Colonel Sanders Statue Disposed After Ending 38-Year Baseball Curse

The Hanshin Tigers end decades of misfortune with the disposal of the iconic KFC founder's statue, following a championship win.

After nearly four decades, the Hanshin Tigers won the Japan Series, breaking the so-called 'Curse of the Colonel'.
The life-size statue of Colonel Sanders, believed to have cursed the team, was disposed of in a ritual ceremony.
The statue was originally thrown into a river by fans in 1985, and its recovery in 2009 sparked hopes of curse reversal.
Despite its recovery, the team continued to struggle until their 2023 championship victory.
The disposal ceremony included offerings of sake and KFC's signature fried chicken, marking the end of the statue's saga.