Here’s a newspaper clipping from the last time the Cubs won the Series in 1908.
Amazingly, in winner take all games in the postseason the home team has a losing record at 51-52.
The Game 7 extra inning affair was just the 5th in history. The previous four games were won by the home team.
The Cubs are the 4th team to return from a 3-1 deficit to win the World Series by winning Games 6 & 7 on the road. The others: the 1958 Yankees, 1968 Tigers and 1979 Pirates.
The Cubs became the third team since 1995 to have the best regular season record and then go on to win the World Series. The others were the Yankees in 1998 and 2009.
The Cubs had eight players with an RBI in Game 7, an all-time record for Game 7.
Here is some video on the top plays of Game 7. A great compendium of the action.
There were celebrations everywhere.
Thanks to Baseball Reference, here are the box scores and play by play for all the games of the 2016 World Series.
There is a distinct impression that this could be the start of something great in Chicago. That team is full of elite, young talent.
There was a 17 minute rain delay in Game 7. Jason Heyward called a team meeting during the break. "I told them I love them," Heyward said. "I told them I'm proud of the way they overcame everything together. I told them everyone has to look in the mirror, and know everyone contributed to this season and to where we are at this point. I said, 'I don't know how it's going to happen, how we're going to do it, but let's go out and try to get a W.” Sure seemed to have motivated the boys.
The Cubs won for the first time since 1908. In that calendar year Theodore Roosevelt was President. The United States was only 46 states strong (Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, New Mexico). The speed limit was 10 mph. There were just 16 teams in the majors. Tim Jordan led the majors with 12 home run. Sliced bread wasn’t even invented yet.
The Cubs and Indians both scored 27 runs in the World Series. The only other time the two teams tied in runs was in 1948 when the Indians beat the Braves.
The Indians have lost 6-straight playoff games in a winner take all scenario. The Athletics have the longest streak ever at seven, an ongoing record.
The Indians now have the second longest streak of championship less season in the four major sports. The only team with a longer drought is the Arizona Cardinals who last won a championship in 1947, a year before the Indians streak of failure began (1948).
The Cubs had a 3.43 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. The Indians had a 3.71 ERA and 1.31 WHIP.
Javier Baez hit .167 with a homer in the World Series. He struck out 13 times in 30 at-bats.
Kris Bryant posted a .887 OPS with two homers.
Lonnie Chisenhall had a .336 OPS.
Jason Heyward had a .300 OPS., slightly below the .438 mark of Willson Contreras.
Jason Kipnis hit .290 with a .893 OPS. He scored six times while hitting two homers.
Corey Kluber allowed four runs in Game 7 as he pitched 1/4/7 for the Indians. As amazing as he and Andrew Miller were, Kluber had a 2.81 ERA over three starts with a 1.06 WHIP in the Series, isn’t it remarkable to realize that the duo threw 53.3 innings in the postseason, or one fewer inning than Madison Bumgarner in 2014 (52.2).
Francisco Lindor hit .296 with a .700 OPS.
Mike Napoli had a .397 OPS with 11 strikeouts in 24 at-bats.
Anthony Rizzo had a 1.084 OPS with seven runs scored.
David Ross hit a home run in Game 7 and he plans to retire. If he does that he will become the second player to ever to homer in his last game, one that was played in the World Series clinching game. The other was Bobby Kielty in 2007.
Addison Russell had a grand slam and drove in nine runs in the series.
Kyle Schwarber hit .400 with a .971 OPS in a remarkable finish to a lost 2016 season.
Ben Zobrist won the Series last year with the Royals. He obviously just won with the Cubs. Only two others – Bill Skowron and Ryan Theriot – played in the clinching game of a World Series, in back-to-back seasons, while on different teams. Zobrist won the MVP award after posting a .357 average, a .419 OBP while scoring five runs.
The major league season, from start to finish, included 726,021 pitches and 5,681 home runs.
Ray Flowers can be heard Monday/Tuesday and Thursday/Friday, 8 PM EDT, Wednesday 7 PM EDT on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (Sirius 210, XM 87). You can also hear Ray Sunday nights at 9 PM EDT PM on the channel talking fantasy sports. Follow Ray’s work at Fantasy Alarm and on Twitter (@baseballguys).
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Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.
José Soriano allowed three runs over five innings while not factoring in the decision Thursday against the Blue Jays.
Soriano left with a 4-3 lead, but it was erased quickly after his departure. The 26-year-old was not exactly dominant in his outing with eight hits allowed and four free passes, but he did strike out six to help balance things out a smidgen. Soriano takes an even ERA of 4.00 into a scheduled start against the Padres in San Diego on Tuesday. There should be better options for that one.