It took the Chicago Cubs over a century to finally realize their dream of winning a World Series Championship. The team has had to endure struggle after struggle, hardship after hardship, and a string of terrible luck. It took the Cleveland Indians 19 years to make it back to the promised land, but for Indians fans it too felt like a century of waiting. The Indians have had peaks of success and glimpses of greatness, but were not able to win the big one. There is one thing that both teams were able to provide, however: one of the most memorable World Series matches in history.
From the beginning, the Cubs were a lock to win it all, while the Indians had mixed expectations where some analysts believed they weren't playoff material. The Indians wound up finishing with the second-best record in the American League, and their first division title since 2007. The Indians blazed through the first two rounds of the playoffs, going 7-1 against the Red Sox and Blue Jays. The Cubs managed to go 7-3 against the Giants and Dodgers, which set up the most anticipated World Series match in history. Fans were torn, analysts were torn, and everybody knew that one curse would end. It was just a matter of which curse.
The Indians took a commanding 3-1 lead in the Series before the Cubs came charging back to force a Game 7. The final game of the Series gave fans literally everything, from comebacks, to rain delays, to free World Series baseball. With the Cubs up 6-4 in the bottom of the 8th, Rajai Davis connected with a two-run home run to tie it. Davis had not homered since August, and just like that, the Tribe was back in the game. The teams went silent in the 9th, forcing extra innings. Following a 17-minute rain delay, the Cubs got to Cleveland's bullpen, taking the lead in the top of the 10th. In the bottom of the inning, the Tribe fought back, making it a one-run game. However, the Cubs would ultimately hold on, and the rest is history.
It was certainly historical from a variety of standpoints. The Cubs have finally ended their curse, and are no longer the laughingstock of baseball. The Indians now have the longest drought without a championship, but with their success and stellar managing, there is nowhere they can go but up. The Indians drought may end sooner rather than later. This Series produced the best ratings of any World Series, featuring sellout crowds, high merchandise purchases, and an incredible comeback victory for the Cubs. While the present looks great, the future looks even better, and this World Series is easily a huge win for baseball
