As Kris Bryant fielded the grounder to seal the first World Series win in 108 years, you could see the smile protruding from his face. The agony was over, the curse was over, and the Cubs were crowned world champions Wednesday night (Nov. 2).
Coming back from a 3-1 deficit is no easy feat. Just ask Cleveland fans, which might be a sore subject. Game 7 had everything a fan could ask for: offense, bad weather, over-managing, starters in relief, extra innings, someone on social media predicting it two years ago, and more. It was a true November classic that will live on in infamy (longer than the 108 year drought). Steven Spielberg couldn’t write this script, and this is why we love sports.
Today is our day. #FlyTheWpic.twitter.com/F3yTo6gjcA
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) November 3, 2016
The Cubs outlasted the Indians 8-7 in 10 innings. After Aroldis Chapman blew a 6-3 lead in the eighth inning, Cubs fans in the stands just stared wide-eyed, motionless into the abyss as they could not believe the game was tied at six. After a 17-minute rain delay, when the Cubs rallied around Jason Heyward, he called the team together saying, “We’re the best team in baseball for a reason. Now we’re going to show it. We play like the score is nothing-nothing. We’ve got to stay positive and fight for your brothers. Stick together and we’re going to win this game.”
The moment fans outside of Wrigley found out the Cubs won the #WorldSeries
Priceless.
(via @EarthCam) pic.twitter.com/jBiMMxPD3S
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 3, 2016
These Cubs weren’t those Cubs pic.twitter.com/H9kBdkoUWE
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) November 3, 2016
Ben Zobrist who has become the Robert Horry of the MLB, played the hero with an opposite field base-hit to give the Cubs the lead that they would not relinquish in the tenth inning to become the champs. He went on to win MVP honors for the series.
2016 World Series.
Cubs vs Indians
And then the world will end with the score tied in game seven in extra innings #apocalypse
— GIO (@RaysFanGio) November 4, 2014
Joe Maddon did his best to make sure the Cubs would not be champs, with bad move after bad move (mismanaging his pitching staff, a suicide squeeze on a 3-2 count with one out), it’s only right the Cubbies were the first team since the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates to go on the road to command games 6 and 7 to win the World Series. The resilience of this young group of men was uncanny, anytime something went wrong and you expected them to crumble, they battled back time and time again.
Drunk Bill Murray interviewing drunk Theo Epstein is one of the best interviews ever. https://t.co/STy90yPQSc
— Joon Lee (@iamjoonlee) November 3, 2016
You can’t say that in TV Theo. pic.twitter.com/F68R9NGjK0
— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) November 3, 2016
Harry, they did it. The impossible is possible. Hear the legend call one last game. @Cubs, #ThisBudsForYou. #FlyTheW #CubsWin pic.twitter.com/v0fhiFClpk
— Budweiser (@Budweiser) November 3, 2016
No more goats, no more black cats. Steve Bartman, Harry Caray, Bill Murray, this one’s for you. The Cubs’ celebration was something to behold, from the players to general manager Theo Epstein saying he was going on a “bender” and dropping a casual f*ck you on the air. The turn up was real for the fans as well, as they swamped the streets of Chicago.
my grandpa has been waiting 81 years for this😭 #GoCubbies pic.twitter.com/K5GIl4TpZr
— clare (@_claremoser) November 3, 2016
President Barack Obama even got in on the fun. The Chicago native, who’s a die-hard White Sox fan, congratulated the Cubs on their victory and invited the squad to the White House before his presidency comes to an end.
It happened: @Cubs win World Series. That’s change even this South Sider can believe in. Want to come to the White House before I leave?
— President Obama (@POTUS) November 3, 2016
This is a god dream Cubs fans. Don’t ever wake up. #FlyTheW
The Indians did take one win yesterday….
Well, at least Cleveland won one battle tonight (via @Valli_Swag7) pic.twitter.com/o0EKzs1YPv
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) November 3, 2016