(BTW, Gangster Octopus, the man you’re thinking of is Meryvn “Red” Dutton, at that point manager/coach of the New York Americans, whose team was forced to disband in 1942, in part because the Americans were evicted from Madison Square Garden.)
Actually the curse affected the whole sport of baseball. The player who was cut from the Yankees roster in order to open a spot for Ruth was George Halas, who quit baseball as a result. This would end up giving Halas the opportunity to help develop professional football, the sport which would replace baseball as America’s favorite.