WEBVTT 00:01.167 --> 00:03.503 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% - Red Sox fans got spoiled after 1912. 00:03.503 --> 00:06.039 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% The Red Sox were in the World Series in 1912. 00:06.039 --> 00:10.243 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% They were also in the World Series in '15, '16, and 1918. 00:10.243 --> 00:14.014 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% The big star, of course, during this era was Babe Ruth, 00:14.014 --> 00:16.583 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% who joined the team in 1915. 00:16.583 --> 00:18.451 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% - He was a great pitcher, 00:18.451 --> 00:20.020 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% you know, he was a 23-game winner, 00:20.020 --> 00:21.988 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% and that's where he is doing most of his damage then, 00:21.988 --> 00:23.990 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% but the hitting's starting to take hold. 00:25.458 --> 00:28.928 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% And then the Red Sox committed the original sin of baseball. 00:28.928 --> 00:32.365 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% That is, they traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees for cash. 00:32.365 --> 00:34.934 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% They won five of the first 15 World Series. 00:34.934 --> 00:37.637 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% They were the greatest team in all of baseball. 00:37.637 --> 00:40.006 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% And after the trade of Ruth, they don't win again 00:40.006 --> 00:41.674 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% for 86 years. 00:41.674 --> 00:44.477 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% That became what the Red Sox carried 00:44.477 --> 00:46.946 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% around, the curse of the Bambino. 00:46.946 --> 00:51.785 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% - Babe Ruth was a incredibly talented player. 00:51.785 --> 00:54.054 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% No one, however, could have predicted 00:54.054 --> 00:55.789 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% at the time that Babe Ruth, 00:55.789 --> 00:59.325 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% in lowercase letters, would be Babe Ruth, 00:59.325 --> 01:01.728 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% in neon with lights flashing on it. 01:01.728 --> 01:05.465 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% When he got to New York, he became Babe Ruth. 01:07.333 --> 01:11.104 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% The paperwork detailing the sale of Ruth 01:11.104 --> 01:13.807 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% from the Red Sox to the Yankees is now 01:13.807 --> 01:16.976 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% in Cooperstown at the National Baseball Hall of Fame. 01:22.148 --> 01:24.751 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% - It's fascinating to see the impact Babe Ruth had 01:24.751 --> 01:26.252 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% on American life. 01:26.252 --> 01:29.422 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% He grew up a poor kid in my hometown of Baltimore, 01:29.422 --> 01:31.524 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% but after he was sold to the Yankees, 01:31.524 --> 01:34.360 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% he became the most famous person in America. 01:34.360 --> 01:37.063 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% It seems like baseball itself exploded 01:37.063 --> 01:40.767 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% in popularity once Ruth started hitting home runs. 01:40.767 --> 01:42.635 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% So what was the curse of the bambino? 01:42.635 --> 01:45.004 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% - Well, it is the superstition 01:45.004 --> 01:47.707 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% that when Babe Ruth was sold to the Yankees, 01:47.707 --> 01:51.377 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% that he cursed the Red Sox to not win another World Series. 01:51.377 --> 01:53.813 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% And they didn't for another 84 years. 01:53.813 --> 01:55.315 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% And in that time, 01:55.315 --> 01:57.083 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% the Yankees not only won their first World Championship, 01:57.083 --> 01:59.385 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% they won a total of 26 World Championships 01:59.385 --> 02:01.287 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% before the Red Sox broke their curse. 02:01.287 --> 02:03.356 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% - Do you think that was a pretty good curse then? 02:03.356 --> 02:06.326 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% - Well, I can't say I'm a believer in curses, 02:06.326 --> 02:08.261 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% but it does make for a good story. 02:08.261 --> 02:10.830 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% - So as good as he was, why would the owner 02:10.830 --> 02:13.900 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% of the Red Sox wanna sell 'em to the New York Yankees? 02:13.900 --> 02:15.602 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% - Well, it has a lot of things in baseball. 02:15.602 --> 02:17.103 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% It all comes down to money, 02:17.103 --> 02:19.939 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% and well, Babe Ruth wanted more money. 02:19.939 --> 02:22.208 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% - So what did the owner of the Red Sox say? 02:22.208 --> 02:25.211 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% - He put his foot down and he wasn't willing to renegotiate, 02:25.211 --> 02:27.881 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% and so he decided to sell him to the Yankees. 02:27.881 --> 02:30.783 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Right here, this is his transfer agreement. 02:30.783 --> 02:34.521 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% So this is the American League okaying the sale 02:34.521 --> 02:36.289 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% from Boston to New York. 02:36.289 --> 02:40.093 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% - So it was $100,000, 25,000 each year. 02:40.093 --> 02:41.327 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% I see. 02:41.327 --> 02:42.862 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Would you say that was the best investment 02:42.862 --> 02:44.130 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% in baseball history? 02:44.130 --> 02:45.465 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% - It is definitely a pretty good one. 02:45.465 --> 02:48.101 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% I think the Yankees took a gamble and they, 02:48.101 --> 02:50.103 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% I think they won that gamble. 02:50.103 --> 02:53.573 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% (offbeat uplifting music)