Fans hail Sheldon Neuse as ex-Dodgers infielder helps Hanshin Tigers vanquish curse of KFC: "Greatest of all"

Sheldon Neuse just did something almost unprecedented in the Japan Series. The former MLB infielder has been playing overseas with the Hanshin Tigers, a team who hasn't won the Japan Series in 38 years. Their last title came in 1985- until today.

The ex-MLB player had a field day in leading his team to the promised land. He starred at the plate, but he also made a running grab to make the final out and officially seal the victory for Hanshin.

Neuse roped a single to drive in a run earlier in the game as well as part of his excellent effort. Fans who were watching believe they saw a star in the making. They were quick to crown the player after the Tigers won.

Many said that the KFC curse, or the Curse of the Colonel, was finally broken. All it took was a huge effort from the former Los Angeles Dodgers player Sheldon Neuse.

The Curse dates back decades, as it happened because of Randy Bass. The superstar who hit 54 home runs in a season resembled Colonel Sanders of KFC fame. The statue nearby of the Colonel was pulled down in celebration.

They won it all a few weeks later, but the curse kicked in right after that. That happened in 1985, and they were in a title drought since then until Neuse's heroics helped them end it.

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Sheldon Neuse heads to Japan, becomes a star

Sheldon Neuse most recently played for the Oakland Athletics in 2022 before heading overseas to play in Japan. He had a hard time making it to and staying in the major leagues, and thus he decided to move on from the MLB.

Now, he's a hero in Japan. Usually, star Japanese players head over to the MLB as soon as they can, like Shohei Ohtani did or like Yoshinobu Yamamoto is expected to.

Sheldon Neuse starred in the Japan Series

Neuse did the opposite, leaving the MLB to try and play in Japan. It worked wonderfully, as he led the Tigers to their first Series win in almost 40 years. That would be like Yamamoto coming over to the MLB and winning the World Series with the Cleveland Guardians, who haven't won since 1948.

Nevertheless, what Neuse did was extremely impressive. It's hard to win the top title of any baseball league in the world, let alone doing it in your first season in the league. To break a long-standing curse like that only makes it more impressive.