By Sonny Jones
If you don’t have a dog in the World Series fight, but do have a hand on your wallet during these days of high inflation, then you might consider cheering for the Houston Astros.
It may not matter, though, and the underdog Philadelphia Phillies may use our current economic downtown to claim another World Series trophy.
In one of the more bizarre correlations involving sports, the six previous times a Philadelphia team has won the World Series the economy was either or about to be in a downturn, panic, recession or depression, according to various reports.
It began in the early years of the 20th century. The country was in a financial panic from the Sherman Antitrust Act when the Philadelphia Athletics won the World Series in 1910 and 1911, then in a recession when the A’s triumphed again in 1913.
In 1929 — you don’t have to be an economist nor have lived through it to know about 1929 — Philadelphia won the World Series and two weeks later the stock market crashed. The Athletics won again in 1930 as the Great Depression began.
In 1980, Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton led the Philadelphia Phillies to the title in October after the United States had officially entered a recession early in the year. Philadelphia beat Kansas City.
Twenty-eight years later, in 2008, during the throes of what was known as the Great Recession with the housing crisis at the forefront, Philadelphia won it all again, by defeating the Tampa Bay Rays.
So, here we are in 2022, Philadelphia is back in the World Series, inflation is at 40-year highs, the stock market has been a bear and, depending on your political leanings, we may or may not be or about to be in a recession.
The trend will mean absolutely nothing in the series that opens Friday in Houston between the Phillies and Astros. The teams will decide which team is best. The economy will do its thing.
But, if you don’t have a dog in the World Series fight, then your wallet may be pulling for the Astros.
THURSDAY’S PICK TO CLICK
Christopher Dunn will kick three field goals to help N.C. State beat Virginia Tech at Carter-Finley Stadium. Dunn is 14-for-14 on field goals this season and is the Wolfpack’s career scoring leader with 439 points.
WEDNESDAY’S PICK: Julius Randle will have a double-double to lift the New York Knicks past the injury-riddled Charlotte Hornets. RESULTS: Randle had 17 points and 6 rebounds, including a key layup with 19 seconds remaining in overtime, in the Knicks’ 134-131 win.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
• 1996 — After two humbling losses at home, the New York Yankees win their first World Series title since 1978 with a 3-2 victory over the defending champion Atlanta Braves in Game 6.
POTATO PICKS TO WATCH TODAY
• DP WORLD TOUR: Portugal Masters, 8 a.m., GOLF
• PGA: Bermuda Championship, 1:30 p.m., GOLF
• MEN’S SOCCER: North Carolina at Louisville, 6 p.m., ACCN
• FOOTBALL: Virginia Tech at N.C. State, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
• NBA: Dallas at Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m., NBATV
• MEN’S SOCCER: Duke at Notre Dame, 8 p.m., ACCN
• NFL: Baltimore at Tampa Bay, 8:15 p.m., PRIME VIDEO
• NBA: Miami at Golden State, 10 p.m., NBATV
Sonny Jones can be reached at wibbyj@gmail.com.
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