AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT

1908:

Baseball’s greatest player, Ty Cobb, plays for the Detroit Tigers.

The Tigers win a big game. And Ty Cobb knows why:

 . . . the black orphan who showed up at the ballpark must be a good luck charm.

Remember, this is when blacks couldn’t play in the league, but the teen, who goes by the name ‘Lil Raustus, becomes the Tigers’ bat boy because . . . the Tigers win when he’s around.

Then the Tigers go on the road and start losing.

The only explanation -- ‘Lil Raustus is back in Detroit, with all his good luck.

So the Tigers bring ‘Lil Raustus on the road, sneaking him into the railroad cars and hotels. And the team keeps winning and are headed to . . . the World Series!!

The Tigers begin losing again, and there is only one thing to do with the World Series so near.

Fire ‘Lil Raustus. Surely, all his good luck is gone.

‘Lil Raustus gets hired by another team, the Chicago White Sox.

And in the World Series, the mighty Tigers, without ‘Lil Raustus . . .

. . . lose in five games to . . .

. . . the Chicago White Sox, with ‘Lil Raustus.

As luck would have it. In 1908.

 ?! SERIES

The craziest, wildest, most unbelievable stories that cannot be true. But somehow are.