The Black Sox Curse refers to the belief that the Chicago White Sox were cursed after the 1919 Black Sox Scandal, when eight players were accused of intentionally losing the 1919 World Series in exchange for money from gamblers. Although some of the players were found not guilty in court, they were permanently banned from professional baseball by Kenesaw Mountain Landis. The "curse" became a popular explanation among fans for the White Sox's decades of disappointing performances after winning the 1917 championship. The team eventually ended much of the superstition by winning the 2005 World Series, their first World Series title in 88 years.

Wikipedia, YouTube "The Baseball Explainer"