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Chicago Cubs Win World Series, Beat Cleveland Indians 8-7

Safe to say they won't get much work done in Chicago tomorrow.
Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo probably won't go to bed very early tonight.
USA Today Sports / Reuters
Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo probably won't go to bed very early tonight.

The nightmare is over. The Chicago Cubs have beaten the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in game seven of the 2016 World Series, thus ending the most unwanted streak in baseball, and the longest drought in North American professional sports.

The Cubs won 8-6 in the tenth inning of the deciding seventh game, after scores were tied 6-6 after the regulation nine innings. And then all beautiful hell broke loose.

The Cubs had not won the World Series since 1908. That was their second championship in two years, and it must have seemed like there would be plenty more to come. But generations of Chicagoans would be born, and die, without ever seeing their team win baseball's biggest prize.

But now, at last, they are champs again. And what a way to do it. The Cubs had the best regular season record of all the major league baseball teams in 2016, with a 103-58 win loss record. They looked great going into the post season.

But they were the Cubs, with that rich history of blowing it, so you could never quite be sure. And when the Cubs fell to 1-3 in the seven match World Series, you thought yep, here we go again. It's just not meant to be.

You can't have a story like this without the obligatory mass man hug pic.
USA Today Sports / Reuters
You can't have a story like this without the obligatory mass man hug pic.

But it was meant to be. Somehow, the Cubs won their last three matches. Two of those were on the road in Cleveland, including the decider. That's happened before, but not often.

Not that it was easy. Even when you could have sworn the Cubs had secured the final game, you never felt certain. The Cubs led 5-1 halfway through, then 6-3. A highlight was the home run and subsequent saucy celebration after veteran catcher David Ross (who is now retired) hit a home run.

Meanwhile, life in Chicago pretty much stopped while the game was on. A city held its breath.

Super official excuse notes for EVERYONE! #FlyTheWpic.twitter.com/7BRihuh2gp

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) 2 de novembro de 2016

And then, wouldn't you know, Cleveland levelled things up. Because Chicago.

Nope.

Well, yep eventually, but nope for a while there. The Indians gone one back. Then they got a runner on second. One solid hit and the city of Cleveland would have another major sports championship to go alongside the NBA title won by LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers.

But the Cubs got there. And now, Chicago celebrates.

"It's your baby, it's your first baby," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said as he cradled the Commissioner's Trophy. Maddon actually has two kids, so we're not sure how they'll feel about that, but you can forgive him a little poetic license on a night like this.

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