Base notes

LEADING OFF

The black cat wandered from one dugout to the other and made its way toward the Chicago Cubs' bullpen before disappearing into the Wrigley Field stands.

How fitting.

A few days before the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs met for the first time in almost 90 years, the poster child for bad karma showed up at Wrigley.

"He wasn't all black," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said after the cat sighting Tuesday night. "It was black and white, so it doesn't mean nothing."

Maybe. But until last October, the Red Sox and Cubs were united in angst and despair, a dismal fate that went beyond their near-century of futility. They had no hope, these teams, cursed by the Bambino and a Billy Goat.

"It's like a badge of honor that you never won, sort of," said Dennis Eckersley, who played for both the Red Sox and Cubs before going on to win a World Series title, AL MVP and Cy Young Award with Oakland. "It becomes part of your life."

The Red Sox and Cubs weren't always hopeless. The last time they played each other in a real game before this weekend was the 1918 World Series, and winning was somewhat of a routine for both clubs. The Red Sox were in the World Series for the third time in four years, having won it in 1915 and 1916. The Cubs had been in it as recently as 1910, losing to Philadelphia, and had won it all in 1907 and 1908.

"In Boston, most of the people believe in (the curse) just because of all of the stuff that has happened," said Red Sox second baseman Mark Bellhorn, who played for the Cubs in 2002 and 2003. "It's kind of the same way in Chicago. They expect something to go wrong because that's what's happened over the years."

Yet Cubs fans keep hanging on, optimistic again that this could be their year. If anything, Boston's improbable rally to beat the Yankees and sweep of St. Louis in the World Series only hardened their resolve.

After all, if Boston could finally break through, Chicago's turn can't be far behind.

NEWS AND NOTES

• One major leaguer might play with his son in the majors some day, while two managers could get the chance to manage theirs. Juan Mesa was drafted by the Pirates in the 23rd round. Mesa's father, Jose Mesa, is the Pirates' closer. The Seattle Mariners took manager Mike Hargrove's son, Kent State first baseman Andrew Hargrove, in the 47th round. And Minnesota took Illinois shortstop Toby Gardenhire, the son of the Twins' skipper Ron Gardenhire, in the 41st round.