51.6 Fearing Wrath of Baseball Gods, Team Refuses to Comment on Surprising Start
Chicago, May 12, 2051 - Over the past few weeks, your faithful scribes at the Black Sox Baseball Blog have reached out to team officials, coaches and players -- even clubhouse janitors -- for comment on the team's strong start. And all -- to a man -- have refused comment.
Sources tell BBB that this refusal is a top-to-bottom team policy borne of pure superstition: team officials are convinced that as soon as they start taking about the results so far this season, the Gods of Baseball will immediately pull the rug out, returning the club to the bland mediocrity evidenced the past two seasons.
"We're haunted by the fear that even a tepid acknowledgment that the team has playoff chances will immediately ruin those chances," said the source. "We've seen it happen too many times. The Baseball Gods are that vengeful, and we do not care to tempt fate. So mum is very much the word."
Black Sox loyal fan Tillie Taldowesky
But fans apparently don't seem to mind. Tillie Taldowesky, incoming president of the of the Black Sox fan club 'The Southside Slobs," believes 'no comment' is a worthwhile approach. "Us fans, we know this ain't fer real. This is freakin' smoke and mirrors. As soon as we start crowing about it, it'll all come crashin' down, mark my words," said Tille as she smacked gum and sipped her morning whiskey. "So if the team wants to shut up to avoid jinxin' things, I'm all fer it."
In fact team owner Vinnie Vitale called up yours truly and tried to convince me not to write this post, apparently also convinced that this little-read blog could catch the attention of the baseball gods. "If you publish this, at it all comes to an end, it'll be your fault, pal," the owner threatened.
The Black Sox currently are tied with Nashville for the lead in the Heartland division, and -- at 26-11 -- both teams share ownership of the best records in all of the Brewster. The team is currently first or second in the Frick in most hitting and pitching categories. All of this comes despite losing high priced free agent Fernando Castillo for most of the season to an Achilles injury in the second game of spring training, and then losing free agent pitcher Jan Chmelyk for the entire season to due to a torn flexor tendon.
"Maybe the Gods have already spoken with those injuries," mused one fan, "and what we're seeing is the team rising up despite that. Who knows?"
