After more than a century of torment, missed opportunities, and bitter disappointment, the Chicago Cubs finally did what nobody ever thought they could. They won the world series. For the first time in history, Cubs fans were finally able to watch their team play in the world series on TV. The last time the Cubs were even in the world series was in 1945, while the first televised world series took place in 1947.
While this game took place between two teams that were in a major drought, it also provided an exciting matchup between two of baseball’s iconic managers. The series pitted the brainy Cubs manager Joe Maddon against two time champion Terry Francona. But by winning this year’s World Series, the Cubs ended the longest stretch without a championship appearance among franchises in the four major North American sports. Despite making the postseason seven times in the past 31 years, the Cubs haven’t been to the world series since 1945.
Although they’re ecstatic to be where they are, Cubs players continue to echo the sentiment that their mission isn’t complete yet. They know what their fans have endured, the decades of suffering and generations of fans that never saw a trophy. But rather than worry about their agonizing past, the team has to focus on the present.