Sports44 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016 Cubs win for first time since 1908

CLEVELAND: started to smile even before he fielded the ball. And with his throw to first for the final out, the ago- nizing wait ‘til next year was over at last. No more Billy Goat, no more Bartman, no more black-cat curses. For a legion of fans who waited a lifetime, fly that W: Your are World Series champions. Ending more than a century of flops, futility and frustration, the Cubs won their first title since 1908, outlasting the 8-7 in 10 innings of a Game 7 thriller early Thursday. They even had to endure an extra-inning rain delay to end the drought. “It happened. It hap- pened. Chicago, it happened,” first base- man said after gloving the ball for the final out. “We did it. We’re world champions. I tell ya, we’re world champions. I can’t believe it.” Rizzo put that final ball in his pocket as the Cubs piled up in the middle of the dia- mond, got carried off the field by his teammates and Bill Murray partied in the clubhouse. And the whole time, blue-clad fans who traveled from filled nearly the entire lower deck behind the Chicago dugout at Progressive Field, singing “Go, Cubs, Go!” in rain. They held up those white flags with the large blue “W” on a night many of their fore- bears had waited for in vain.

Lovable losers no more Lovable losers for generations, the Cubs nearly let this one get away, too. All-Star closer blew a 6-3 lead with two outs in the eighth when Rajai CLEVELAND: The Chicago Cubs celebrate after defeating the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in Game Seven of the at Davis hit a tying, two-run homer. But the Progressive Field. — AFP Cubs, after tormenting their fans one more time, came right back after a 17-minute also assembled the Red Sox team that Ross - set to now retire - also went deep for first Ford Model T car was two weeks old. rain delay before the top of the 10th. broke Boston’s 86-year drought by win- the Cubs, who led 5-1 in the fifth inning The Cubs were last champions when Joe Series MVP hit an RBI dou- ning in 2004. From Curse of the Bambino and 6-3 in the eighth. Chapman wound up Tinker, and ble and singled home a to the Billy Goat Curse, he ended another with the win, and Montgomery got one won consecutive titles in 1907-08, until run to make it 8-6. Davis delivered an RBI jinx. “We don’t need a plane to fly home,” out for his first save in the majors. Bryan now the only ones in team history. The single with two outs in the bottom half, Epstein said. “It’s fitting it’s got to be done Shaw, who gave up a leadoff single to Kyle Cubbies had not even reached the Series but Mike Montgomery closed it out at with one of the best games of all time.” Schwarber in the 10th, took the loss in just since 1945. 12:47 am, and the celebration was on. “I Cubs outfielder had called the fourth Game 7 that went to extra This one was for Ernie Banks, Ferguson think about so many millions of people a meeting during the rain delay, talking to innings. Jenkins, Ron Santo and Billy Williams, who giving so much love and support to this his teammates in the weight room. “I just Jr, pinch-running for never reached the postseason. For Gabby team for so many years,” said owner Tom had to remind everybody who we are, Schwarber, alertly took second on Bryant’s Hartnett, and Greg Ricketts, whose family bought the team in what we’ve overcome to get here,” he said. long fly to center. Rizzo was intentionally Maddux, whose October runs fell short. For 2009. While Cubs fans hugged with delight, walked, and Zobrist slapped an opposite- and the “nickle-dime people” who ’s team halted the there was only despair for the Indians, who field double past diving third baseman spent so many wind-swept afternoons in longest stretch without a title in baseball, now have gone longer than anyone with- Jose Ramirez. Montero singled to make it a the Friendly Confines watching loss after becoming the first club to overcome a 3-1 out a crown. In the Indians’ previous World two-run lead. Then in the bottom half, Carl loss. For Bill Veeck, who planted ivy vines Series deficit since the 1985 Kansas City Series appearance, they were a double- Edwards Jr struck out Mike Napoli, Ramirez against Wrigley Field’s outfield walls. For Royals. “This is an epic game. It’s epic. I play grounder from winning the 1997 title grounded out, Brandon Guyer walked and William Sianis, the Billy Goat Tavern owner can’t believe we were able to do it - 108 before losing Game 7 in 11 innings to the Davis hit an RBI single. Montgomery took said to have proclaimed when he was years in the making,” Zobrist said. “We did Marlins. “It’s going to hurt. It hurts because over, and helped set off a wild celebration asked to leave Wrigley with his pet during it.” “They never quit, either,” Zobrist said. we care, but they need to walk with their on Chicago’s North Side. the ‘45 Series: “Them Cubs, they ain’t “They kept coming at us.” Cleveland was head held high because they left nothing Even a dedicated White Sox fan could gonna win no more.” trying to win its first crown since 1948, but on the field,” Francona said. appreciate the victory. “It happened: For Steve Bartman, whose life was manager ’s club lost the last @Cubs win World Series. That’s change upended when he tried to catch a foul ball two games at home. Droughts end even this South Sider can believe in. Want as the Cubs came apart in the 2003 play- World Series favorites since spring train- Earlier this year, LeBron James and the to come to the White House before I offs. And for Harry Caray, who promised ing, Chicago led the majors with 103 wins Cavaliers ended Cleveland’s 52-year cham- leave?” President Barack Obama tweeted. viewers after the 1991 finale that “sure as this season. The Cubs then ended more pionship drought by overcoming a 3-1 Twenty-one other teams had won the God made green apples, someday the than a century of misery for their loyal fans deficit to beat Golden State for the NBA World Series since the Cubs last were Chicago Cubs are going to be in the World - barely. Bryant, one of Chicago’s young title. James and teammates were in a suite, champions. They reached the top again on Series.” Maddon, hired before the 2015 stars, began to celebrate even before field- rooting hard, as the Indians absorbed the the 39,466th day after Orval Overall’s season, won his first Series title after estab- ing a grounder by Michael Martinez to same blow as the Warriors. After defeating three-hit shutout won the 1908 finale at lishing a loose clubhouse that featured at third base and throwing it across to Rizzo San Francisco and the Los Angeles Detroit in a game that took 1 hour, 24 min- times Warren the pink flamingo, Simon the for the last out. “It’s the best rain delay of Dodgers in the playoffs, Chicago became utes - this latest Game 7 lasted 4:24, not magician and the motto: “Try not to suck.” all-time,” Rizzo said. Zobrist got a Series- the first team to earn a title by winning including the rain delay. “It was just an epic battle,” Zobrist said. high 10 hits, a year after he helped the Games 6 and 7 on the road since the 1979 “Just blow for blow, everybody playing Royals win the championship. Zobrist was Pittsburgh Pirates. Epic battle their heart out. The Indians never gave up, among the players brought to the Cubs by homered on Corey Back then, Theodore Roosevelt was either, and I can’t believe we’re finally , the baseball guru who Kluber’s fourth pitch of the game, and 23- president, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska standing, after 108 years, finally able to added another crown to his collection. He year-old Javier Baez and the 39-year-old and Hawaii were not yet states, and the hoist the trophy.” —AP