Following the Dodgers’ 5-3 loss on Wednesday night, which leveled the series, team fans said they believe the landing of a goose on the field has ushered in a new curse. The bird was flying around Dodgers Stadium before it decided to get in on the action and touched down as Dodgers hitter Gavin Lux managed to get on base.
Play had to be paused so the goose, which had settled down for its bird’s-eye view of the game, could be caught. Groundkeepers ran onto the field to remove the bird, but there was a moment when it looked as if it would take flight for a better view of the diamond.
A towel was soon placed over the goose, and, with a swift scoop, it was placed in a bin and rushed from the field. But not before fans took to social media to declare that the goose’s interruption of the game was bad news for the Dodgers.
Lukas Weese of the Athletic website tweeted: “If the Dodgers lose Game 2, it’s because they removed the goose. I don’t make the rules.”
With the Dodgers going on to lose, fans were soon on social media decrying the catching of the goose and saying that this has spurred a new curse on the team and ended their hopes of winning the MLB World Series.
One fan declared on Twitter: “If the goose thing had happened in 1920 and the Dodgers ended up losing they would have called it The Curse of the Goose and it would be blamed every time the Dodgers didn’t win the World Series.”
Another said that there could be a century of bad luck coming, tweeting: “Laugh now, but in 108 years Dodgers fans will be lamenting The Curse of the Billy Goose.”
A third fan likened it to an infamous moment in baseball history when a black cat got involved in the action.
The person tweeted: “In 1969, a black cat wandered in front of the Cubs dugout at Shea Stadium as Chicago lost a crucial late season game to the Mets. Today, a Goose landed on the field at Dodger Stadium. Another curse?”
A fourth fan was convinced that the Dodgers have been cursed: “An injured goose landed through Dodger Stadium, security removed it and then the Dodgers lost Game 2 of the NLDS. A new curse has been unlocked.”
Others believe that the treatment of the goose, which was caught with a blanket over its head and put into a bin, will come back to haunt the Dodgers.
One annoyed Dodgers fan tweeted: “And so begins the curse of the goose. The dodgers will never win another World Series after the blatant disrespect of the rally goose.”
Dodgers fans will be hoping that their team bounces back in the next game, as a defeat will only bring more comments about a curse and prevent advancement to the next round of the playoffs.
Newsweek reached out to the Dodgers for comment.
