Brief - The Hustle

Should we be worried about a Phillies World Series title?

Written by Rob Litterst | Nov 1, 2022 8:11:22 AM

Philadelphia sports fans have a bit of a reputation (see here, here, and here).

While a chaotic, booze-soaked celebration — and a few incidents of rioting and brawling — followed the Eagles’ 2018 Super Bowl victory, something more disruptive could be looming with a Phillies win.

All three Philadelphia baseball titles…

… have been followed by a recession, per The Wall Street Journal.

  • In 1929, the Philadelphia Athletics’ championship was followed by the Great Depression.
  • In 1980, the Phillies’ first title was followed by a three-year recession.
  • In 2008, the Phillies’ most recent win was followed by the financial crisis.

Many will still be rooting for them. Their opponent, the Houston Astros, have garnered a reputation as the “new evil empire,” making four World Series in six years, all while battling cheating allegations.

Plus, if a Phillies win is followed by an economic downturn, it’s not like we haven’t been warned already.