Jed Hoyer, one of Epstein's disciples, was appointed general manager, while player development expert Jason McLeod also joined the revolution. It was the second consecutive year he has won the World Series after helping the Kansas City Royals to victory last season Chicago Cubs leftfielder Ben Zobrist was named most valuable player of the World Series. Epstein built a juggernaut and secured a further title in 2007, before Cubs owner Tom Ricketts hired him as president of baseball operations in 2011. Boston had a storied championship drought of its own, from 1918 until 2004. Among the best executives in baseball, Epstein masterminded two World Series triumphs as general manager of the Red Sox. Theo Epstein was tasked with reversing this sorry narrative, and finally bringing a world title to the North Side. Up 3-0, the Cubs were five defensive outs away from returning to the World Series, but Alou's path to the ball was blocked and the Florida Marlins then scored eight unanswered runs before clinching the pennant in Game Seven. Then there was Steve Bartman, a loyal fan who tangled with outfielder Moises Alou as he pursued a foul ball late in the sixth game of the 2003 National League Championship Series (NLCS). In fact, it became the longest fallow period in the history of North American sports, as the Cubs waited 71 years for a World Series return, let alone a title.Īlong the way, several ghoulish incidents were attributed to the curse, such as an epic collapse in 1969 and a crucial groundball rolling through the legs of first baseman Leon Durham in a 1984 play-off game. Sianis didn't have omnipotent baseball powers, but the Cubs' championship drought continued long after his death in 1970. Surviving relatives say he even sent a telegram with such a declaration to team owner PK Wrigley. William Sianis, proprietor of the Billy Goat Tavern, took a goat to certain games at Wrigley Field, but he and his pet were refused admission to a World Series contest against the Detroit Tigers that year.Īccording to legend, Sianis was so outraged he proclaimed the Cubs would never win another World Series.

The drought was imbued with fresh intrigue in 1945, when a local tavern owner supposedly put a curse on the franchise. Chicago Cubs fans go wild after World Series win

2016 world series baseball time