In the world of professional sports, few fanbases are as obsessed with superstitions, signs, and curses than Chicago Cubs fans are, and Wednesday night’s wild card game has provided more fuel for the fire.
That’s because the start time of the game holds particular significance to Cubs fans. The official first pitch time is slated for 7:08 p.m. Central time, which in military time is 19:08. 1908, of course, is the last year in which the Cubs won the World Series.
The numerical coincidences don’t stop there, however. The date of the game itself is also noteworthy, as it will be contested on October 7, or 10/7. 107 years, naturally, is the number of years it’s been since the Cubs have won a World Series title.
We could go into all of the other weird coincidences that have occurred with this year’s team, including their 97 wins (they also won 97 games the last time they made the postseason) or their 48 road victories (their most since 1945, which is the last time they appeared in the World Series), but we don’t want to contribute to any more hysteria than absolutely necessary.