November 3, 2016
Dear Chicago,
You finally did it! After 108 years of failure, disappointment and heartache, you finally did it! You are World Series Champions!
Congratulations! No, make that CONGRATULATIONS!!!
We know exactly how you feel because we waited 86 years for our World Series title. We remember that euphoric October night in 2004 when we completed a sweep of the Cardinals in St. Louis and erased the bitter memories of World Series losses in 1946, 1967 and 1975. From 1918 to 2004 is a long time between titles, but from 1908 to 2016 is a really, really long time. We can’t imagine waiting for a century plus eight years to spray bubbles all over ourselves and carry on like a bunch of third graders at a birthday party.
Oh, the anxiety you must have experienced even though you won 103 games during the season. Comebacks erly in the postseason. Then a 3-1 deficit in the World Series. A stunning recovery to force Game 7. A comfortable 5-1 lead narrowed because Jon Lester, your ace starter throwing in relief, bounced a breaking ball off the dirt and the mask of catcher David Ross, allowing two runs to score. Your 6-3 lead in the bottom of the eight evaporated with one swing of Indian Rajai Davis’s bat. A two-run lead in the 10th cut to one before a routine grounder to third baseman Kris Bryant and his throw to first baseman Anthony Rizzo became the final out of your 8-7 victory and the start of a celebration a century in the making.
Of course, you understand that we totally expected to be having our own World Series parade through the Back Bay today, but the Indians took care of those plans by sweeping us out of the ALDS. We have nobody to blame but ourselves for that early exit. We just collectively slumped at the wrong time. But what drama would have arisen during World Series between us! Fenway Park and Wrigley Field. We can only imagine.
Chicago, hoist a glass for famous Cubbies of yore who never experienced what you have. Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Ryne Sandberg, Ferguson Jenkins, Billy Williams, Sammy Sosa, Andre Dawson. And even our own Gabby Hartnett. Chicago, know that if we could not be parading the World Series trophy again, there’s no town we’d rather see celebrating than yours. You had a season for the ages and deserve every cheer coming your way. Plus, several of our alumni played key roles for you. Give Theo Epstein, John Lackey, Lester, and Ross our regards.
Enjoy every minute of this party, Chicago. You sure waited long enough. We know that feeling.
Respectfully yours,
New England
