This was the Bartman game in 2003. Game Six of the NLCS, with the Cubs one win away from their first World Series appearance since 1945. May tonight have a happier conclusion for Cub Nation.
I told this story here once before, but now is the time.
In 2003 I took a bottle of champagne over to my sister's house and watched game 6 of the NCLS with her her husband and their 4 kids. They were the biggest Cub fans I ever knew. They watched every game on tv and went to a lot of them. The Cubs were one of their family activities together. We never got to open that bottle of champagne that night, that was the infamous Bartman game, and that year ended in another heartbreak. I told her to keep the bottle of champagne and we would open it next year when the Cubs won. Never happened. My sister died of kidney cancer in 2010 and her husband died of lung cancer in 2013. They were born, lived their lives, had 4 kids , and never saw their beloved team go to the World Series. Now maybe they can see it from afar. I hope so.
CHICAGO (AP) -- Cursed by a Billy Goat, bedeviled by Bartman and crushed by decades of disappointment, the Chicago Cubs are at long last headed back to the World Series.
Kyle Hendricks outpitched Clayton Kershaw, Anthony Rizzo and Willson Contreras homered early and the Cubs won their first pennant since 1945, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-0 Saturday night in Game 6 of the NL Championship Series.
The drought ended when closer Aroldis Chapman got Yasiel Puig to ground into a double play, setting off a wild celebration at Wrigley Field.
Seeking their first title since 1908, manager Joe Maddon's team opens the World Series at Cleveland on Tuesday night. The Indians haven't won it all since 1948.
"This city deserves it so much," Rizzo said. "We got four more big ones to go, but we're going to enjoy this. We're going to the World Series. I can't even believe that."
All-everything Javier Baez and pitcher Jon Lester shared the NLCS MVP. Baez hit .318, drove in five runs and made several sharp plays at second base. Lester, a former World Series champion in Boston, was 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA in two starts against the Dodgers.
Deemed World Series favorites since opening day, the Cubs topped the majors with 103 wins to win the NL Central, then beat the Giants and Dodgers in the playoffs.
The Cubs took their 17th pennant. They had not earned a World Series trip since winning a doubleheader opener 4-3 at Pittsburgh on Sept. 29, 1945, to clinch the pennant on the next-to-last day of the season.
The eternal "wait till next year" is over. No more dwelling on a history of failure -- the future is now.
"We're too young. We don't care about it," star slugger Kris Bryant said. "We don't look into it. This is a new team, this is a completely different time of our lives. We're enjoying it and our work's just getting started."
Hendricks pitched two-hit ball for 7 1/3 innings. Chapman got the final five outs, then threw both arms in the air and got mobbed by teammates and coaches.
The crowd joined in, chanting and serenading their team -- a Cubs team, in fact, that lost 101 games as recently as 2012.
"Chicago!" shouted popular backup catcher David Ross.
The Cubs shook off back-to-back shutout losses earlier in this series by pounding the Dodgers for 23 runs to win the final three games.
And they were in no way overwhelmed by the moment on Saturday, putting aside previous frustration.
In 1945, the Billy Goat Curse supposedly began when a tavern owner wasn't allowed to bring his goat to Wrigley. In 2003, the Cubs lost the final three games of the NLCS to Florida, punctuated with a Game 6 defeat when fan Steve Bartman deflected a foul ball.
This time, no such ill luck.
Bryant had an RBI single and scored in a two-run first. Dexter Fowler added two hits, drove in a run and scored one.
Contreras led off the fourth with a homer. Rizzo continued his resurgence with a solo drive in the fifth.
That was plenty for Hendricks, the major league ERA leader.
Hendricks left to a standing ovation after Josh Reddick singled with one out in the eighth. The only other hit Hendricks allowed was a single by Andrew Toles on the game's first pitch.
Best of five with three of them in Chicago. The chances of winning it right there are pretty good since they usually play well at home. I think that the most fun will be watching the Cleveland pitchers trying to figure out what a bat is used for.
Cubs only need to win this last game to take the World Series. They were able to do 2 in a row, and if they win this last one they will match 5 other teams in history that came from behind needing to win 3 in a row. They are disadvantaged due to this last game being held in Cleveland, but all I can say is....
GO CUBS - YOU CAN DO IT!!! (Shouting with all caps is INTENTIONAL)
Bottom of the 10th, score is Cubs 8 Cleveland 6. It's Cleveland's last chance - what an exciting finish this could be for Cleveland if they can pull a Joe Carter.
Not a perfectly played game by any means, but there is no doubt that this will go down as one of the greatest world series games of all time. Both teams had at least 10 hits in game 7 of the world series. Look up how many times that has happened.
The Cubs had a players only meeting during the rain delay after the ninth inning to refocus the team and inspire all the players.
Called by Jason Heyward, obviously the natural leader of the team and one of the calmer, more mature, players. He got them to focus on what was the main objective (three outs).
Many thanks for putting up this article John. A very good place for everyone interested to meet and discuss the most interesting Series since 1968.
This was the Bartman game in 2003. Game Six of the NLCS, with the Cubs one win away from their first World Series appearance since 1945. May tonight have a happier conclusion for Cub Nation.
GO CUBS!!! If not tonight, then for sure the tie-breaker.
Now that the Jays are gone, I'm rooting for the Cubs.
Looking good. Top of the 4th, Cubs 3 Dodgers 0.
Even better, middle of 5th: Cubs 5, Dodgers 0. And, Kershaw being replaced. Dodgers don't have a very good bullpen.
That did it. Ground ball to second. Final score 5-0 Cubs.
Go tribe
I told this story here once before, but now is the time.
In 2003 I took a bottle of champagne over to my sister's house and watched game 6 of the NCLS with her her husband and their 4 kids. They were the biggest Cub fans I ever knew. They watched every game on tv and went to a lot of them. The Cubs were one of their family activities together. We never got to open that bottle of champagne that night, that was the infamous Bartman game, and that year ended in another heartbreak. I told her to keep the bottle of champagne and we would open it next year when the Cubs won. Never happened. My sister died of kidney cancer in 2010 and her husband died of lung cancer in 2013. They were born, lived their lives, had 4 kids , and never saw their beloved team go to the World Series. Now maybe they can see it from afar. I hope so.
There are millions of stories like this tonight.
I hope that they do as well JR....Rooting for the Cubbies to win it all.
Congrats to the Cubs!
Cubs beat Dodgers to reach 1st World Series since 1945
CHICAGO (AP) -- Cursed by a Billy Goat, bedeviled by Bartman and crushed by decades of disappointment, the Chicago Cubs are at long last headed back to the World Series.
Kyle Hendricks outpitched Clayton Kershaw, Anthony Rizzo and Willson Contreras homered early and the Cubs won their first pennant since 1945, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-0 Saturday night in Game 6 of the NL Championship Series.
BOX SCORE: CUBS 5, DODGERS 0
The drought ended when closer Aroldis Chapman got Yasiel Puig to ground into a double play, setting off a wild celebration at Wrigley Field.
Seeking their first title since 1908, manager Joe Maddon's team opens the World Series at Cleveland on Tuesday night. The Indians haven't won it all since 1948.
"This city deserves it so much," Rizzo said. "We got four more big ones to go, but we're going to enjoy this. We're going to the World Series. I can't even believe that."
All-everything Javier Baez and pitcher Jon Lester shared the NLCS MVP. Baez hit .318, drove in five runs and made several sharp plays at second base. Lester, a former World Series champion in Boston, was 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA in two starts against the Dodgers.
Deemed World Series favorites since opening day, the Cubs topped the majors with 103 wins to win the NL Central, then beat the Giants and Dodgers in the playoffs.
The Cubs took their 17th pennant. They had not earned a World Series trip since winning a doubleheader opener 4-3 at Pittsburgh on Sept. 29, 1945, to clinch the pennant on the next-to-last day of the season.
The eternal "wait till next year" is over. No more dwelling on a history of failure -- the future is now.
"We're too young. We don't care about it," star slugger Kris Bryant said. "We don't look into it. This is a new team, this is a completely different time of our lives. We're enjoying it and our work's just getting started."
Hendricks pitched two-hit ball for 7 1/3 innings. Chapman got the final five outs, then threw both arms in the air and got mobbed by teammates and coaches.
The crowd joined in, chanting and serenading their team -- a Cubs team, in fact, that lost 101 games as recently as 2012.
"Chicago!" shouted popular backup catcher David Ross.
The Cubs shook off back-to-back shutout losses earlier in this series by pounding the Dodgers for 23 runs to win the final three games.
And they were in no way overwhelmed by the moment on Saturday, putting aside previous frustration.
In 1945, the Billy Goat Curse supposedly began when a tavern owner wasn't allowed to bring his goat to Wrigley. In 2003, the Cubs lost the final three games of the NLCS to Florida, punctuated with a Game 6 defeat when fan Steve Bartman deflected a foul ball.
This time, no such ill luck.
Bryant had an RBI single and scored in a two-run first. Dexter Fowler added two hits, drove in a run and scored one.
Contreras led off the fourth with a homer. Rizzo continued his resurgence with a solo drive in the fifth.
That was plenty for Hendricks, the major league ERA leader.
Hendricks left to a standing ovation after Josh Reddick singled with one out in the eighth. The only other hit Hendricks allowed was a single by Andrew Toles on the game's first pitch.
Victory, and now for the big show - GO CUBS!!
From a life-long Phillies fan to JR … Good Luck to the Chicago Cubs from A. Mac!
And they'll be hitting the balls with bats made right here in Louisville!
Good luck to them!
Not a great start for the Cubs, but they still have a good chance to turn it around.
Tomorrow is another day.
Indians fan at World Series tonight.
That kind of mimicry showed up in the two "Major League" movies as well. I would not think it to be appreciated by the NAs.
No it isn't Buzz, la faas blaan
Ahhh, the curse of Louis Sockalexis and Russell Means strikes Cleveland.
Cubs win game 2 to even the standings. Now it's a best of 5 series. Go Cubs!!!
They played well, other than leaving 13 men on base. Have to clean that up.
Best of five with three of them in Chicago. The chances of winning it right there are pretty good since they usually play well at home. I think that the most fun will be watching the Cleveland pitchers trying to figure out what a bat is used for.
I root for the team whose home city begins with a "C".
Go Consonants!
Enoch,
that was a tense game
And how!! I think they are starting to figure out how to deal with the Cleveland pitchers though. That's a big step.
It's not impossible. It's been done before.
Cubs only need to win this last game to take the World Series. They were able to do 2 in a row, and if they win this last one they will match 5 other teams in history that came from behind needing to win 3 in a row. They are disadvantaged due to this last game being held in Cleveland, but all I can say is....
GO CUBS - YOU CAN DO IT!!! (Shouting with all caps is INTENTIONAL)
Bottom of the 5th, Cubs lead 5 - 1. I can't imagine what the feeling is in Chicago right now.
Top of the 9th, score tied 6 - 6. This is one hell of a nail-biter.
Bottom of the 10th, score is Cubs 8 Cleveland 6. It's Cleveland's last chance - what an exciting finish this could be for Cleveland if they can pull a Joe Carter.
The Cubs win, 8-7 in 10 innings.
I love it.
Wendigo got even with Cleveland for this:
LOL, that's one sad faux Indian.
Sockalexis and Means will be proud.
All I have to say is that was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!
They should have allowed Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn pitch the first pitch - that was Cleveland's mistake.
Cubs win!!
So much for the "goat curse".
It only took over 100 years!
Great game!
108 Perrie. As my son once said, "Those guys have been down longer than the Titanic".
I'll bet the streets in Chicago will be busy all night long tonight. It's going to look like the end of WWII.
Barbecued goat will probably be the menu for the team's late night dinner.
Not a perfectly played game by any means, but there is no doubt that this will go down as one of the greatest world series games of all time. Both teams had at least 10 hits in game 7 of the world series. Look up how many times that has happened.
The Cubs had a players only meeting during the rain delay after the ninth inning to refocus the team and inspire all the players.
This was epic.
The Cubs had a players only meeting during the rain delay after the ninth inning to refocus the team and inspire all the players.
Called by Jason Heyward, obviously the natural leader of the team and one of the calmer, more mature, players. He got them to focus on what was the main objective (three outs).
Many thanks for putting up this article John. A very good place for everyone interested to meet and discuss the most interesting Series since 1968.
In 2008, the Phillies won the World Series by finishing a game that had to be suspended because the rains came and kept up for two days.
The game was finished and won several nights later …
Sometimes the rain brings much joy.
Congratulations to the Cubs!
Congratulations to the Cubs and their fans!!!