The Cubs have never won a World Series since they moved into Wrigley Field in 1916. Is there something about the ballpark itself that may be cursed?

Consider this. Before Charles Weeghman built the ballpark we now know as Wrigley Field for his Federal League team (The Chicago Whales), the residents at Sheffield and Addison were holy people. It was the home of a Lutheran Seminary, the Theological Seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church at Chicago.

Weeghman loved the location because it was near public transportation (the El was already there, and the Milwaukee Road train stopped near there too), so he bought the land from the church. The seminary buildings were torn down in February of 1914.

When he broke ground on the stadium, he turned it into a big media event—-5000 fans showed up to watch. It was built in six weeks for only $250,000, although it was only a single deck at the time, and there weren't any outfield bleachers in left or center, and only 2000 bleacher seats in right. The stadium was designed by the architect who had designed Comiskey Park only four years earlier, Zachary Taylor Davis.

Weeghman signed two famous Cubs to play on that first Whales team (Joe Tinker and "Three Finger" Brown), and almost signed Walter Johnson, but Charles Comiskey lent the owner of the Senators ten grand to keep Johnson out of Chicago.

Despite the star power of a few players, the park itself was the draw, and with the Cubs suddenly not so good, and playing at the vastly inferior West Side Grounds, the Whales began to outdraw them. After the 1915 season, the Federal League folded, and Weeghman was allowed to buy the Cubs (because the rest of the NL owners wanted to get rid of former owner Charles Murphy). The first thing he did was move his new team into his new ballpark.

The Chicago Cubs played their first game at what is now known as Wrigley Field on opening day 1916, and have been there ever since.

While it's true that Weeghman (photo) purchased the land fair and square and the transaction hasn't caused controversy before or since, three Godly buildings which had served as the residence, school and library for Lutheran holy men were knocked over with a wrecking ball, and replaced by a stadium that served alcohol to unruly heathens.

Is there Anyone (with a capital “A”) who might not have liked that trade? It’s possible.

It’s certainly more plausible than the goat.