The year is 1945 and the Chicago Cubs are playing in the World Series against the Detroit Tigers. Owner of the Billy Goat Tavern, Billy Sianis, planned to watch the game with his pet goat like he always did, but things didn't go according to plan. Legend has it that when the goat was denied entry because fans were complaining that it smelled, Sianis was outraged and cursed the Cubs, claiming they "wouldn't win another World Series so long as the goat wasn't allowed at Wrigley". And thus, "The Curse of the Billy Goat" has stuck, as Chicago hasn't won a World Series since 1908 and has been plagued by lackluster records placing them near the bottom of the division for years.
The sequel to the beloved '80s movie Back to the Future seemed to suggest otherwise though, as the film announced the Chicago Cubs as the 2015 World Series Champions. Hilarious and totally impossible, right? WRONG. This year, the 2015 Cubs team have done everything in their power to make the movie prediction a reality. From the offseason hiring of former Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon, to picking up fresh, young talent like Kris Bryant, Jake Arrieta, and Kyle Schwarber, the Cubs went 97-65 this year in a tough division that includes the powerhouse St. Louis Cardinals.
Under the leadership of Maddon, the 2008 AL Manager of the Year, the team relied on veteran players along with plenty of young talent to get them where they are now. Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo led the team in both home runs and RBIs, while Jake Arrieta recorded 236 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.77. Many have credited Maddon with truly bringing them together as a team, and allowing the young talent to flourish despite their lack of experience. And as The Chicago Tribune notes, "this team is charging forward in the postseason without the emotional baggage that comes with playoff losses or famous failures".
Finishing third in the division, they faced the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL Wild Card game. Winning 4-0 behind Arrieta's solid pitching, the Cubs advanced to face the Cardinals in the NL Division Series. Though the Pirates-Cubs game included a bench-clearing brawl, the Cubs and Cardinals have a long standing history as division rivals. But the Cubs were quickly able to bounce back from their Game 1 loss to win three straight games, thanks to the Cubs postseason record of six homers in one game (Game 3). After sending the Cardinals packing, the Cubbies are now gearing up to take on the New York Mets in the NL Championship Series.
Only time will tell what happens, but it just feels like its the Cubs' year to win the pennant. Its often said that how hard you fight depends on how badly you want something, and the Chicago Cubs want it bad. Let's hope Back to the Future got it right.
