If you’re a baseball fan, or really any sports fan at all, you most likely have a few superstitions and rituals of your own. Some players refuse to wash hats, helmets, or uniforms during a winning streak. Other players, like the Boston Red Sox, are currently on a “no shaving” streak.
Ask anyone why the Boston Red Sox were unable to win The World Series for 86 years and you will receive the same answer; The Curse of the Bambino. The curse began when the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees in 1919. Prior, the Red Sox were one of the most successful professional baseball teams, winning the first World Series followed by five more titles. Years after the trade, the Yankees were the dominant team, hence the curse and the rivalry that is still present today.
This current beard-craze was not intended for the World Series. It began last March when catcher David Ross showed up scruffy to spring training. Teammates joined in and the beards became a way for them to bond as a team, compete to see who can grow the longest beard, etc. Now with potential to win the World Series not one single player will shave his beard. These beards have even taken on nicknames of their own as they evolve in shape and size.
Only the outcome of the World Series between the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals will determine if the players will be shaving with joy or sorrow.