Kaz take 22
And give Morales 19 back. I’ve always said his size warrants two numbers anyway.
Commander_Nate - June 2, 2010
Is that why Morales changed from 19?
I was wondering why he had changed numbers, but hadn’t seen anything about it.
Damn you Kazmir, you better continue pitching better.
billhune - June 3, 2010
For some reason
I feel Morales should wear #25.
phoenix15 - June 2, 2010
8 is a lucky number to those of Chinese descent ...
Not sure why it is such bad luck in this situation, since the jerseys are now made in China.
Downing Rules - June 2, 2010
One, weird tidbit of info...
I dont believe in superstition but damn if this doesnt make a good argument for it.
When I saw Morales with # 8 on his back, I felt really weird for some reason. It just didn’t ever look, right. Maybe its because I have witnessed so much crap happen with 8 in angels red that my sub-conscious was tipping me off.
BryanHarvey'sMoustache - June 2, 2010
Potential Solution:
K-Mo switches numbers with Voodoo. The chicken bones easily cancel out the curses of 8 and Kendry goes on to mash 54 taters in 2011.
LAASurfin - June 2, 2010
Solution: go back to 19
That’s my locker number at work. Randomly assigned. And boy was I stoked… till spring training began.
Zoe Necrosis - June 2, 2010
Yup
“Anyone recall Hubie Brooks?”
That was the low point of the franchise for me. Sign an aging player with no good defensive position, and who isn’t even a very good hitter and make him your DH. Think Shea Hillenbrand, with the difference being the early 90’s team didn’t make up for it by having players better than Hillenbrand.
Whitey Herzog was involved in the organization for a little while, and I couldn’t understand what he was thinking, unless he had either gone senile or just didn’t care. The only explanation for that roster was “Yeah, he played pretty well against my Cardinals in the mid 80’s, so lets’ sign him.” The result was Hubie Brooks and Von Hayes.
RallyMonkey5 - June 3, 2010
Are we sure it was the jersey?
Perhaps he stepped on one of the lines on the field. Maybe he changed his pregame meal. Maybe, he forgot to put on his lucky jock strap. The possibilities are endless, but I totally believe that there should be an investigation.
righteous halo - June 3, 2010
Number 8 Curse?
A bit of a stretch here.
Barca - June 3, 2010
Maybe eating that post.
If you include that race car driver, maybe the number is cursed.
But for the Angels, less cursed than #5 or #10, or that #19 that Morales left behind.
Barca - June 3, 2010
Another Number 8 ...
Mustn’t forget one of the first to wear #8, Eddie “Spanky” Kirkpatrick. A kid from Glendora. Started with the Angels at age 17 as a catcher, had a bit of hype backing him, showed some power but couldn’t hit consistently. A catcher/first baseman/outfielder.
According to BR Bullpen:
“In his 16 seasons in and out of the major leagues, Spanky had 3,467 trips to the plate with 824 hits, including 85 home runs for a .238 batting average. Ed got the last hit at Municipal Stadium in Kansas City on October 4, 1972 … sadly, Spanky Kirkpatrick was maimed in a 1981 auto accident that relegated him to a wheelchair for life. Ed Kirkpatrick’s post-baseball life is rich in many ways. His hometown of Glendora, California, has named a civic award in his honor, as each year the member of that community who has done the most in support of youth athletics wins the “Ed Kirkpatrick Award.”
ericsomething - June 3, 2010
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