Counting down baseball’s top curses

Halloween is this weekend, which means there will be plenty of hexes and curses floating around.

Here are few of our favorites from the baseball world:

5. The Curse of A-Rod (Mariners, Rangers, Yankees)

We’re throwing this one in because it is current.

Since becoming a professional baseball player in 1995, Alex Rodriguez has established himself as one of the game’s best. Rodriguez has been on seven playoff teams, but he’s traditionally been awful in October.

Rodriguez just won a pennant for the first time this year.

Will he help lead the Yankees to a World Series victory? We’ll have to see. Game 3 is Saturday at 8 p.m. on Fox.

4. The Curse of Rocky Colavito (Indians)

The year was 1960 when the Cleveland Indians traded Colavito — their most-popular player — for a washed-up Harvey Kuehn.

Cleveland couldn’t get close to a playoff spot during the next 30 years. The Indians lost the 1995 World Series and the ’97 ALCS.

So the curse lives on…

3. The Curse of the Black Sox (White Sox)

In the pockets of gamblers, the Chicago White Sox tainted baseball during the 1919 World Series when they purposely lost the series.

Eight players were permanently banished from baseball, and the office of the league’s commissioner was opened as a result.

Chicago broke the curse in 2005 with a World Series victory over the Houston Astros.

2. The Curse of the Bambino (Red Sox)

Perhaps the most well-known of all sports curses, hexes and voodoo, the Curse of the Bambino was born when the cash-strapped Boston Red Sox traded baseball legend Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees for $125,000 and a $300,000 loan.

In the 83 years following the trade, the Yankees went on to win 26 titles. The Red Sox won zero.

Boston broke the curse in 2004. They rallied from a 3-0 deficit to defeat the hated Yankees in the ALCS, and then they swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.

1. The Curse of the Billy Goat (Cubs)

It was 1945, the Cubs were playing in the World Series and tavern owner Billy Sianis wanted to bring in his billy goat to watch a game.

Unfortunately, Sianis’ goat was stinky. The odor was bothering other fans, and workers at Wrigley Field asked Sianis to leave.

Outraged, Sianis proclaimed: “Them Cubs, they aren’t gonna win no more.”

So far, he’s been right. The Cubs lost the series, and they haven’t been back ever since.

Twitter Trivia: Who holds baseball’s single-season home run record?

We’ve been asking trivia questions about the World Series for a little while, so we’ll take a break for a week.

Controversial ex-slugger Mark McGwire is returning to pro baseball as the hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals. McGwire could have been remembered as one of baseball’s all-time greats, had he not been involved in the massive steroid scandal to sweep over the sport.

McGwire, who averaged a home run every 10 at-bats during his 15-year career, was called to testify in front of a Senate committee a few years ago regarding the rampant use of steroids in baseball.

His poor testimony, many agree, will likely keep him out of Baseball’s Hall of Fame.

McGwire is remembered by many for his 1998 home run chase with Sammy Sosa, who incidentally has also been entangled in the steroid scandal.

Big Mac outhit Sosa and broke Roger Maris’ single-season home run record (61) that year, hitting 70 home runs before the season’s end. The record didn’t stand for long, however. Another player broke the record three years later.

And that’s our Twitter Trivia question for the week:

Who broke Mark McGwire’s single-season home run record in 2001?

If you know the answer, give us a tweet @BB_Express post a comment here or give us a comment on Facebook.

Last week, we asked where CC Sabathia went to high school. The answer is Vallejo High School in Vallejo, Calif.

Related: Get a swing like McGwire — legally — by using our baseball training aids.

A world-class selection of World Series hats

The World Series begins tonight. The Philadelphia Phillies, hunting for their second-straight World Series championship, visit the New York Yankees at 8 p.m. on Fox.

It’s time to represent your team, and no matter if you’re a Bleacher Creature or a Phillie Phanatic, we’ve got you covered.

For Phillies Fans:

• Nike Women’s Phillies adjustable campus cap. $7.98.
• Nike Phillies Cooperstown Cap. $21.99.
• Nike Women’s Phillies visor. $7.98.
• New Era Authentic alternate baseball cap. $31.99.
• New Era Authentic home baseball cap. $31.99.
• Outdoor Co. cotton adjustable cap. $5.99.
• Outdoor Co. wool adjustable cap. $9.99.

For Yankees Fans:

• Nike Yankees Cooperstown Cap. $21.99.
• Nike Yankees Swoosh Flex cap. $12.98.
• New Era Authentic alternate baseball cap. $31.99.
• New Era Authentic home baseball cap. $31.99.
• Outdoor Co. cotton adjustable cap. $5.99.
• Outdoor Co. wool adjustable cap. $9.99.
• Nike Women’s Yankees adjustable cap. $9.98.

Related: Browse our complete selection of MLB hats and caps.

Is this finally the year for the Yankees?

A year after failing to make the playoffs for the first time since 1993, the New York Yankees are back in the World Series.

The Yanks defeated the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 5-2 on Sunday to win the American League pennant and return to the Fall Classic after a frustrating stretch of seasons.

Now, the Yankees are squarely within reach of their first World Series championship since 2000.

That leads us to ask: Is this the year?

Let’s just say the Bronx Bombers have their usual swagger.

“We’re going to give the Phillies hell and we expect to win a championship,” Yankees general managing partner Hal Steinbrenner said to the New York Daily News.

But then again — New York has made a pair of trips to the World Series since 2000, and it was ousted each time.

The Arizona Diamondbacks defeated New York in seven games in 2001 and the Yankees lost in six to Florida in 2003.

They’ll be facing off against the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies in a rematch of the 1950 World Series starting on Wednesday. And let’s just say that we know the Phils won’t go easily.

The Yankees did some heaving spending to start the season. They signed pitchers CC Sabathia to a $161-million deal and A.J. Burnett to an $81.5 million contract.

They also signed Mark Teixeira to an eight-year, $180-million contract and shuffled the coaching staff to start the season.

It paid off. But we’ll see how it fares against Philadelphia, which retains most of last year’s championship squad. The first pitch will be thrown on Wednesday.

Related: Stock up on World Series apparel at our MLB Fan Shop.