The Chicago Cubs are the World Champions!
I’m still in disbelief that I am writing this story after all the drama that unfolded last night in Game 7 of the World Series. I posted after third baseman Kris Bryant took that weak grounder and fired it across the diamond to a waiting Anthony Rizzo for the final out that this Game 7 was the BEST.GAME.EVER! I’m sticking by my statement.
The Cubs nearly let this game get away from them as All Star closer Aroldis Chapman blew a 6-3 in the eighth inning. With 4 outs to go, Rajai Davis turned on an inside slider and belted it into the left field bleachers to tie the game at 6-6 and shocking Cubs Nation.
The skies opened up after the bottom of the ninth and made all those anticipating the finale of a series clinching game wait out an almost 20 minute rain delay.
Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward called a team meeting during the delay. He stated “I just had to remind everybody who we are, what we’ve overcome to get here.” His meeting rubbed off on his teammates come the 10th.
The Cubs started the top of the 10th with Kyle Scwharber singling off Indians reliever Bryan Shaw. Albert Almora Jr then came in to run for Schwarber. Bryant then flied out to deep center, moving Almora to second. Rizzo was intentionally walked for Shaw to face Ben Zobrist. Zobrist slashed a double down the left field line scoring Almora and getting Rizzo to third. Addison Russell was intentionally walked for pinch hitter Miguel Montero. Montero singled to scoring Rizzo and giving the Cubs a 2 run cushion heading into the Indians half of the 10th.
Rookie Carl Edwards, Jr started the inning and got Mike Napoli to strike out. He then got Jose Ramirez to ground out. Brandon Guyer then took a walk and Edwards Jr. gave up an RBI single to Rajai David and that was the end of the night for Edwards Jr. Mike Montgomery was summoned to get the potential final out. That set up the moment that will be remembered forever in Cubs and World Series lore. Michael Martinez strolled to the plate, he swung and weakly hit a dribbler to third as Bryant charged in, gloved it and fired it across for the final out.
The players threw their arms up and jumped around the mound in jubilation, the Cubs dugout and bullpen joined the fray moments later celebrate what has been a century plus of heartbreaks. But on this night, the Cubs became 2016 World Champions!
“It happened. It happened. Chicago, it happened,” stated Rizzo after the final out. “We did it. We’re world champions. I tell ya, we’re world champions. I can’t believe it.”
After Rizzo snagged the final out, he put the ball in his back pocket as he also did after the Cubs clinched the NLCS against the Dodgers. Catcher David Ross, who hit a home run in his final game was carried off the field by his teammates.
“It’s the best rain delay of all time,” Rizzo stated.
“I think about so many millions of people giving so much love and support to this team for so many years,” said Cubs owner Tom Ricketts.
“This is an epic game. It’s epic. I can’t believe we were able to do it, 108 years in the making,” Zobrist stated, “We did it.” “They never quit, either.” “They kept coming at us.”
The Cubs got home runs from Dexter Fowler to lead off the game, Javier Baez connected and Ross blasted a shot off reliever Andrew Miller for his last career home run.
I really don’t think I need to recap the entire game but look at it this way, the game is never over until that final out is recorded. No lead is safe when a team wants it as bad as you do. This World Series was one for the ages. The Cubs being down 3-1 in the series and becoming the first team the the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates to win the title by winning Games 6 and 7 on the road. The first team to come back from a 3-1 deficit since the 1985 Kansas City Royals.
The Chicago Cubs are 2016 World Champions!
