The Chicago Cubs aren’t what you’d call an underdog in the traditional sense of the word. They are a strong team overall, having had 11 appearances in The World Series. They also have 17 pennants to their name, 7 division titles, and three wild card berths.
However, they had been considered the underdog because of their “108-year drought”. The last time the Chicago Cubs had won a World Series title was back in 1908, winning it back again during 2016 after almost four generations. This period of not winning any championship is one of the longest of any North American sports team. This is akin to gaming at the slots machines (like those at 918kiss) every day for more than a year and never being able to hit a jackpot at all.
The 2016 season started great for the Cubs. They posted one of their best seasons in history, nailing 103 wins, their best record since 1910. This win count also helped them break 100 wins for the first time since 1935.
To earn the top slot in the major leagues, the Cubs defeated the 5th-seeded San Francisco Giants (3-1) and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the N.L. Championship Series.
It was also a landmark year for the Cubs because it was their 100th anniversary in Wrigley Field. They soundly defeated the Cleveland Indians in a thrilling seven games. They did this from a three-to-one deficit. To claim the World Series, they had to win the final three games in a row. It was a rare feat, indeed. The last time it was done was by the Kansas City Royals back in 1985.
Some people described Game 7 of the 2016 World Series as one of the best Game 7s ever because of all the tension it had. It was also significant because the two teams both had the most prolonged droughts ever in the major leagues. Combined, the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Cubs had a total of 176 years without a championship.
The game was neck to neck for the duration, up until a rain cloud caused a 17-minute delay. By this time, the scoreboard was tied 6-6 after nine innings, thanks to a Rajai Davis home run.
The game-winner came courtesy of Ben Zobrist hitting a double, breaking the tie and putting them ahead 7-6. This was after Zobrist was 0-to-4 the entire game. A Miguel Montero hit furthered the score up to 8-6. Montero was another underperforming player who was hitting just .091 in the postseason.
In other words, everything lined up perfectly for the Cubs that day. A player would even end up saying that rain delay “was the most important thing to happen to the Chicago Cubs in the past 100 years. I don’t think there’s any way we win the game without it.”
A score by Cleveland brought it to only a one-point deficit at 8-7, but it was too late. Time was up, and the Cubs managed to end “The Curse of the Billy Goat” that had plagued them for 108 years.
Ben Zobrist, for his game-winning clutch hit and a batting average of .357, was awarded the World Series MVP.
