Curse of the Bambino

baseball history

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Last updated

July 17, 2026

Quick Summary

The "Curse of the Bambino" is a baseball superstition that affected the Boston Red Sox. It is believed to have begun in 1920 when the team sold the legendary player Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. This sale marked the start of a long period of losing for the Red Sox, who did not win a World Series championship for 86 years, until 2004. The curse is often cited as the reason for their extended championship drought, while the Yankees achieved great success during the same period.

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Boston
10 Claims to Fame: Boston Red Sox and the Curse of the Bambino
…their team through the “Curse of the Bambino”—or simply “the Curse”—which was an 86-year spell with no World Series titles. It all started when Babe Ruth (“the Bambino”) was traded by Sox owner Harry Frazee to the New York Yankees before the 1920 season. This disastrous decision resulted in…
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…their team through the “Curse of the Bambino”—or simply “the Curse”—which was an 86-year spell with no World Series titles. It all started when Babe Ruth (“the Bambino”) was traded by Sox owner Harry Frazee to the New York Yankees before the 1920 season. This disastrous decision resulted in…
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Boston Red Sox
…and of the supposed “Curse of the Bambino” (“Bambino” was one of Ruth’s nicknames), cited by many Red Sox fans as the reason the team failed to win another World Series in the 20th century while the Yankees went on to become baseball’s most successful franchise. After losing Ruth…
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…and of the supposed “Curse of the Bambino” (“Bambino” was one of Ruth’s nicknames), cited by many Red Sox fans as the reason the team failed to win another World Series in the 20th century while the Yankees went on to become baseball’s most successful franchise. After losing Ruth…
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sabermetrics
Bill James and the advent of sabermetrics
…had trumped the legendary “Curse of the Bambino.” (The Red Sox won another championship three years later, with James still working behind the scenes.)
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…had trumped the legendary “Curse of the Bambino.” (The Red Sox won another championship three years later, with James still working behind the scenes.)
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