*Photo from SB Nation*
Continuing the series, the 2016 Chicago Cubs are next up.
Entering the 2016 season, it was year 108 since the Chicago Cubs had won a championship. Their last one was in 1908, when the world was completely different. Sure, they did good in 2015, and they were expected to do good in 2016, but they had blew several other chances in the several other windows they had before. That's why it was 108 years in between titles for the Cubs. In 2016, the Cubs had a regular season to remember, tearing up the league with a 103-58 record to win the NL Central. Their march to break the curse began.
It began in the NLDS, where they took on the dynasty of the early 2010's, the San Francisco Giants. The Giants were looking to recapture their even year magic and go on another big run. Game one was a low scoring pitchers duel, but the Cubs outlasted the Giants with a 1-0 win. Game 2 had some more offense, but the same result, as the Cubs won 5-2. When the series shifted to San Francisco, the Giants managed to stay alive with a 6-5 walkoff win in the 13th inning. When Game 4 hit, the Cubs rebounded and won a close one by a 6-5 score to eliminate the Giants and advance to the NLCS.
In the NLCS, the Cubs took on the NL West champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Game one was a tense environment in Chicago, which was too tough for the Dodgers to handle as the Cubs won 8-4. Game two was a pitchers duel, but the Dodgers rebounded and squeaked out a 1-0 win. Game 3 was all Dodgers as they won 6-0 in a shutout. Game 4 was reversed, it was all Cubs in a 10-2 win. The Cubs then retook the series lead in game 5 with an 8-4 win. When they went back home for game 6, they buried the Dodgers with a 5-0 win to clinch the NL Pennant and advance to the World Series.
In the World Series, the Cubs faced the AL Champions, the Cleveland Indians, who had a 94-67 record, winning the AL Central, and knocked out the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays in the playoffs. Game one was total domination by the Indians, as they shut out the Cubs 6-0. The Cubs were quickly able to rebound in game two with a 5-1 win. Game 3 was a low offense pitchers duel, and the Indians squeaked out a 1-0 win. Game 4 didn't go the way of the Cubs, as the Indians won 7-2. Now, on the brink of elimination, the Cubs needed to win every single game remaining to win the World Series. They started that with a 3-2 win in game 5. When the series shifted to Cleveland for game 6, the Cubs routed the Indians 9-3 to force a deciding game 7. Game 7 had it all, hard fought battles, a heartfelt tying homer by Rajai Davis, a rain delay, and an extra innings game. In the end, Kris Bryant fired a strike to Anthony Rizzo at first to win game 7 by an 8-7 score, breaking the curse and giving the Cubs the title.
The Cubs broke baseball's longest title drought, at 108 years in 2016, thanks to one of the best teams they ever had. Young stars surrounded by veteran playmakers put the Cubs over the top. This Cubs team seemed special from the beginning, and they showed why when it really mattered, the World Series. Since the Cubs broke their 108 year title drought, guess which team has the longest time without a title? The Indians, who haven't won a title since 1948.
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