Cubs Win! Holy Cow.

English: Chicago Cubs logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Chicago Cubs, who for more than a century have been the symbol of failure, ineptitude and bad luck to go along with the occasional flashes of brilliance . . . whose best-known personality was a TV broadcaster who once root, root, rooted for the St. Louis Cardinals and the crosstown White Sox . . . whose iconic ballpark, Wrigley Field, didn't get lights until 1988 . . . who, in spite of having players like Ernie Banks, Ron Santo and Ryne Sandberg, have always found a way to disappoint their fans every season . . . have finally won a World Series in a seven-game nail biter over the Cleveland Indians.

In game 7 at Progressive Field in Cleveland, following a 17-minute rain delay with the score tied at 6-6 in the 10th inning, Ben Zobrist gave the Cubs the lead on an RBI double.  Then they held on to beat Cleveland 8-7, becoming the first team since the 1985 Kansas City Royals to come back from a three-games-to-one deficit to win the Series.

Pitching, as it usually does, made a difference during the Series.  Two of Cleveland's wins came through shutouts, which hasn't happened since the Baltimore Orioles did it in 1966.  And Cubs manager Joe Maddon used reliever Aroldis Chapman so often during the final three games, and for long stretches, that Chapman was in real danger of burning out.

Since the Cubs last won a World Series in 1908, we've had 19 U.S. presidents (Theodore Roosevelt was in office then), two world wars, a Great Depression and a Great Recession.  There was no radio or TV yet, so newspapers were how you'd follow the Fall Classic.  And people got around by trains, ships, horses, and that newfangled thing called the automobile.

As one streak ends, another continues.  The last Cleveland baseball team to win a World Series was in 1948, defeating the Boston (later Milwaukee, now Atlanta) Braves in six games..  That's 68 years and counting.  Maybe by the time they do win, they'll have gotten rid of Chief Wahoo and that "Indians" nickname.

Chicago Cub fans, you have suffered long enough.  You deserve this.  Your team won 103 games this season, won the National League Central division crown, and beat the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers in the playoffs.  So do us all a favor and quit whining about your team for the next century, or until asteroids hit Earth, whichever comes first.

Oh, and one more thing:  No more billy goats.