Lore 267: Curveball

Summary

Lore Episode 267: Curveball – A Detailed Summary

Host: Aaron Mahnke
Co-Host: Jenna Rose Nethercott
Release Date: November 18, 2024

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Introduction

In Episode 267 of the award-winning podcast Lore, hosts Aaron Mahnke and Jenna Rose Nethercott delve into the intriguing world of baseball superstition and dark sports legends. Titled "Curveball," this episode unravels the mysterious tales behind America's favorite pastime, exploring how belief, luck, and curses have shaped the history of baseball.

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The Origins of Superstition and the Curse of the Billy Goat

Robert Ruckheim and the Making of Sailor Jack

The episode begins with the poignant story of young Robert Ruckheim, whose tragic death at the age of seven in 1920 inadvertently immortalized him as Sailor Jack, the emblematic figure on Cracker Jack boxes. Aaron Mahnke narrates:

"Little Robert was destined for a strange sort of immortality. ... The only thing left of him would be that picture emblazoned like a memorial on thousands upon thousands of Cracker Jack boxes." [02:21]

Baseball Superstitions: A Deep-Rooted Tradition

Jenna Rose Nethercott and Aaron Mahnke explore various baseball superstitions that players adopt to edge out luck in a game governed largely by chance. They discuss how even minor rituals, like leaving a buttonhole undone or carrying lucky charms, can significantly impact a player's performance by fostering confidence.

"Players carry things like coins, poker chips, crucifixes, rabbit's feet, lucky socks, a special glove and more for good luck and protection." [07:00]

Dr. Amber Griffin, a philosopher and baseball writer featured in the episode, elaborates on the randomness of the game:

"A poorly thrown fastball can result in a strikeout. A perfectly executed slider can be blooped into the outfield for a base hit." [04:14]

The Curse of the Billy Goat: A Legendary Hex

The centerpiece of the episode is the infamous Curse of the Billy Goat, which supposedly doomed the Chicago Cubs for over a century. The story recounts how William Sianis, owner of the Billy Goat Tavern, brought his pet goat, Murphy, to a Cubs game on October 6, 1945. Due to Murphy's disruptive presence, Sianis was ejected, leading him to curse the team:

"The Cubs will never win a World Series so long as the goat is not allowed in Wrigley Field." [13:00]

This curse is credited with the Cubs' prolonged championship drought, their affectionate moniker "lovable losers," and a series of unfortunate seasons. Despite numerous attempts by fans and team management to lift the curse—such as inviting Sianis and Murphy back to games—the Cubs remained beleaguered until their historic World Series win in 2016, ending a 108-year hiatus.

"I can't help but wonder if the team's success had something to do with their religious beliefs. ... Golden Thong really was magic." [25:44]

The Power of Belief and the Placebo Effect

The hosts discuss how superstitions and rituals can create a placebo effect, enhancing player performance through increased confidence and reduced anxiety. This psychological boost often translates into better on-field results, suggesting that belief itself can be a powerful tool in the competitive landscape of sports.

"The placebo effect is a powerful drug. The Cubs came to expect a loss, and if you believe you're going to lose, well, you probably will." [16:00]

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The House of David: Baseball's Original Harlem Globetrotters

Transitioning from the supernatural to theatrical exhibitions, Mahnke and Nethercott explore the House of David, a religious commune that formed one of the first integrated baseball teams. Founded by Benjamin and Mary Purnell in Benton Harbor, Michigan, the House of David team was known for their remarkable skills and unique appearance, adorned with immaculate beards.

Integration and Inclusivity Ahead of Their Time

Notably, the House of David team was among the first to integrate by hiring stars from the Negro leagues and even including female players, such as Beatrice Mitchell, who famously struck out legends Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

"They were actually practicing progressive inclusivity far ahead of their time." [24:58]

Exhibition Games and Theatrical Performance

Their barnstorming tours across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Cuba were not just competitive but also highly entertaining, featuring tricks akin to those of the Harlem Globetrotters. These performances captivated audiences for over four decades, blending athletic prowess with showmanship.

"House of David players as, and I quote, Whiskerinos. Their image became so iconic that famous Major League players would don fake beards to impersonate them." [23:07]

Despite internal scandals, including accusations against their leader Benjamin Purnell and the eventual decline of the group, the House of David left an indelible mark on baseball, promoting early forms of equity and integration within the sport.

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Tiger Jack Fox and the Hypnotic Hex: Black Magic in Boxing

In the second major segment of the episode, Mahnke and Nethercott shift focus to the world of boxing, telling the tale of Tiger Jack Fox and his enigmatic manager, Jimmy Grippo.

Jimmy Grippo: The Magician Manager

Jimmy Grippo was not your typical boxing manager. Renowned for his expertise in hypnosis and various forms of magic, Grippo believed in harnessing supernatural powers to enhance his fighters' performance. His unconventional methods included:

• Clairvoyance and Hypnosis: Using hypnosis to instill confidence and suggest unshakable skills in his boxers.
• Hexing Opponents: Allegations that he could cast spells to undermine his fighters' abilities.

"Grippo would put people under a hypnotic spell." [35:14]

The Championship Bout: A Dark Turn

The pivotal moment in this story occurred on February 3, 1939, at Madison Square Gardens. Tiger Jack Fox, a seasoned boxer with nearly 100 career wins, faced Melio Bettina, a seemingly naive farm boy under Grippo's mystical guidance. Despite Fox being the favorite, Bettina emerged victorious in a shocking upset.

"Years later, ... Grippo the Great." [35:18]

The outcome left many speculating whether Grippo's supposed magical interventions were responsible for Fox's unexpected defeat or if it was merely a psychological edge.

Legacy of the Match

While both fighters continued their careers, it was Jimmy Grippo who etched his name into sports lore through the rumors of his magical prowess. The true extent of his influence remains a topic of fascination and mystery among historians and sports enthusiasts alike.

"Even now, we are still left wondering on that day back in 1939, did Jimmy Grippo really put a hypnotic hex on Tiger Jack or did he just really, really psych him out?" [35:59]

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Conclusion: The Enduring Power of Superstition in Sports

Episode 267 of Lore masterfully intertwines stories of superstition and dark rituals within the realms of baseball and boxing. From the legendary Curse of the Billy Goat that plagued the Chicago Cubs to the enigmatic tales of Jimmy Grippo's magical influence in boxing, the episode underscores how belief and ritual can significantly impact athletic performance and team fortunes.

"If you're a regular listener of this show, you'll remember our recent episode on the self proclaimed prophet Joanna Southcott." [18:18]

Ultimately, Lore highlights that whether through the placebo effect, psychological confidence, or the allure of the supernatural, the human propensity to seek control and meaning in sports continues to shape narratives and destinies within the athletic world.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• "Little Robert was destined for a strange sort of immortality..." — Aaron Mahnke [02:21]
• "Players carry things like coins, poker chips, crucifixes, rabbit's feet, lucky socks..." — Jenna Rose Nethercott [07:00]
• "A poorly thrown fastball can result in a strikeout..." — Dr. Amber Griffin [04:14]
• "The Cubs will never win a World Series so long as the goat is not allowed in Wrigley Field." — William Sianis [13:00]
• "The placebo effect is a powerful drug..." — Jenna Rose Nethercott [16:00]
• "They were actually practicing progressive inclusivity far ahead of their time." — Jenna Rose Nethercott [24:58]
• "Grippo would put people under a hypnotic spell." — Aaron Mahnke [35:14]
• "Even now, we are still left wondering on that day back in 1939..." — Aaron Mahnke [35:59]

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This comprehensive summary captures the essence of "Lore" Episode 267: Curveball, providing listeners—and those who missed the episode—with an engaging overview of the fascinating interplay between superstition, belief, and sports history.

Transcript

[Aaron Manke]

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[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

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[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

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[Aaron Manke]

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[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

First came the Then the fever.

[Aaron Manke]

The boy struggled for air, and each breath was like a knife to the chest. After a visit from the doctor, there was no doubt it was pneumonia. And finally, on one icy Chicago Day.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

In 1920, Robert Ruckheim passed away.

[Aaron Manke]

He was only seven years old. And yet his story wasn't over. Because, as it turns out, little Robert was destined for a strange sort of immortality. You see, Robert's grandfather, Frederick Ruckheim, was something of an entrepreneur, and in 1893, Frederick and his brother Louis had started.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Hawking a new snack product at the Chicago World's Fair. It was a hit, and the brothers began mass producing a packaged version of the treat. Now, of course, the product would need a flashy logo, something to signal wholesome.

[Aaron Manke]

Patriotic fun to consumers across the nation.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

And in 1918, after a number of less inspired iterations, Frederick landed on a design that stuck.

[Aaron Manke]

He decided to honor his then five.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Year old grandson Robert by putting his face on the box, dressed in a.

[Aaron Manke]

Sailor suit with a dog at his feet.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Little did Frederick know that less than.

[Aaron Manke]

Two years later, that smiling little boy would be dead. The only thing left of him would.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Be that picture emblazoned like a memorial.

[Aaron Manke]

On thousands upon thousands of Cracker Jack boxes.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

That's right, Sailor Jack. The kid depicted on the classic baseball.

[Aaron Manke]

Game snack is actually a drawing of poor little Robert, a boy who never grew up.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

But I'll be honest, when it comes to spooky baseball stories, that one is just the beginning. So today, we'll dig deep into America's.

[Aaron Manke]

Favorite pastime, emerging with prizes more strange and haunted than any Cracker Jack box could ever hold. I'm Aaron Manke, and this is Lore. It wasn't just a good game for Jim Davenport.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

It was a great game. The Giants player had hit not one.

[Aaron Manke]

But two home runs. And now, back in the locker room, he was pondering his success.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

How had he played so well that night?

[Aaron Manke]

What had changed? After all, his skill hadn't grown between this game and the last.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

His opponents were no less formidable. But as he glanced down, he spotted.

[Aaron Manke]

The anomaly right there on his uniform.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

It was a button. Or rather, the lack of a button. In his rush to get ready that.

[Aaron Manke]

Morning, he had accidentally missed a buttonhole while dressing. Yes, that empty buttonhole must be his lucky charm, his secret to success.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

And so after that day, Jim would leave that buttonhole undone on purpose for the rest of his career. Now, it may sound absurd if you.

[Aaron Manke]

Aren'T a baseball fan, but for those.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Who do follow the sport, you'll know that superstitions like this are even more common than strikeouts. And as it turns out, there's a.

[Aaron Manke]

Pretty good reason for that.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Philosopher and baseball writer Dr. Amber Griffin describes it best. She writes, a poorly thrown fastball can result in a strikeout. An a perfectly executed slider can be.

[Aaron Manke]

Blooped into the outfield for a base hit.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

A ball popped up in the infield can be lost in the sun, and.

[Aaron Manke]

The wind can turn a would be home run into a foul ball. The best teams win only approximately 60% of their games.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

In other words, despite requiring extreme talent.

[Aaron Manke]

And finesse, many of the outcomes in.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Baseball depend largely on chance or lucky. Now, if there's one thing that we.

[Aaron Manke]

Know about the human brain, it's that it hates leaving things to chance.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

In fact, we'll do just about anything.

[Aaron Manke]

To manufacture a sense of control, even.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Convince ourselves of impossible, impractical cause and.

[Aaron Manke]

Effect relationships like, say, the ability for a single buttonhole to produce home runs.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Some baseball superstitions are learned as early.

[Aaron Manke]

As Little League, passed down from coach.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

To player, or whispered amongst peers in the dugouts. Things like never step on a white chalk foul line, or never speak to.

[Aaron Manke]

A pitcher who's in the midst of throwing a perfect game. Or the idea that a bat only contains a limited number of hits, and.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

When those hits are used up, that's.

[Aaron Manke]

That the bat has to be retired.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

There are superstitions about how to wear your cap, how many times to swing.

[Aaron Manke]

The bat before stepping into the batter's box, and more.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

In the 1920s and 30s, players who.

[Aaron Manke]

Tripped on the field would have to.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Retrace their steps Exactly. To undo the bad luck further back.

[Aaron Manke]

In the century, finding a lady's hairpin on the ground was considered lucky, as.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Was seeing a white horse before a game.

[Aaron Manke]

The hairpin and the horse, though, brought up another issue.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

You had to be lucky enough to.

[Aaron Manke]

Organically stumble upon these things, which meant.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Once again, relying on chance. So sometimes managers would, well, let's just say, stack the deck. A manager might drop hairpins on the ground, hoping for players to find them. In 1904, a manager for the New York Giants even paid a carriage driver to casually bring his white horses past.

[Aaron Manke]

The ballpark before a game.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Talk about making your own luck right now. Sure, these rituals seem pretty playful and.

[Aaron Manke]

Benign, but that wasn't always the case.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Some were downright, well, racist. Ty Cobb and many other players believed.

[Aaron Manke]

That rubbing the head of a black boy would bring them good luck.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Cobb even took a young black child.

[Aaron Manke]

With him on the road during the.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

1908 season for just this reason. Others employed, and I quote, hunchbacks and.

[Aaron Manke]

People with dwarfism to work somewhere in.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

The team's orbit, viewing these human beings.

[Aaron Manke]

As no more than lucky charms.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

And I have to say, as a professional observer of history, I think that.

[Aaron Manke]

America's real favorite pastime has always been discrimination.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Speaking of lucky charms, though, many players have what are called fetishes. And, no, not that kind of fetish.

[Aaron Manke]

A fetish is another word for a talisman.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Players carry things like coins, poker chips, crucifixes, rabbit's feet, lucky socks, a special.

[Aaron Manke]

Glove and more for good luck and protection.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

And honestly, all of this is just.

[Aaron Manke]

Scratching the surface because there is as.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Much baseball magic as there are, well, players. Because that's the most fascinating thing about.

[Aaron Manke]

This particular category of superstition.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

While some of the rituals are shared.

[Aaron Manke]

Most of them are, in fact, private and individual things made up by a.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Player himself and performed by him and him alone. Take, for example, the favorite lucky charm for 1960s player Julio Gotai. During every game, he carried a cheese sandwich in his back pocket. Part lucky charm, part snack.

[Aaron Manke]

Not a bad idea, right? And then there's left fielder Ricardo Cardi.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Who would prep by dunking five candles in the toilet and bathtub before bringing them to the game, at which point he would light them at the plate. Cardinals player Edward Mojica used to dig.

[Aaron Manke]

A hole at the front end of the bullpen mound into which he would.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Spit half a cup of red Gatorade.

[Aaron Manke]

And yes, it had to be red.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Powerhouse hitter Jason Giambi, who played in the major leagues from 1995, all the way through 2014 was prone to what are called slumps, which is when a.

[Aaron Manke]

Player gets stuck in a streak of poor performance.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Thankfully, though, Giambi had a trick for.

[Aaron Manke]

Getting his groove back.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

The 6 foot 3, 240 pound heavy hitter would simply wear a shiny golden.

[Aaron Manke]

Thong under his uniform.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

And hey, don't knock it till you've tried it. Because it gained such a reputation for success that Giambi's teammates, including Derek Jeter.

[Aaron Manke]

And Johnny Damon, admitted to borrowing it too.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Hopefully not borrowing the actual thong. 12 time All Star and Hall of Famer Wade Boggs had a rather famous superstitious routine. For one, he ate chicken before every.

[Aaron Manke]

Game, evidently earning him the nickname Chicken Man.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

He would wake at exactly the same time on game days, and for night.

[Aaron Manke]

Games he always left his home at exactly 1:47pm he would take batting practice.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

At exactly 5:17pm Run sprints at 7:17.

[Aaron Manke]

And field exactly 150 balls during warmups.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Quizzically, he also drew the Hebrew word for life, chai, in the dirt before coming to Batman. Despite not being even a little bit Jewish, pitcher Turk Wendell may take the cake, though.

[Aaron Manke]

Men's Journal magazine named him the most superstitious athlete not just in baseball, but in any sport, and called him, and.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

I quote, an absolute maniac when it came to magical belief. Wendell would always chew four pieces of black licorice when he was pitching and.

[Aaron Manke]

Would spit them out and then brush his teeth after each inning.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Oh, and he'd always hop over the.

[Aaron Manke]

Baseline, making sure never to step on.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

It when entering or exiting the field.

[Aaron Manke]

And at the start of each inning, refusing to pitch until his center fielder waved at him.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Oh, and then there was his lucky necklace, made from the teeth of wild.

[Aaron Manke]

Animals that he had hunted and killed. And that's just a small sample of his rituals. There is no denying it.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Baseball players have got to be some.

[Aaron Manke]

Of the most superstitious people on the planet. But all that belief also comes with a downside.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Because you see, you can't believe in.

[Aaron Manke]

Charms and luck without also believing in curses. The Chicago Cubs were on a roll. They had won two of their first three World Series games against the Detroit.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Tigers, which meant only two more wins.

[Aaron Manke]

Would cement their 1945 title. And to make matters better, for the.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Next game, they'd have home field advantage. But hey, success was nothing new to the Cubs.

[Aaron Manke]

After all, they were one of the best teams in the country. No, really, ever since their founding in 1876, the team had broken record after.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Record for winning streaks.

[Aaron Manke]

World Series Appearances and more.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

But little did they know that was.

[Aaron Manke]

All about to change.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

On October 6th of 1945, fans poured.

[Aaron Manke]

Into Wrigley Field, eager to watch their beloved team do what they did best win.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

One of these fans was a Greek.

[Aaron Manke]

Immigrant named William Sianis, owner of a local bar called the Billy Goat Tavern.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

And clutched in his fist were two.

[Aaron Manke]

Tickets to the big game. One for him and one for his pal Murphy. A small detail I should mention, though.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Murphy just also happened to be a goat.

[Aaron Manke]

That's right.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Scientists brought a goat to a baseball game.

[Aaron Manke]

Why?

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Well, it's hard to say. Some claim that he was a superstitious.

[Aaron Manke]

Fellow and thought that the goat would be good luck. But my guess is that it was a publicity stunt for his Billy Goat Tavern. In fact, the guy had a track record for media gimmicks.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Like the time he asked the State.

[Aaron Manke]

Department to issue him a license for building a restaurant on the moon. Or another time, when, knowing the Republican National Convention was in town, he smacked.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

A We do not serve Republican sign.

[Aaron Manke]

On his pub door, ensuring, through Reverse.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Psychotic, a paying bar packed with them the next day. Whatever the motivation, Seanis and Murphy marched.

[Aaron Manke]

Toward the gate, determined to watch the game.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Seanis had even blinged Murphy out with a sign that read, we got Detroit's goat. Yeah, that pun is low, even for my standards. After some spirited arguing with the ushers, the dynamic duo were finally let into.

[Aaron Manke]

The stadium and led to their seats. So far, all was well and good.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

The goat was in. The game was about to start.

[Aaron Manke]

Luck was on the Cub's side. But then it began to rain.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Now, I'm not sure if you've ever.

[Aaron Manke]

Smelled a rain soaked goat, but imagine a wet dog on steroids. This was pungent.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

So bad, in fact, that fans seated.

[Aaron Manke]

Nearby started to complain.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

And eventually, Seanis and Murphy were kicked.

[Aaron Manke]

Out of the stadium. Now, according to the legend, as the.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Furious Sianis and his wet, smelly goat.

[Aaron Manke]

Stood outside Wrigley Field, he tossed his.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Hands up and yelled a fateful proclamation. The Cubs, he said, ain't gonna win no more. The Cubs will never win a World Series so long as the goat is.

[Aaron Manke]

Not allowed in Wrigley Field. And that was that.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

From then on, the Chicago Cubs were cursed. They lost that game against the Detroit Tigers that day. Then they lost the World Series the following season. Their losing streak continued. And the season after.

[Aaron Manke]

And after that, years went by, and.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Game after game, pitch after pitch, it seemed like all the Cubs could do was lose.

[Aaron Manke]

Once lauded as superstars, they had come.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

To earn the nickname the lovable losers.

[Aaron Manke]

Wait till next year became the team's rather pitiful motto. It seemed that Murphy the goat had taken his revenge. Now, if we've learned anything from fairy tales, it's that curses can be broken, right? And Lord knows that the Cubs supporters.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Tried to break this one.

[Aaron Manke]

Fans did all sorts of rites and rituals to turn the tide. Even the higher ups got involved.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

In September of 1950, for example, P.K.

[Aaron Manke]

Wrigley himself wrote a letter to Sianis begging for mercy.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

But nothing worked.

[Aaron Manke]

Decades passed. By 1972, both Sianis and Murphy had passed away. But the curse didn't die with its makers. Nor did the Billy Goat Tavern, for that matter, which had been passed down to Sianis nephew Sam.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

And Sam, well, he figured enough was enough. Maybe, just maybe, that Sianus blood running in his veins could help him break.

[Aaron Manke]

The curse once and for all.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

And so Sam climbed into a limo.

[Aaron Manke]

And headed to Wrigley Field with a special friend in tow. That's right, a goat. This time the sign on the animal.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Read, all is forgiven.

[Aaron Manke]

Let me lead you to the penant.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Your friend, Billy Goat. You know the old adage, those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.

[Aaron Manke]

Well, whoever was working the door at Wrigley that day must have forgotten history.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Because the ushers refused to let Sam.

[Aaron Manke]

And the goat through the gate. And once again, it seems the curse retaliated. The cubs lost a whopping 16 of.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Their next 20 games. Now, look, I'm an Illinois boy, and I can tell you firsthand, Chicago is.

[Aaron Manke]

Not a city that gives up without a fight.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

On two occasions, once in 1984 and again in 1994, the Cubs tried to right this wrong by inviting Sam and his goat BFF to attend games as honored guests. Their manager even told a reporter, and I quote, I've got to go down to that tavern and talk to that.

[Aaron Manke]

Guy about the goat.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

We'll let the goat run the bases.

[Aaron Manke]

And water the outfield. We'll let him eat some grass and.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

I'll kiss him, whatever it takes. And it almost seemed to work. Both times, Sam Sianis and his goat.

[Aaron Manke]

Visited a game the Cubs won. But alas, the winning streaks never lasted. Not until 2016, when, at long last, the Cubs finally achieved the impossible. They won the World Series.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

For the first time in 108 years.

[Aaron Manke]

The curse of the Billy Goat has.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Gone down as one of, if not the most famous curses in sports history.

[Aaron Manke]

And it's easy to see why.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

After all, the tale is compelling.

[Aaron Manke]

To say the least. And okay, I'll admit most of the.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Cubs players themselves never actually believed in.

[Aaron Manke]

The hex, just playing along for show. But maybe they should have believed. Because if you ask me, the team really was. Cursed, that is. The placebo effect is a powerful drug. The Cubs came to expect a loss, and if you believe you're going to lose, well, you probably will. Add to that years of poor management.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Poor trades, an unwillingness to pay for.

[Aaron Manke]

Top players, an overzealous desire to win.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

The World Series, and a playful little superstition.

[Aaron Manke]

It all became too real. But through it all, one winner always came out on top. The Billy Goat Tavern.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Its curse related fame led to franchising.

[Aaron Manke]

Merch lines and an influx of cash.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Unlike anything the pub ever would have.

[Aaron Manke]

Seen without such a legend behind it. Honestly, it seems that Seanis had been the real goat all along. Now, believing in barnyard curses is one.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Thing, but as this next story goes.

[Aaron Manke]

On to show us, it's another thing entirely.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

When a baseball team starts playing like.

[Aaron Manke]

It'S the end of the world.

[Unknown]

It'S.

[Aaron Manke]

The bottom of the fifth and the crowd is enraptured. This is it. The moment you've been waiting for.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

The reason you've poured into the stands.

[Aaron Manke]

All 6,000 of you, eyes glued to the field. At last the innings end and the real show begins.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Instead of returning to the dugout, the visiting team starts to juggle. That's right, juggle. Baseballs soar through the air in elaborate loops.

[Aaron Manke]

One of the players performs a magical sleight of hand trick, a ball vanishing into thin only for him to pull it out of his long black beard. Suddenly there are donkeys on the pitch.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Players performing from their backs.

[Aaron Manke]

Yep, in a matter of minutes the.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Park has been transformed into a full on circus.

[Aaron Manke]

At last comes the grand finale.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

The visiting team sets down their gear, steps into the stands and invites you to join their doomsday cult. It's 1920s America and you have just witnessed the world famous semi pro baseball.

[Aaron Manke]

Team, the House of David in all their bizarre glory.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

But before you dismiss this as some.

[Aaron Manke]

Kind of fever dream, let's rewind a few decades. It'll all make sense soon enough. If you're a regular listener of this show, you'll remember our recent episode on the self proclaimed prophet Joanna Southcott. Long story short, she was an English.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Apocalypse preacher during the late 18th and early 19th centuries and spent her life.

[Aaron Manke]

Warning of a second coming. While delivering terrifying and slightly wacky prophecies, she managed to recruit thousands of disciples her lifetime.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

And after her death in 1814, numerous.

[Aaron Manke]

Cults continued to follow her teachings.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Cults like the House of David. It was founded by a man named.

[Aaron Manke]

Benjamin Purnell and his wife Mary.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

The two were not wealthy nor well.

[Aaron Manke]

Educated, but Benjamin was a damn good preacher.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

And they spent years traveling and teaching self Caudian principles.

[Aaron Manke]

Well, one night, Mary had an odd dream. As she slept, a voice vividly spoke.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

The words Benton Harbor, Michigan, despite the.

[Aaron Manke]

Fact that she had never heard of a town by that name. When she awoke, she reported the dream to her husband, and they were in an agreement. It must be a divine message. And it could only mean one thing. Benton Harbor, Michigan would be the location of the new Garden of Eden. So the Purnells and a few disciples headed for Chicago. Once there, they founded a little compound.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Called, and I quote, the Israelite House of David, the new Eve, the Body of Christ. But that proved to be a bit.

[Aaron Manke]

Of a mouthful, so most people simply called it the House of David. They believed that once 12,000 disciples had gathered in Benton harbor, the old world would fall and a new era of peace and harmony would commence. And with that, the Purnell's real mission began. It was time to start recruiting.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Their followers grew to a few dozen.

[Aaron Manke]

And then to a hundred, then more.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

At its peak, shortly before World War.

[Aaron Manke]

I, members would number around 1,000, all living communally on their land. Like any good cult, there were rules and regulations to follow. They were celibate, for one, even among married couples. Alcohol, tobacco and profanity were also prohibited, as was eating meat. Personal property was not allowed. And lastly, haircuts and shaving were forbidden. Now, if you're imagining a bunch of.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Tent dwelling hippies, think again. The House of David was an urban planning powerhouse.

[Aaron Manke]

They cultivated their own grain and maintained over a dozen orchards.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

The commune had its own cannery, its.

[Aaron Manke]

Own carpenter shop, its own tailor shop shop, and more. Heck, they even owned and operated their own electrical plant to provide the compound with lighting. Basically, this wasn't a commune, it was a city.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Of course, they had to fund all of this somehow.

[Aaron Manke]

And fund it they did. By the 1920s, the House of David was raking in millions and millions of dollars.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

How?

[Aaron Manke]

Well, they purchased 3,400 acres of agricultural.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Products, selling crops in massive quantities.

[Aaron Manke]

They dipped into the lumber industry too.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Get this.

[Aaron Manke]

They even ran a theme park next door to their compound called the Eden.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Springs Amusement park, complete with a miniature.

[Aaron Manke]

Railroad, a fish pond, a giant dollhouse, a zoo, and of course, an auditorium for performing biblical plays.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

I know, I'm right there. With you.

[Aaron Manke]

We all want to go to the.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Doomsday cult Six Flags. And yet, none of their ventures were.

[Aaron Manke]

More famed and beloved than the House of David baseball team. It started simply enough. By buying some land. The cult built a baseball park on the purchase plot and began renting it out to semi pro teams for a little easy money. Every now and then, though, the members would jump in on a game themselves.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

You know, just for fun.

[Aaron Manke]

And miraculously, they were holding their own against these semi pro teams. Actually, better than holding their own. They were winning. In fact, they soon realized that they.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Were talented enough to form a semi.

[Aaron Manke]

Pro team of their own. By 1915, the official House of David.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Baseball team started barnstorming, as it was.

[Aaron Manke]

Called, which was when teams would go.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

On tour playing exhibition games far from.

[Aaron Manke]

Their colony in rural Michigan. The team barnstormed through the US And.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Canada, Mexico and even Cuba. The more they played, the more money.

[Aaron Manke]

They were able to send home to Benton harbor, and the more opportunities they.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Had to proselytize the fans they met along the way.

[Aaron Manke]

After all, they were still going for that 12,000 member goal back at the compound. And what better way to recruit than by traveling the world? But they weren't just religious zealots posing as baseball players. These guys were good. They won 65 to 75% of their games, sometimes playing two or three games per day, and they were a blast to watch. They were aggressive and theatrical, never shying away from dramatic slides or stealing bases.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Not to mention their whole, well, look. Remember, one of the cult's rules was.

[Aaron Manke]

No haircuts or shaving.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

So imagine a bunch of Rasputin clones.

[Aaron Manke]

Running around in pristine uniforms. Oh, and due to their facial hair.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Sports journalists refer to the House of David players as, and I quote, Whiskerinos. Their image became so iconic that famous.

[Aaron Manke]

Major league players would don fake beards to impersonate them.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

There's even a photo of Babe Ruth.

[Aaron Manke]

With a Whiskerino beard strapped onto his stout, legendary chin.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

But most exciting of all were the.

[Aaron Manke]

House of David's elaborate baseball stunts or pepper games. And this brings us back to what you witnessed at the start of the story.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

The juggling, the vanishing trick in the.

[Aaron Manke]

Beard, the donkey riding, and more. Basically, think of them as the original Harlem Globetrotters. Gag after gag they performed to delighted.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Crowds for more than 40 years. And a lot happened in that time. But one thing that sure didn't was.

[Aaron Manke]

The second coming of Jesus Christ. But hey, at least they found a pretty good way to pass the time.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

In the late 1920s scandal rocked the community.

[Aaron Manke]

Back in Benton harbor, the cult's leader, Benjamin Purnell, was accused of sexual assault and child abuse.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

And while he was never found guilty on those counts, he was convicted of.

[Aaron Manke]

Fraud in 1927 and died shortly thereafter. The group splintered into a broken kaleidoscope of smaller factions, each one with their own House of David baseball team. Meanwhile, commune members were replaced one by.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

One with hired players until the teams.

[Aaron Manke]

Were barely related to the cult at all. And as the 1950s arrived and the age of barnstorming came to a close, so ended the House of David's exhibition teams once and for all.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

And yet, while they reigned, they made.

[Aaron Manke]

An indelible mark on America. Amidst all their antics and beards and.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Doomsday preaching, they were also setting the.

[Aaron Manke]

Stage for a new era of equity in baseball. You see, they played against other semi.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Pro teams, yes, even the occasional major.

[Aaron Manke]

League team, but they also played Negro league teams years before baseball became integrated. In fact, they even hired some major stars from the Negro league to play.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

For them, making them one of the.

[Aaron Manke]

First integrated teams in history. They even had a few female players on the team, including 19 year old Beatrice Mitchell, who allegedly struck out both.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Despite being a rigid Christian cult, they.

[Aaron Manke]

Were actually practicing progressive inclusivity far ahead of their time. At the end of the day, I can't help but wonder if the team's.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Success had something to do with their religious beliefs.

[Aaron Manke]

After all, what would make you play your heart out harder, lean more fully into the thing you love, than thinking that the world was about to end?

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

It makes me reflect back on all those player superstitions. The cheese sandwich in the back pocket.

[Aaron Manke]

The hole full of red Gatorade, the undone button, and the five flickering candles on home plate. Because the thing about all these rituals is that according to the data, they actually worked.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Just as the assumption of failure was.

[Aaron Manke]

A self fulfilling prophecy for the Chicago.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Cubs, so too functioned these lucky rituals.

[Aaron Manke]

You see, by practicing these ceremonies, by.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Believing so deeply in their power, the players performed with more confidence, more certainty.

[Aaron Manke]

And ultimately, because of this, more skill.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

In other words, it turns out that.

[Aaron Manke]

Golden Thong really was magic.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

I hope you enjoyed today's battle between two opposing teams. Common sense and superstition.

[Aaron Manke]

It's a wonderful slice of the past, right?

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

But surprisingly, even to this day, a.

[Aaron Manke]

Few stray House of David disciples continue to keep up the cult's traditions right there in Benton harbor, still waiting for the second coming to arrive.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

They've waited a century for their final story. Our last tale, though, is coming right up. Stick around through this brief sponsor break.

[Aaron Manke]

To hear all about it. This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. This month is all about gratitude, and.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Along with all the people in our lives we're very grateful for, there is.

[Aaron Manke]

One person we honestly don't thank ourselves.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

It's sometimes hard to remind ourselves that.

[Aaron Manke]

We are trying our best to make sense of everything. And in this crazy world, that isn't easy.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

So consider this a little reminder to say thank you to the people in your life, including you need help finding the courage or strength to do that?

[Aaron Manke]

That's where therapy can be a big help. I know how important and helpful therapy.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Can be when it comes to helping.

[Aaron Manke]

Us see our lives with fresh eyes. And therapy isn't just for folks who have experienced major trauma. It can truly empower you to be.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

The best version of yourself. If you're thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try.

[Aaron Manke]

It's entirely online, designed to be convenient.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Flexible and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with the licensed therapist and.

[Aaron Manke]

Switch therapists anytime for no additional charge. Let the gratitude flow with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com lore today to get 10% off your first month.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

That's BetterHelp.

[Aaron Manke]

H E L p.com lore this episode was also made possible by Acorns.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Acorns makes it easy to start automatically saving and investing for you, your kids, your retirement, even during the holidays. You don't need to be an expert.

[Aaron Manke]

Acorns will recommend a diversified portfolio that matches you.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

You don't need a ton of time.

[Aaron Manke]

You can create your Acorns account and start automatically investing your money in just five minutes.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

You don't need to be rich. Acorns lets you get started with the.

[Aaron Manke]

Spare money you've got right now. That could be $5 a day, or even just your spare change. That's right. Acorns can round every purchase you make up to the dollar and automatically invest.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Your spare change for you. And you can get bonus investments just for buying the stuff you need from.

[Aaron Manke]

The brands you love. I know how confusing and intimidating the.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Investment world can be, but I also.

[Aaron Manke]

Know it's important for our future. Which is why I love how easy Acorns makes it to jump in and get started.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

It didn't require me to become an.

[Aaron Manke]

Expert or learn a bunch of lingo.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

It's really that simple.

[Aaron Manke]

Head to acorns.com lore or download the.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Acorns app to start saving and investing for your future paid client endorsement compensation.

[Aaron Manke]

Provides incentive to positively promote Acorns Investing involves risk Acorns Advisors, LLC, an SEC registered investment advisor.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

View important [e-mail] lore it's better over.

[Unknown]

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[Aaron Manke]

I know this is going to sound obvious, but boxing is a violent sport.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

From concussions to fractures, brain damage to.

[Aaron Manke]

Muscle tears, fighters face a myriad of dangers when they step into the ring. But one threat they usually don't have to worry about is black magic.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Unfortunately, though, for light heavyweight boxer Tiger Jack Fox, that was exactly what would take him down. The fight took place on February 3rd.

[Aaron Manke]

Of 1939 beneath the glamorous lights of Madison Square Gardens, and by this point, Tiger Jack was no stranger to the sport. He'd been boxing for over a decade and had achieved nearly 100 career wins, although he'd taken a break for the.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Last couple of months after a woman he'd brought back to his hotel room had stabbed him in the chest.

[Aaron Manke]

Story for another time.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Anyway, tonight he would make his way to the final bouts in a tournament to determine the new light heavyweight champion. And to be honest, it looked like Tiger Jack had this one in the bag. He was up against a fellow boxer named Melio Bettina, who had a reputation for being kind of a naive farm boy. Even having been stabbed two months prior, Tiger Jack was still favored to win 3 1. But little did he know Bettina had a secret weapon. And that secret weapon was his manager, a guy named Jimmy Grippo. And if you think that sounds like a cartoon character, just wait. Because old Jimmy Grippo really lived up to his name. You see, Jimmy wasn't actually best known.

[Aaron Manke]

As a boxing manager. He was most famous as a magician.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

The Las Vegas sun would later describe him as an expert in, and I quote, clairaudience, clairvoyance, dream interpretation, extrasensory perception, handwriting analysis, magic and sleight of hand, palmistry, precognition, pupilmetrics, telekinesis, and telepathy. But his Real specialty? Oh, that would be hypnosis. In fact, Jimmy Grippo became famous for partnering with well respected doctors to use.

[Aaron Manke]

Hypnosis as an alternative to anesthetics. He was a huge proponent of hypnosis.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Ability to help women through childbirth, and was even hired to perform hypnosis on.

[Aaron Manke]

The King of Siam to calm the nervous monarch before an eye surgery.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Oh, and by the way, if you're.

[Aaron Manke]

Envisioning a mysterious showman with a flowing.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Black cape, you may want to amend that mental image. This fella basically looked like Captain Kangaroo, with dark hair, dark glasses and a suit and tie, of course. The real question though, is how did.

[Aaron Manke]

A magician end up as Milio Bettina's boxing manager?

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Well, he'd actually known Bettina since the.

[Aaron Manke]

Fighter was a boy.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

The boxer had been a meek, scrawny kid who got picked on in school.

[Aaron Manke]

And so his mom enrolled him in.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

A local boxing gym and also hired their neighbor, Jimmy Grippo to help bolster.

[Aaron Manke]

The boy's confidence using hypnosis.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Of course, in Grippo's own words, I'd drill into his subconscious mind that he.

[Aaron Manke]

Was going to retain the knowledge he.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Would pick up in the gym, that he would have good reflexes, that he would be able to absorb punishment, that he was going to win in a wakeful state.

[Aaron Manke]

He now had greater confidence.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

It was the power of suggestion at work.

[Aaron Manke]

And that hypnotic power of suggestion wouldn't.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Just influence Bettina though.

[Aaron Manke]

Nope.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

In the championship bout on February 3, it was about to come for Tiger Jack Fox. Suffice to say, word got out about.

[Aaron Manke]

Grippo and Bettina's unconventional training methods and.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Rumors started to fly. Some journalists claim that Grippo was using his powers to put Bettina into a.

[Aaron Manke]

Trance, making him unable to feel pain. And not only that, reports speculated that.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

If he was able to meet Fox's.

[Aaron Manke]

Eyes before the match, Grippo would put a hex on him too.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

And it seems that Fox took the.

[Aaron Manke]

Threat of a hypnotic hex seriously.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

At the pre fight weigh in, he.

[Aaron Manke]

Wore sunglasses to protect himself from Grippo's power.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

It was a snowy night in New.

[Aaron Manke]

York, and as nearly 8,000 fans convened.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

In Madison Square Garden, Grippo leaned into.

[Aaron Manke]

His pride fighter and gave him his final instruction. You will be courageous, he said.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

You will not quail. You will feel no pain and you will conquer.

[Aaron Manke]

He will not hurt you.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

You will attack, attack, attack.

[Aaron Manke]

And you shall prevail.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

And all the while, Tiger Jack was.

[Aaron Manke]

Doing everything he could to avoid making eye contact with the magician. Grippo, however, was determined just before the initial bell rang. Jimmy shouted out a distraction and foolishly Tiger Jack looked up.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

The two men locked eyes and Tiger Jack moaned. That was it.

[Aaron Manke]

He was doomed. The bout started out slow and for a while it seemed that the fighters were evenly matched. But as the eighth round neared its end, Tiger Jack began to flag.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

By the ninth, Bettina had Tiger Jack.

[Aaron Manke]

Up against the ropes almost immediately and.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Was landing hit after hit. Somehow, Tiger Jack Fox, a quick fisted veteran, was being pummeled by a young farm boy. Finally, at the 122 mark, referee Eddie Josephs called the match Bettina had won.

[Aaron Manke]

Years later, a journalist would write of.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Jimmy Grippo, he can put people under a hypnotic spell.

[Aaron Manke]

Grippo is the name. Jimmy Grippo.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

But whenever the scholars assemble in Leatherfist.

[Aaron Manke]

Lane to discuss such erudite subjects as.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

The supernatural and hypnotism, they refer to him in hushed voices as Grippo the Great. Tiger Jack and Bettina would both continue.

[Aaron Manke]

Fighting, the former eventually honored in Ring magazine's 100 Greatest Pound for pound punchers of all time.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

But for the most part, the two fighters were forgotten. It seems that despite the boxer's prowess.

[Aaron Manke]

In the ring, it was the magician who won the real championship, that of being remembered by history. And even now, we are still left wondering on that day back in 1939, did Jimmy Grippo really put a hypnotic.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Hex on Tiger Jack or did he.

[Aaron Manke]

Just really, really psych him out? This episode of Lore was produced by me, Erin Manke with writing by Jenna.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Rose Nethercott, research by Sam Alberty, and.

[Aaron Manke]

Music by Chad Lawson. Don't like hearing the ads? I've got a solution for you. There is a paid version of Lore on Apple Podcasts and patreon that is 100% ad free.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Plus subscribers also get weekly mini episodes that we call Lore Bytes.

[Aaron Manke]

It's a bargain for all of that ad free storytelling and a great way.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

To support this show and the team behind it.

[Aaron Manke]

Of course, Lore is much more than just a podcast. There's the book series available in bookstores and online, and two seasons of the television show on Amazon Prime Video. Information about all of that and more is available [e-mail] and you can also follow this show on YouTube, Threads, Instagram and Facebook.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

Just search for Lore Podcast all one word and then click that follow button.

[Aaron Manke]

And when you do, say hi. I like it when people say hi. And as always, thanks for listening. This episode of Lore is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Fiscally responsible financial geniuses, Monetary Magicians.

[Jenna Rose Nethercott]

These are things people say about drivers.

[Aaron Manke]

Who switch their car insurance to Progressive and save hundreds. Visit progressive.com to see if you could save Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states or situations.

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