PHILADELPHIA—The New York Yankees failed to end the World Series last night with a victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. For the superstitious among you, especially the Yankee fans, there’s an extraordinarily stupid “study” that says you should be extra fearful of a Phillies comeback in the series.
Since 1930, when the Yankees have taken home the Commissioner’s Trophy, the U.S. gross domestic product has grown an average of 5% in the following year. On those exceedingly rare occasions that the Phillies are the last team standing, things don’t go so well: In 1981, a year after the Phils’ first-ever championship after 97 years of futility, the economy grew a paltry 2.9% amidst sky-high interest rates and 7.5% unemployment. This year, the reigning champs have presided over what seems likely to be negative economic growth.
Here’s still more reason to root for the Bronx Bombers: The only other time these two teams have met in the Fall Classic, in 1950, the Yanks swept the Phils, leading to a prosperous 7.7% increase in GDP in 1951.
These potentially ominous/potentially promising numbers were crunched by the good folks at The Wall Street Journal’s Real Time Economics blog. And they readily admit a major flaw: The Yankees are the most-successful sports franchise in history, while the Phillies have lost more games than any other professional sports franchise (10,206 and counting). So while the Yanks have been to 33 World Series over the past 79 years and won 23 of them, the Phillies have hoisted just five pennants and two world championship banners.
The Yanks have two more chances to ensure the economy turns around next year, starting tomorrow night at Yankee Stadium.
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 8:53AM
All those fancy numbers without one bra size. JS is a homo.
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 8:57AM
@1
A-Rod used to have C cups. Happy now?
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 9:02AM
Baseball talk on DB? Tsk, tsk.
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 9:04AM
This is what happens when Wall Street economists don't have enough to do in October. Next they'll tell you that securitized mortgages are safe again.
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 9:05AM
Go Phils, I don't care what happens to the GDP.
Posted by merkin capital partners , Nov 03, 2009 9:09AM
We had Greg's mom, I think we need Jon's dad.
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 9:10AM
@MCC
Why not a wife?
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 9:16AM
@7 I think @6 is a dude
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 9:20AM
Here's an undubious statistic. Every February 2nd MCC steps outside naked in the predawn chill. If her nips swell by more than 2cms, it means 6 more weeks of winter.
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 9:22AM
6=racist
Posted by Ron Burgandy , Nov 03, 2009 9:29AM
60% of the time it works every time.
Posted by Joe Mac , Nov 03, 2009 9:32AM
Air-in Burnett's attempt at cleave today woefully inadequate.
Posted by american bandersnatch , Nov 03, 2009 9:39AM
Jon is clearly a better writer than Greg, but the comments that Greg invoked were funnier.
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 9:45AM
Burnett is a lost cause. Great puppet but a shitty anchor. No rack, no insight, annoying c**t.
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 9:57AM
Let's go Phils. Redemption time for Pedro.
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 10:01AM
@13, Just because we don't have Greg doesn't mean that we can't take a lesson from @15 and keep up the Greg comments.
I expect to hear from you regularly Greg's Mom.
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 10:08AM
These kind of statistics are carted out every year during the Super Bowl, Presidential election and World Series to remind us that statistics (and economics by association) are essentially entertainment with little to no mathematical or predictive value. Thanks for reminding us Jon.
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 10:13AM
@17 = Shazanus
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 10:32AM
While it's too early to tell for sure it does seem that JS is doing a better job than Greg. My concern though is that while better, it (at this point anyway) is only marginal, and therefore not worthy of the thrashing Greg took on a daily basis, and certainly not close to Bess' witty prose. We therefore enter the more dangerous territory of mediocraty, and that my fellow snarky DB'ers is unacceptible. Please bring Greg back!
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 10:33AM
17=Jim Cramer
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 10:37AM
Go yanks!
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 10:38AM
@19 = Greg's mom
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 10:40AM
WHERE IS GREG MICHAELS????
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 10:40AM
Shazar is only on loan so enjoy him while you can.
~Jon's Boss
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 10:46AM
What about skirt lengths? Do they still predict economic cycles? Shorter the skirt, the higher the market?
Or maybe we can find a correlation with anal bleach sales...
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 10:48AM
16 here, what happened to the Macke post oat 15?
I thought it was clever ... a slightly chalkier generic brand of toothpaste ... that's the kind of insidious behavior I've come to expect from Jeff Macke.
Why'd it get deleted?
Posted by merkin capital partners , Nov 03, 2009 11:04AM
@24 on loan from that geocities 1998 looking site he came from? I'm sure he can't wait to return.
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 11:16AM
Totally agree with @13/AB and @19. The comments for Greg were some of our best. We are indeed entering a dangerous world of mediocrity and we need to come up with some sort of system/agreement.
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 11:22AM
@19 who you callin' "my fellow snarky DBers?"
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 11:26AM
What happened to Greg? I miss Greg.
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 12:50PM
When the Red Sox win naked chicks rain from the sky.
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 3:00PM
@31
True, but they're all fat and have atrocious accents.
Posted by Apollo , Nov 03, 2009 4:34PM
@16 Oh, but I already hear regularly from Greg's mom. . . old reliable. . .
Posted by guest , Nov 03, 2009 5:10PM
Yeah, I got this press release too. Nice work, Jon.