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Its that time of year, late October, and World Series talk is in the air.Theres one theme in this Cubs-Indians matchup that Im familiar with: the significance of well-known jinxes.In 1980 with the Phillies, we were constantly reading about how wed never won it all. Then we busted the longest skid in baseball.Cleveland is battling history as well. Its last win, the 1948 Series over the Boston Braves.Now the kings of jinx, those beloved Cubbies. They appeared in 1945, but last won in 1908.Thats a long time, boys. Whats the story?A lot of people will have fun with this -- Cubs and Indians, and whose curse is the strongest. Fans will pull out every anti-jinx weapon they can find.Chicago is well known for its efforts. Theyve tried a goat on the field, holy water sprinkled around the dugout, electrocuting the Bartman ball and three guys dragging a goat across country.None worked.Cleveland vs. Chicago at every level from politics to sports, and the hottest topic will be the Cubbies fighting their past.So how do the players themselves handle trying to win these games with history against them?Youd think with all the social media exposure the jinxes will be getting, the players would be consumed with the fear of losing.Not even close.The players wont give it a second thought. To them, its a waste of time, its only something that is attached to a negative outcome by fans and media.In Philly in 1980, the media recalled our teams long drought, the Whiz Kids missing out in 1950 and the Phold of `64.But inside the clubhouse, there was never a mention of these jinxes.Can you imagine Pete Rose saying to Steve Carlton, Lefty, what do you want to do about our jinx?I bet if you ask the Indians players, theyd have no idea when the Indians were last in the Series.Cubs may be a different story because they still play in the stadium where their jinxes were born. Youd have to live under a rock not to at least be aware of them. But a factor in their play? Not a chance.One of the things that makes baseball so beloved is that its there every day from April to October. You can become so consumed by it that you believe outside forces are at work affecting the outcomes.Youve heard of golf gods, the higher powers of the game that you never want to cross in fear of being punished.Baseball has them, too. Heres how they work: The baseball gods, those spirits of the game that every player believes in, love teams that play fundamentally sound, dont strike out in key situations, move runners, play good defense and run the bases.They frown on teams that swing for the fences, dont hustle, and give the opponent extra outs.Teams that win in the postseason do little things that matter, and wait for the big things to come. Teams that lose in the postseason try to force the action, play tight and dont let the game come to them.I know because Ive been on both sides.So the challenge for both the Indians and Cubs will be to play the game, under the pressure of the World Series, with patience, relaxation and confidence.The fans and media can have fun with the jinxes, and one of these teams will continue their futility in the Series. But make no mistake, after the umpire says play ball, history will not affect the outcome.---Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt was MVP of the 1980 World Series when the Philadelphia Phillies won their first World Series championship. He hit 548 career home runs, including four in a game at Wrigley Field.Brian Dozier Nationals Jersey . Boucher previously coached the Tampa Bay Lightning and had a 97-78-20 record over two-plus seasons. He was dismissed by the team last March after the Lightning struggled in the lockout-shortened season with a 13-18-1 record. Koda Glover Nationals Jersey . The 20-year-old Pelicans big man glanced up and smiled widely at the well-wishers -- a fitting end to a day he wont soon forget. Davis responded to his selection earlier in the day as a Western Conference All-Star with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-91 on Friday night. https://www.cheapnationals.com/ . Following a lopsided 5-2 loss against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night, Paul MacLean told reporters that "theres a lack of focus, theres a lack of leadership and theres a lack of preparation" with his struggling team. That came on the heels of Bryan Murray taking the unusual step of going into the locker room at the Prudential Center and addressing the players himself. Gerardo Parra Nationals Jersey . -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks was fined $15,570 by the NFL on Wednesday for his hit on Saints quarterback Drew Brees last Sunday. Jonny Venters Nationals Jersey . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season.Heres an adorable start to your day, Buffalo Bills fans.Looks like linebacker Brandon Spikes has a new young fan to call his homeboy.?Spikes tweeted out this photo Monday of the young Buffalo fan watching the Bills during training camp while wearing a shirt saying Brandon Spikes is my homeboy.Spikess response to the photo was a well-deserved Omg how adorable is that !!!?And really, how else can you respond to this cuteness? Well said, Spikes.dddddddddddd Well said. ' ' '