The Cubs won the 2016 World Series in dramatic fashion, surrendering a three-run lead late only to score two in the tenth inning to beat the Indians 8-7. Overall the teams played fairly evenly during the series. Chicago posted a .249/.316/.404 slash line, while the Indians came in at .237/.321/.371. The Indians did a better job of getting on base, the Cubs a better job of collecting extra base hits. Both teams scored 27 runs, despite the Cubs being twice shutout.

The difference in the series was temporal. Through the first five games, the Cubs hit .210/.281/.311, horrible for such a good team. Moving into November, Joe Maddon changed the lineup, with Kyle Schwarber moving into the two slot. The Cubs offense awoke, and in the last two games they hit .333/.391/.603, number more fitting one of the best offenses in baseball. The Indians wee consistent throughout the series, hitting about the same in the first five games as they did in the last two games. A .239/.333/.366 November slash line was not going to beat the big numbers posted by the Cubs.

That was the pattern the Cubs followed in the last two rounds. In both the NLCS and World Series they where shutout twice early, only to bounce back and hit their way to a series win. The team has so many weapons, it’s tough to take them down for too long. The Cubs suffered through many dramatic losses in my lifetime of watching baseball, starting with my first season of 1969. It’s good to see them not only win, but win in an equally dramatic fashion.