The Curse of the Black Cat: How a Furry Foe Sank the 1969 Cubs

The 1969 Chicago Cubs were supposed to be the team. They had everything: a star-studded roster, a city desperate for a winner, and a big lead in the division deep into the summer. But then — well, if you’re a Cubs fan, you already know how this story goes.

Down the stretch, the Cubs collapsed in spectacular fashion, blowing a 9-game lead to the upstart New York Mets, who would go on to become the “Miracle Mets.” And while there were plenty of reasons for Chicago’s historic meltdown — overworked pitchers, a slumping offense, and a Mets team that just couldn’t lose—one moment sticks out as the defining omen of doom.

A black cat ran onto the field at Shea Stadium. And the Cubs never recovered.

A Purr-fectly Timed Curse

It was Sept. 9, 1969. The Cubs were in New York for a crucial two-game series against the Mets, desperately trying to hold onto their shrinking lead in the NL East.

In the first inning, as Chicago’s beloved manager Leo Durocher stood in the dugout, something strange happened. A black cat trotted onto the field. But it didn’t just run around aimlessly. No, this cat had a mission. It made a beeline right for the Cubs' dugout, staring down Durocher and his players like some kind of feline grim reaper.

For a moment, time stood still. The cat circled in front of the dugout, locking eyes with the Cubs like it was delivering a personal message: It’s over.

The Aftermath: A Total Collapse

What happened next? The Cubs unraveled.

They lost that night, 7-1. They lost the next night, too. In fact, after the black cat incident, they went 8-17 down the stretch, watching helplessly as the Mets sprinted past them in the standings.

It wasn’t just bad luck — Durocher’s old-school managing style may have played a role. He rode his starters hard, barely using his bench, and by September, his stars were running on fumes. The Mets, meanwhile, were catching fire, seemingly blessed by whatever mystical force had sent that black cat to deliver its message.

By the end of September, the Cubs were done. The Mets won the division by 8 full games and went on to win the World Series, while Chicago’s championship drought dragged on for another 47 years.

A New Curse is Born?

For decades, Cubs fans had already been haunted by the Curse of the Billy Goat, the infamous hex supposedly placed on the team in 1945 when a tavern owner and his pet goat were kicked out of Wrigley Field. But in 1969, the black cat became another symbol of Cubs heartbreak.

To this day, whenever the team starts to struggle in a big moment, older Cubs fans still whisper about that cat at Shea Stadium. And if you ever see a black cat wander onto a baseball field? Well, you might want to cash out your bets early.

Long Story Short? The Cubs Were Just ... Cursed

Did the black cat really doom the Cubs? Or was it just an unlucky coincidence? Who knows. But in true Chicago fashion, the 1969 team took what should have been a magical season and turned it into yet another gut-punch moment in Cubs history.

It took nearly half a century, but in 2016, the Cubs finally broke the curse and won the World Series. And when they did, you’d better believe that somewhere, that 1969 black cat was watching. Probably smirking.