108 Years in the Making

Looking back on the Chicago Cubs historic World Series win 10 years later

By Mark Wesley Pritchard Published 3 months ago • 4 min read

So long, curse. Hello, World Series.

Where were you on the evening of November 2, 2016? Most likely, you were watching Game 7 of the World Series: either in person, at a bar, at home by yourself or with a group of people. Baseball in November is a rare occurrence, but whenever your team wins a World Series title, it's always a great feeling to experience. Two years ago, I saw a compilation video on YouTube of different Cubs fans reacting to their team winning the World Series title for the first time since 1908. I completely related to the people in that video, because I did a reaction video back in 2023, which I posted on my social media pages. That was the year that my team, the Texas Rangers, won their first World Series title in franchise history. When Josh Sborz recorded the final out, I screamed in excitement. I cried happy tears and couldn't believe that my own team achieved something that slipped through their fingers twice before. I'll have links to two World Series stories I've written previously down below. In this story, I'll share my thoughts about the Cubs wining the World Series title back in 2016. Before I discuss that, let's learn some facts about them.

Who Are the Chicago Cubs?

The Cubs were first known as the Chicago White Stockings in 1870. Six years later, they were part of the National League. The White Stockings were renamed the Cubs in 1903 and have been known as such since. They won back-to-back World Series titles in 1907 and 1908. They wouldn't win another championship until over a century later. As of 2026, the Cubs won 17 NL Pennants, five Central Division titles (Note: they actually won 6, but I don't consider the sixth one in 2020 as valid, due to the Covid-19 pandemic), and four Wild Card berths, with the last one being in 2025. Their current ballpark, Wrigley Field, was designated as a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 2020 and as a Chicago landmark in 2004.

The 2016 Season and the Road to the World Series

The Chicago Cubs finished the 2016 MLB regular season with a record of 103-58 and captured the National League Central title.

Welcome to the 2016 Postseason!

The Cubs first opponent in the NLDS was against the San Francisco Giants for the second time in the Postseason. The Giants were seeking a chance to win their fourth World Series title in seven years, but the Cubs shattered their dreams by winning the series three games to one.

In the NLCS, the Cubs faced the Los Angeles Dodgers. Just like the Giants series, this was also the second time these two have met in the Postseason. The Cubs were behind in the series 2-1, but overpowered the Dodgers to win the National League Pennant, ending their lengthy drought. As of 2026, this was their last NL Pennant and most recent one by a Chicago team in any sport. Now for the final test.

The World Series

The stage was set: the matchup between the Chicago Cubs and the then Cleveland Indians was one for the ages. The Cubs weren't the only one with a drought. The Indians were seeking to win their first World Series title since 1948, while the Cubs were hoping to win their third championship, their first since 1908. I hope that a movie is made based on this particular World Series and is released someday, because this was the Fall Classic that will forever be enshrined in the minds of baseball fans everywhere. It was almost like watching a blockbuster movie in theaters. Heading into Game 5, the Indians had a three games to one led over the Cubs and on the cusp on hoisting that World Series trophy high and celebrating. However, the Cubs thought, "Not so fast." The series was tied at three heading into Game 7. This happened to be the most notable game of the series. Both Cubs and Indians fans were at the edge of their seats. Two things stood out to me about Game 7: the first being the rain delaying the game for 17 minutes and the second was the finish to a World Series that got my heart racing. Before I get to that, the Cubs were holding on to dear life as the Indians were starting to make a comeback in the 10th inning after being behind in the game. The Cubs were ahead by one run, aiming to clinch the World Series. Going back to the second part, what put a bow to this series was when Kris Bryant made a toss to Anthony Rizzo and the Cubs won their first World Series title in 108 years. Ben Zobrist was named World Series MVP. I've included the Cubs on my list of best World Series games of the last 25 years. You can see the rest of the teams that made the list by going to the link down below.

Over a decade before the Cubs won their historic World Series title, the Chicago White Sox swept the Astros to capture their first title since 1917. The Chicago Cubs will always have a place in MLB history, specifically Game 7 of the 2016 World Series. Will they win another World Series title in 2026, a decade after winning a championship? Only time will tell.