World Series Title (2016)

Lore & Background

The Cubs finished with the best record in Major League Baseball at 103–58 (and 1 tie), and won their first National League Central title since the 2008 season, winning by 17½ games. The team also reached the 100-win mark for the first time since 1935 and won 103 total games, the most wins for the franchise since 1910. The Cubs defeated the San Francisco Giants in the NLDS and returned to the NLCS for the second year in a row, where they defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games. The Cubs defeated the Cleveland Indians in seven games in the World Series, their first appearance since the 1945 World Series and first win since the 1908 World Series. In the World Series, the Cubs came back from a three-games-to-one deficit, winning the final three games. The last time a team came back from a three-games-to-one deficit to win the World Series was the Kansas City Royals in 1985. The Cubs were also the first team to win Games 6 and 7 on the road in a World Series since the Pittsburgh Pirates did it against the Baltimore Orioles in 1979. The World Series victory put an end to the so-called Curse of the Billy Goat and the longest World Series championship drought in history.

In Their Own Story

The wind howled off Lake Michigan on November 2nd, 2016, but inside Wrigley Field, the air was thick with a century of held breath. Rain delayed Game 7 for two hours, leaving players and fans alike in a state of suspended animation. When play resumed, the score remained knotted in extra innings, a stalemate between two titans. Ben Zobrist's go-ahead home run in the top of the 10th briefly electrified the crowd, but Cleveland responded with six runs to take the lead. The true triumph came when Chicago rallied from an eight-run deficit in the bottom of the tenth, turning the stadium into a cathedral of pure, unadulterated release.

Reader's Guide

The Cubs began the season on April 4, 2016 at the Los Angeles Angels and finished the regular season on October 2, 2016 at the Cincinnati Reds. They played their home games at Wrigley Field as members of the National League Central.

Did You Know?

• The Cubs finished with the best record in Major League Baseball at 103–58 (and 1 tie).
• The Cubs won their first National League Central title since the 2008 season.
• The Cubs reached the 100-win mark for the first time since 1935.
• The Cubs won 103 total games, the most wins for the franchise since 1910.
• The Cubs defeated the Cleveland Indians in seven games in the World Series, their first win since the 1908 World Series.