Major League Baseball

Goat's head delivered to Wrigley

Published Apr. 10, 2013 1:00 a.m. ET

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"I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse."

We’re not sure if that was the intent, but someone definitely sent a message to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday afternoon.

A goat's head was delivered to Wrigley Field, addressed to Cubs owner Tom Ricketts, the Chicago Tribune reported. Cubs spokesperson Julian Green said an unidentified person delivered a package containing the goat's head to Gate K of Wrigley Field at 1060 W. Addison St.

Green immediately called police, who responded to the call around 2:30 p.m. CT to investigate the "intimidating package."

Ricketts is currently in negotiations with neighborhood business people and city officials regarding a $300 million renovation to the landmark stadium, which is 99 years old.

Rooftop owners don’t want Jumbotron-like scoreboards to block — or obstruct — their views of the ballgames, and are claiming the Cubs are backing out of a contract 11 years to soon. The Cubs and rooftop owners agreed and signed a contract to a 20-year deal in 2004.

It definitely wasn't these guys.

Why the goat's head?

If you're not aware of the "Curse of the Billy Goat," here's the story.

In 1945, Billy Goat Tavern owner Billy Sianis wanted to bring his goat inside Wrigley Field for a World Series game against the Detroit Tigers, but the goat was denied entrance.

So rumor is that Sianis put a hex on the Cubs, saying no World Series game would ever be played at Wrigley Field again. Others claim the hex was that the Cubs would never appear in a World Series with no mention of the venue.

The Cubs haven't been back to the Fall Classic since 1945 and haven't won one since 1908. They came close twice since 1984.

There was the 2003 incident in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series. With the Cubs up 3-2 in the best-of-7 series and leading the Florida Marlins 3-0 in the top of the eighth inning, a foul ball was hit down the left-field line at Wrigley Field. That's when Cubs outfielder Moises Alou felt a fan, Steve Bartman, interfered, keeping Alou from catching the ball.

The Cubs went on to lose 8-3 and then lost Game 7 — also at Wrigley — denying them a trip to the World Series. Was it the curse of the goat?

Nineteen years earlier, the Cubs were in the NLCS for the first time since 1945, facing the San Diego Padres.

Chicago won the first two games at home and was one win away from advancing to the World Series — the NLCS was a best-of-5 series then. But the Padres, who had only been around since 1969, rallied to win the next two games at home, setting up the decisive Game 5 in San Diego.

The Cubs jumped out to a 3-0 lead after two innings and led 3-2 after six. But in the bottom of the seventh, Cubs first baseman Leon Durham allowed a ground ball to trickle through his legs as the Padres tied it, before adding three more runs in the inning to claim a 6-3 victory and a trip to the World Series.

And so the curse of the goat lived on.

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