The Curse of the Grebes

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The Curse of the Grebes is the 131st episode of PBS's Arthur.

1 Plot
2 Red Sox References
3 Trivia
4 External links

[edit] Plot

Arthur Read's favorite baseball team, the Elwood City Grebes, are currently experiencing an elongated championship drought. When all hope is lost, the Grebes manage to acquire three all-star players, who help the team rebound. Interested to learn more about the Grebes, Buster Baxter, Arthur's best friend, begins to study the team's rich history, and discovers that the team was cursed by a disgruntled Grebes' fan in 1918. "The Curse of the Grebes", in reality a scapegoat created to explain the team's poor performance, supposedly prevents the Grebes from winning a World Series.

Buster then realizes that the Grebes have lost every game that he has attended, leading him to believe that he is the current carrier of the curse. Buster is then placed into a dilemma where he must decide to either cheer for another team, or continue to carry the team's curse.

[edit] Red Sox References

The entire episode closely follows the Red Sox's path to victory, though not necessarily the 2004 team.

The curse itself is in reference to The Curse of the Bambino.
The Grebes haven't won a championship since 1918, the same as the Red Sox before 2004
Outfielder "Playmon" is a parody of (and voiced by) Johnny Damon, who sports the same scruffy beard that he did on the 2004 team.
Starting pitcher "Winlin" is a parody of (and voiced by) Mike Timlin. The only difference is that Winlin is a starting pitcher, while Timlin is a reliever.
Infielder "Batteria" is a parody of (and voiced by) Edgar Renteria. Edgar Renteria was on the 2005 Red Sox team, and - interestingly enough - was actually on the losing end of the 2004 World Series, hitting into the final out for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Game 6 of the series parodies the 1986 World Series. The Grebes are in position to win the game, when a ball goes right through the first baseman's legs. This is undoubtedly in reference to Bill Buckner's infamous error.
Game 7 of the series has a minor allusion to the 2004 ALCS. With Playmon (Damon) at the plate, a new pitcher is brought in, and Playmon hits a grand slam off the first swing. Unlike the 2004 blowout, this gives the Grebes the lead which they hang onto to win.
The "And now a word from us" skit featured all three of the guest stars helping kids at a school paint their wall green as an homage to Fenway's Green Monster.
The Elwood City Grebes are the parody of the Boston Red Sox.
The Crown City Kings are the parody of the New York Yankees.