The Chicago Cubs Win It All

The Chicago Cubs, the team that had the best regular season record, won their first World Series since 1908, winning (8-7) in 10 innings in game 7, at Cleveland vs the Indians, to complete a comeback from a three games to one series deficit.

Chicago (Cubs) are the sixth team to overcome a (3-1) World Series deficit and the fourth to do so by winning the last two games on the road (’58 Yankees, ’68 Tigers, as the great Ed Mathews was first on the losing end and then on the winning end and ’79 Pirates being the other three).

In winning a game in which they led (1-0), (5-1), (5-3), (6-3) but were tied (6-6), before Ben Zobrist’s run scoring double, highlighted a two run tenth inning, “Chi” became the first road team to win an extra inning, 7th game of a World Series.

After the many twists and turns that manifested in the (6-6) tie which included a rain delay of about 18 minutes before the top of the tenth inning commenced, Zobrist, who was named Series MVP (he paid off at 20 to 1), and was an integral part of last year’s champion, K.C. Royals, doubled the opposite way against losing pitcher Brian Shaw.

The hit not only put Chi ahead but eventually led to Miguel Montero’s hit, which turned out to be the margin of victory, when Cleveland scored a run in the bottom of the tenth inning.

Think perhaps Marilyn Monroe,  Mickey Mantle, and a certain candy, all famous M and M’s as the pitcher (Mike Montgomery), hitter who drove in what proved to be the W.S. winning run (Miguel Montero) and the batter who made the last out (Michael Martinez) all have “MM” initials.

Ben Zobrist, pictured above, has played on consecutive World Series winning teams, making a vital contribution to the 2015 Kansas City Royals and being named World Series Most Valuable Player for the 2016 Chicago Cubs, who ended a 108 year title drought at the expense of the Cleveland Indians whose last title was 68 years ago.