November 7, 2016

CSNChicago.com, Millions Flood Chicago Streets For Cubs Parade 108 Years In The Making http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/millions-flood-chicago-streets-cubs-parade-108-years-making

CSNChicago.com, Anthony Rizzo Makes His Mark On Chicago That Will Last Forever http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/anthony-rizzo-makes-his-mark-chicago-will-last-forever

CSNChicago.com, How Cubs Are A World Series Winner That’s Built To Last http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/how-cubs-are-world-series-winner-thats-built-last

CSNChicago.com, Cubs Cut Jason Hammel Loose And Begin Working On Team That Will Defend World Series Title http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-cut-jason-hammel-loose-and-begin-working-team-will-defend-world-series-title

Chicago Tribune, Cubs roster breakdown: Players expected to return, depart for 2017 season http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-roster-look-ahead-cubs-spt-1106-20161105-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Four Cubs vying for Gold Glove Awards http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-gold-glove-finalists-cubs-spt-1108-20161107-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Writing on the Wrigley Wall: Latest way to celebrate Cubs' World Series title http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-sullivan-wrigley-field-wall-spt-1107-20161106-column.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs decline 2017 option on right-hander Jason Hammel http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-decline-option-jason-hammel-20161106-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs stars give 'SNL' a post-World Series song and dance http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-chicago-cubs-saturday-night-live-20161105-story.html

Chicago Tribune, The Weight: Chapter 16 A dream fulfilled as the impossible comes true for the Cubs http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-cubs-the-weight-world-series-spt-1106-20161105-column.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs likely will have some patchwork to do, chiefly to shore up pitching http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-2017-look-ahead-spt-1106-20161105-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs on verge of dynasty, likely to avoid familiar pitfalls http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-cubs-built-to-last-haugh-spt-1106-20161105-column.html

Chicago Tribune, 'Cubstock 2016' puts cap on baseball crown; revelers jump from downtown bridge, lightposts http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-parade-world-series-1104-20161104-story.html

Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs embrace ‘targeted’ moves this winter as most of core returns http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-embrace-targeted-moves-this-winter-as-most-of-core-returns/

Chicago Sun-Times, Fittingly, flawless Kris Bryant is the face of the franchise http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/fittingly-flawless-kris-bryant-is-the-face-of-the-franchise/

Chicago Sun-Times, ‘A city of MVPs:’ Cubs fans pack World Series parade, rally http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/a-city-of-mvps-cubs-fans-pack-world-series-parade-rally/

Daily Herald, Chicago Cubs decline option on pitcher Hammel http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20161106/sports/161109169/

Daily Herald, Kasper: A lifetime of memories from a spectacular Cubs season http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20161106/sports/161109218/

Daily Herald, Some magical Cubs moments that will last forever http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20161106/sports/161109219/

Daily Herald, Imrem: Imagine what else Theo Epstein could do beyond baseball http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20161105/unknown/161109260/

Daily Herald, Rozner: Cubs' Ross puts ultimate exclamation on career http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20161105/sports/161109266/

Daily Herald, Millions celebrate at Cubs parade, Grant Park rally http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20161104/news/161109433/

Cubs.com, 'Go Cubs Go' takes on deeper meaning http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/208255124/songwriters-legacy-lives-on-via-go-cubs-go/

Cubs.com, Cubs decline Hammel's 2017 option http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/208239014/cubs-decline-jason-hammels-2017-option/

Cubs.com, Wrigley, millions: Cubs celebration epic http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/208134958/cubs-parade-celebrates-world-series-win/

Cubs.com, Emotional Rizzo salutes fans, Ross http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/208158302/anthony-rizzo-salutes-cubs-fans-at-parade/

Cubs.com, Rogers: Baseball changed on North Side forever http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/208153400/cubs-celebrate-world-series-win-with-parade/

Cubs.com, Bartman 'overjoyed' for Cubs, but laying low http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/208112490/steve-bartman-overjoyed-for-cubs-world-series/

ESPNChicago.com, Jason Hammel to hit free agency after Cubs decline his option http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/17986631/jason-hammel-hit-free-agency-cubs-declined-option

ESPNChicago.com, Chicago parties with the Cubs http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/42883/chicago-parties-with-the-cubs

-- CSNChicago.com Millions Flood Chicago Streets For Cubs Parade 108 Years In The Making By Patrick Mooney Joe Maddon – an old hippie with a scraggly white beard who’s become rich and famous beyond even his wildest dreams – looked out at Grant Park through his designer sunglasses. “Welcome to Cubstock 2016,” Maddon said, standing on stage next to the World Series trophy. “I wasn’t there in ’69. But I wish Richie Havens was here today, man. That would be outstanding.” An estimated five million people flooded the streets of Chicago on Friday to watch a championship parade that had been 108 years in the making. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity reminded you of another Cubs manager, Lee Elia’s classic rant about how “85 percent of the f------ world’s working. The other 15 come out here.” The parade route began at Wrigley Field on a crisp, sunny, beautiful November day, the perimeter of the ancient stadium fenced off, helicopters buzzing overhead and the flashing blue lights atop police vehicles dotting Clark Street. The barricades lined Addison Street, Cubs fans waiting outside storefronts to cheer, hold up their phones to take pictures and wave at strangers as dozens of trolleys rolled past on the way toward Lake Shore Drive. “Did anybody go to work today?” Pat Hughes, the smooth radio voice of the Cubs, said at the beginning of the Grant Park rally. “Did anybody go to school today? “No worries, because your teachers and your bosses are here, too.” Chicago Public Schools students – who might be wondering why the Chicago River had to be dyed a Cubbie color to look blue – already had a scheduled day off. But this would have been an open-air carnival no matter what. “How ‘bout this s---?” ace pitcher Jon Lester said when he stepped up to the microphone. “Sorry, kids.” People watched from the balconies of a Gold Coast apartment building. Construction workers in hard hats and neon vests stood atop scaffolding to see the motorcade, which kept moving south on Michigan Avenue past Fourth Presbyterian Church, where the Cubs organization mourned Ernie Banks in the winter of 2015. “I was here during the bad times,” said Anthony Rizzo, the current face-of-the-franchise player who had attended Mr. Cub’s funeral. “I got so much into the culture of the Chicago Cubs that I feel like every single person that has worn this jersey won the World Series with us.” Rizzo choked up at the podium. So did David Ross, the retiring catcher/clubhouse sage/social-media sensation (Grandpa Rossy) who kept it short after being among the league leaders in media sessions at his locker. President of baseball operations Theo Epstein – who took a momentary break from the bender he promised after the Cubs beat the Cleveland Indians in Game 7 – gulped a sip or two from a blue Solo cup before addressing the crowd. “We’ve asked a lot of you,” Epstein said. “We put you through a lot over the last five years – 101 losses, trading players you’ve come to know and love for guys you’ve never heard of. Trading 40 percent of the rotation three years in a row, asking you guys to follow the draft and follow the minor leagues. “Let’s be honest, for a while there, we forgot the ‘Not’ in ‘Try Not To Suck.’”

Epstein still engineered a stunningly quick turnaround that has the Cubs positioned as Major League Baseball’s premier franchise for the next five years, with young stars like Kris Bryant (who wore a professional wrestling championship belt) and Addison Russell (who moonwalked across the stage like Michael Jackson). By the age of 42, Epstein has already busted 194 combined years of curses between the Cubs and his hometown Boston Red Sox, epic achievements that will someday get him inducted into the Hall of Fame. “In the first year, I remember running into an elderly woman outside Wrigley one day leaving the game,” Epstein said. “She introduced herself: ‘I’m 83 years old. I really want to live to see a World Series. Is it gonna happen?’ “And we had just lost like 10-1. We’re on a five-game losing streak. It was pretty bad. I looked at her and all I could think to say was: ‘Take your vitamins.’ “But deep down, I know she made it. She’s out there somewhere. And you guys made it. Thank you for everything that you’ve given us. All the support, all the patience, it means the world to us. “Really, that’s what’s made it such an emotional month. Our players felt it, felt how badly you guys wanted it, driving around town, seeing all the W flags, seeing you guys sharing this with your parents and your grandparents, all those who didn’t quite make it all the way here.” To catch a glimpse of this, people were standing on rooftops in Wrigleyville and literally hanging from trees on Columbus Drive. The Cubs took their medicine during those rebuilding years, but this core group will now be viewed as World Series favorites – a good bet to repeat – when pitchers and catchers report to Arizona in about three months. That may or may not be enough time to shake off the hangover. Free-agent reliever Travis Wood carried around a bottle of Crown Royal. And then took off his camouflage vest. And then stood shirtless on the stage that Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Gov. Bruce Rauner had crashed and held the World Series trophy above his head. Ben Zobrist brought along his World Series MVP trophy and deflected all the credit to God, his teammates and a “city of MVPs.” Rizzo gave the final-out ball from Game 7 to chairman Tom Ricketts. Country musician Brett Eldredge led a “Go Cubs Go” sing-along. Ross and his teammates turned their backs to the crowd: “How ‘bout a quick selfie?” Exactly eight years ago, Barack Obama celebrated his Election Night victory here with a Grant Park rally, and now the Cubs will be invited to the White House. “This is an incredible moment for all of us,” Maddon said. “I’ve been around baseball for a bit. Never have I experienced anything like Wrigley Field on a nightly basis. Never have I experienced anything like the conversation among all of you when I run into you on the street. It’s different. It’s spectacular. It’s comfortable. It’s warm. And it’s the way it should be. “Thank you for being so patient. Let’s hope that it’s not another 108 years. Let’s see if we can repeat this and come back next year.” -- CSNChicago.com Anthony Rizzo Makes His Mark On Chicago That Will Last Forever By Tony Andracki Anthony Rizzo started from the bottom, now he's here — the pinnacle of American sports glory. This isn't even just about the Cubs. It's bigger than one team.

Rizzo's teammates call him the heart and soul of the Cubs, but for one day at least, the 27-year-old MVP candidate was the heart and soul of an entire city. He lifted up all of Cubs Nation every time he raised that World Series trophy above his head Friday morning/afternoon. As if to show that it truly was Rizzo's day, his estimation of five million people at the Cubs Grant Park rally actually became the official estimation, marking the seventh larget gathering in human history. "It happened, baby!" he shouted to the endless sea of blue before him to begin his speech. "It happened." You could see what this accomplishment meant to Rizzo. He wore the weight of the world on his shoulders when he was struggling to perform at the plate early in the postseason. He spoke for an entire city when he was caught during a tense Game 7 talking to a mic'd-up David Ross and saying he was "in a glass case of emotion." Rizzo has been around since the beginning of "The Plan," enduring seasons of 101, 96 and 89 losses from 2012-14. Now, he will forever be known as the face of a team that will live on in infamy. As long as baseball, the Cubs or even sports in general are around, people will remember the end of the 108-year drought and the men that brought the ultimate glory to the North Side of Chicago. "I was here in the bad times," Rizzo said. "I got so much of the culture of the Cubs. Every single person who has worn this jersey I feel like won the World Series with us the other day." Rizzo threw out names like Kerry Wood, Ryan Dempster, Ernie Banks, Ron Santo and Billy Williams. "Every single player that is still living has been a big part of this and we thank them, too." Rizzo absolutely nailed his speech to the world, hitting all the right notes and acting as the perfect spokesperson for all the suffering the Cubs fanbase has endured. He thanked everybody in the organization, from the those in the Dominican Republic to the Ricketts family. He singled out traveling secretary Vijay Tekchandani and strength coach Tim Buss as two vital pieces to the Cubs' success behind the scenes. Rizzo was all class as he presented the ball from the final out of the World Series - valued at a reported $3 million as of Friday morning - to Tom Ricketts as gratitude for building this special moment. And of course, Rizzo introduced David Ross in an emotional tribute that hit all of Chicago right in the feels. "Lastly, before I introduce him, I wanna say a few words about him - the Grandpa," Rizzo said, pausing for cheers from the Five Million. "Gramps and I sat down a few years ago in the offseason before his last year with Boston and he was a free agent. "We had the same agency and we're talking and I say to my agent, 'Man, this is exactly what the Chicago Cubs need. He is exactly what we need to bring everything together.' And obviously a lot of pieces came through with that, but he taught me how to be a real winner." Rizzo's voice cut off there and it took him a good 30 seconds to fight back tears and regain his composure. "He's like a brother to me," Rizzo said shakily. "He's taught me a lot in life - on the field, off the field, how to be a better person.

"I'm forever grateful for him. And he's going out a champion forever. For the rest of his life, he can say the last game he played in, he's a World Champion." -- CSNChicago.com How Cubs Are A World Series Winner That’s Built To Last By Patrick Mooney The Cubs still feel like they’re at the beginning of a very long runway, even after an unforgettable parade down Lake Shore Drive and Michigan Avenue, that Grant Park rally and one of the biggest gatherings in the history of, uh, civilization. In terms of elation and astonishment, nothing will top the estimated 5 million people who jammed into the streets of Chicago on Friday to celebrate the end of the 108-year drought. But the Cubs didn’t tear down and rebuild their franchise hoping to win one World Series title. Chairman Tom Ricketts and the three-headed top of baseball operations – Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer and Jason McLeod – laid out their vision like this to scouts, coaches, the media and season-ticket holders: It could not be about taking one shot or selling out one winter or hoping for one magical season. Collect enough talent to get into the playoffs, say, seven times in 10 years and eventually you will stay healthy enough, run into the right matchups and have the baseball gods smile upon you. Like getting a perfectly timed rain delay against the Cleveland Indians in Game 7 of the World Series. That explains why the San Francisco Giants won titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014. More than even-year hocus-pocus, it’s having synergy between the baseball and business sides of the franchise and a coherent strategy for scouting and player development. In that sense, the Cubs really only just finished Year 2 of that window, 200 regular-season wins combined, last season’s surprise joyride into the National League Championship Series and the 2016 World Series title that will be remembered forever. “This team is built to be good for a while,” said bench coach Dave Martinez, who was originally drafted by the Cubs in 1983 but appeared in his only playoff games with the 2001 Atlanta Braves. “We got so many young players and we still got kids that are coming up through the system. Theo and Jed and Mr. Ricketts put things together (in a way where) we’re going to be able to compete for a long time.” Nothing is guaranteed in this game. The rotation has stayed remarkably healthy across the last two years – and where the pitching will come from remains the organization’s biggest question. It will be interesting to see how these Cubs respond to an entire offseason of everyone telling them how they’re legends – if they will remain as hungry and as focused in 2017 and beyond. But if you were going to invest in a team for the next five years, it would be this one, with Epstein, Hoyer and McLeod all signed through the 2021 season, a timeframe that includes club control over leading MVP candidate Kris Bryant, All-Star first baseman Anthony Rizzo, All-Star shortstop Addison Russell, NLCS co-MVP Javier Baez, October legend Kyle Schwarber and catcher Willson Contreras. Joe Maddon – a three-time Manager of the Year – wrote out a World Series Game 7 lineup that featured seven players between the ages of 22 and 27, plus Kyle Hendricks (26), this year’s ERA leader, as the starting pitcher. “The growth and development from guys like Addie and Javier Baez and Contreras – you just can’t make this stuff up,” said Jake Arrieta, the Cy Young Award winner who has one more season until striking it rich in free agency. “You don’t expect to see the maturity from guys at such a young age.

“And you combine that with guys like Jon Lester and (John) Lackey coming in here and bringing some veteran leadership. And Kyle Hendricks, I mean, what more can you say about that guy? “It’s been a storybook year. Everybody’s contributed, from the top to the bottom.” Russell has played in five playoff series before his 23rd birthday. Bryant has already accumulated 112 plate appearances in the postseason. Schwarber still hasn’t spent a full season in the big leagues yet, something Baez did for the first time this year (after a short stint on the disabled list). Albert Almora Jr. became a rookie contributor to a World Series winner and showed he could take over in center field once Dexter Fowler declines the qualifying offer. “I don’t think it’s an accident,” said Kerry Wood, the special assistant who knows the pressure that comes with bursting onto the scene and playing at Wrigley Field as well as anyone. “It speaks to the job these guys did in putting this team together and putting these personalities in the same clubhouse. And it’s not just this group here. We got a bunch more coming. It kind of changed the way of life in the organization. “These guys are living the dream. They’re having the time of their life. They’re in their peak (window). We’re going to have the infield for another four or five years. These guys are just going to get better.” This is what everyone says on stage after the World Series parade, but this time the Cubs actually mean it. Does anyone doubt Schwarber after he recovered from major knee surgery in mid-April in time to change the entire complexion of the World Series? “I love you guys,” Schwarber said. “We’re world champs. Let’s do it again next year.” -- CSNChicago.com Cubs Cut Jason Hammel Loose And Begin Working On Team That Will Defend World Series Title By Patrick Mooney Jason Hammel – a 15-game winner who couldn’t make a playoff roster on this loaded World Series team – will now become one of the best starting pitchers on the open market after the Cubs declined their $12 million option for next season. Hammel will receive a $2 million buyout as the Cubs bet on lefty Mike Montgomery and their ability to find more creative pitching solutions. After a playoff run into early November, Theo Epstein’s front office is now focusing on 2017. Even as fans lined up outside Wrigleyville Sports on Sunday morning to buy championship gear and wrote messages in chalk on Wrigley Field’s bricks walls facing Sheffield and Waveland (“We Did Not Suck 2016”). Just before his “Saturday Night Live” appearance with Anthony Rizzo, David Ross and Bill Murray, the Major League Baseball Players Association sent out a press release adding Dexter Fowler to the list of free agents who are about to hit the open market. By Monday afternoon, the Cubs will have formally made Fowler the $17.2 million qualifying offer, the “he gone” ending for the “you go, we go” leadoff guy. Ben Zobrist, Addison Russell and Javier Baez already went to Disney World. Even Epstein will have to slow down his bender with the general manager meetings taking place this week in Scottsdale, Arizona. “We would not have been in a position to win the World Series without Jason’s terrific performance during the regular season,” Epstein said in a statement the team released Sunday. “While Jason is healthy and primed to have another effective season in 2017, we have decided to consider other internal and external options for our starting rotation next year.

“Our hope is that by giving a starting opportunity to some younger pitchers under multiple years of club control, we can unearth a starter who will help us not only in 2017 but also in 2018 and beyond.” If not Montgomery, who saved that Game 7 World Series win over the Cleveland Indians, the Cubs could take a longer look at Rob Zastryzny and hope he lives up to the left-handed Kyle Hendricks comparison one National League scout made this year. Or reinvest Hammel’s money elsewhere and lean on the pitching infrastructure that helped Hendricks win the ERA title and transform Jake Arrieta into a Cy Young Award winner. Hammel more than lived up to his end of the bargain as a Cub (33-22, 3.59 ERA, 1.143 WHIP). He first delivered as a sign-and-flip guy packaged with Jeff Samardzija in the 2014 Fourth of July blockbuster trade that yielded a future All-Star shortstop (Russell) from the Oakland A’s. Hammel took a discount to return and play where he felt he would be most successful. And for $20 million across the last two years, he made 61 starts and accounted for more than 335 innings, performing at an All-Star level in the first half of each season. All those attributes could have made Hammel an attractive trade chip. “When we agreed with Jason on this two-year contract back at the 2014 winter meetings,” Epstein said, “the option was included with the intent that it would be exercised if Jason was going to be a Cub in 2017. The intent was never to exercise the option and then trade Jason, so we will not consider that path. “Instead, Jason will have the opportunity to enter free agency coming off an outstanding season and the ability to choose his next club. Meanwhile, the organization gains some flexibility and the opportunity to use a rotation spot to develop a younger, long-term starting pitcher. “We would certainly be open to Jason rejoining the organization in the future. But even if that never happens, we will always consider him a Cub and be thankful for his role in delivering a World Series championship to the people of Chicago.” There is no more “Wait Until Next Year” after the franchise won its first World Series in 108 years. It is time for Epstein’s group to finish building the team that will defend that title. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs roster breakdown: Players expected to return, depart for 2017 season By Mark Gonzales Who's likely to return Player … Position … Contract status … Comment Pitchers Jake Arrieta … Starting pitcher … Arbitration eligible … Could be last hurrah with free agency looming Kyle Hendricks … Starting pitcher … Club control … Maybe ripe for a multiyear deal John Lackey … Starting pitcher … Signed through 2017 … Will let it all out in likely last season Jon Lester … Starting pitcher … Signed through 2020 … Stepped up at right time in second half Carl Edwards Jr. … Reliever … Arbitration eligible … Taking bigger steps toward late-inning role Justin Grimm … Reliever … Arbitration eligible … Strong second half points to better 2017

Mike Montgomery … Starter-reliever … Club control ... Ready to step in as fifth starter Pedro Strop … Reliever … Arbitration eligible … Knee injury took stress off arm Hector Rondon … Reliever … Arbitration eligible … Yellow flags raised with late arm injury Rob Zastryzny … Reliever … Club control … Wise decision to move him to bullpen Position players Albert Almora Jr. … Outfielder … Club control … Destined to take over for Dexter Fowler in center Javier Baez … Infielder … Club control … Appears settled in at second base Kris Bryant … Third baseman … Club control … Could get record contract for pre-arbitration player Willson Contreras … Catcher … Club control … Impressive debut but still lots to learn Jason Heyward … Right fielder … Signed through 2023 … Retooling of swing necessary Miguel Montero … Catcher … Signed through 2017 … Already has transitioned into backup/mentor role Anthony Rizzo … First baseman … Signed through 2019 … Time for a contract restructuring? Addison Russell … Shortstop … Club control … A more consistent season would raise profile Kyle Schwarber … Outfielder-catcher … Club control … 2017 Comeback Player of the Year leader Matt Szczur … Outfielder … Club control … Could help numerous teams Ben Zobrist … Infielder-outfielder … Signed through 2019 … One of baseball's most unselfish players Who's likely to depart Pitchers Trevor Cahill … Free agency … Sometimes too much movement on pitches Aroldis Chapman … Free agency … Closer's market could skyrocket despite playoff trends Jason Hammel … Free agency … Cubs declined $10 million option with $2 million buyout on Sunday, Nov. 5. Joe Smith … Free agency … Could be tempting to re-sign Travis Wood … Free agency … Will be in demand as starter and reliever Position players Chris Coghlan … Free agency … Could be assured of more playing time elsewhere Dexter Fowler … Free agency … Proved skeptics wrong, will receive multiyear deal Tommy La Stella … Club control … Not enough versatility, too many questions David Ross … Free agency … Thanks for the memories

Jorge Soler … Under contract … Trade chip for pitching help -- Chicago Tribune Four Cubs vying for Gold Glove Awards By Mark Gonzales The Cubs will find out Tuesday if other managers and coaches viewed their defensive excellence as highly as they did during their run to their first World Series title since 1908. The Cubs have four finalists for Gold Glove Awards, which will be announced Tuesday night. Right fielder Jason Heyward, first baseman Anthony Rizzo, shortstop Addison Russell and pitcher Jake Arrieta are the finalists. The Cubs and Tigers, with four apiece, have the highest number of finalists. Heyward, 27, is a three-time National League Gold Glove winner who is up against Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies and Nick Markakis of the Braves. Rizzo, 27, was a finalist in 2014. Rizzo made one of the season's signature plays when he stood atop the wall to make a backhanded catch of a foul pop by Keon Broxton of the Brewers before jumping back to the field of play. Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks, who won a Gold Glove award last season, and Wil Myers of the Padres join Rizzo as finalists. Russell, 22, had the fifth-highest defensive WAR (Wins Above Replacement) at 2.68. However, that was slightly below Brandon Crawford of the Giants (2.68), who is a finalist along with Freddy Galvis of the Phillies. Right fielder Adam Eaton of the White Sox is a finalist for American League honors. Eaton's competition is Mookie Betts of the Red Sox — who had the majors' second-highest defensive WAR (2.83) — and George Springer of the Astros. Managers and coaches vote for the award in their respective leagues, although they cannot vote for their own players. In addition, a sabermetric element provided by the Society for American Baseball Research accounts for 25 percent of the vote. -- Chicago Tribune Writing on the Wrigley Wall: Latest way to celebrate Cubs' World Series title By Paul Sullivan On a beautiful fall afternoon in Chicago with no Bears game to watch, hundreds of fans ventured out to Wrigley Field on Sunday to see the Wall. In case you're still in a Cubbie coma, the Wall is the outer brick wall of Wrigley that runs parallel to Waveland and Sheffield Avenues. During the Cubs' postseason run, someone wrote a message in chalk on the Wall, and gradually more and more messages began to show up. But the Wall really exploded after the Cubs won the World Series, and now there is nary an inch of space where someone has not written their name, or the names of relatives, or just a message of support or thanks to the new champions. Cubs manager Joe Maddon repeatedly says he prefers things to happen "organically," and this new tradition is about as organic as it gets.

Until it happened, no one would've thought the Cubs would even allow anyone to write on the wall of their shrine, but to their credit, they've not only let it happen, they seem to encourage it. The Cubs have sent extra security to the ballpark to make sure nothing gets out of hand, and so far it has been peaceful and family-friendly. Some fans are bringing step ladders, and others are perching on each other's shoulders to find a space to scrawl their message. Kids are busy writing their names, too, since there is nothing better to a 10-year-old than being able to write on something with a piece of colored chalk. And when they're all done, they leave their chalk on the sidewalk for someone else to use. If you show up chalk-free, you're still in luck. Someone on Saturday likened it to the scene in East Germany in 1989 when the Berlin Wall came down, igniting a spontaneous celebration in which everyone congregated at the wall for a party. Fortunately no one has taken a sledgehammer to the Cubs' Wall, at least so far. It was a happening all over the ballpark. On the other side of Wrigley, fans crowded the corner of Addison and Clark Streets to take photos of themselves in front of the marquee that reads World Series champions. Bouquets of roses were placed on Ernie Banks' statue. And on Sheffield, they took photos of the Eamus Catuli three-flat, where the long-standing sign that counted down the years since the Cubs' last division title, last pennant and last championship finally read "AC000000," signifying the deed was done. The Cubs winning the World Series obviously is a national story because of the 108-year wait, and we knew if they ever won it all there would be a massive celebration in Chicago. But the timing of the championship has also been perfect, coming at the end of a bitter presidential election that has had the country on edge for so long. No matter which side you are on, you're probably tired of it, and watching the Cubs at least gave you a brief respite from the attack ads on TV. "That's what was great about this," Cubs co-owner Laura Ricketts said during the Game 7 postgame celebration. "It was a great distraction. What a great story. This election has been hurtful for the whole country and sad to watch. This is a good, feel-good story." On Saturday, crowds waited outside the firehouse on Waveland for Willson Contreras to come out and wave. General manager Jed Hoyer created a scene when he briefly went to his car to get a baseball glove out of his trunk. On Sunday the fans chanted "MVP" when Kris Bryant was spotted going into the ballpark. How long can it last? We'll see. The crowds outside Wrigley Field are certain to dwindle as the weather cools off and the holidays arrive, and at some point the Cubs probably will take a power-hose and wash the messages off the Wall. Perhaps they can wait until the new year, and make writing on the Wall a playoff tradition. There are a few other things the Cubs could do to keep this feel-good offseason going, including letting fans have pieces of ivy that have fallen off the vines. The grounds crew usually just rakes them up, bags them and throws them out. Why not just leave a ticket window open and let fans come by for a leaf or two, giving them a small souvenir from a very special season?

They could also treat the World Series trophy like the Stanley Cup and bring it to schools, restaurants and bars across the city. The Red Sox made sure every town in New England got a chance to see their 2004 trophy, sending it on a tour that satisfied everyone. Sooner or later Chicago will come down from this high and get back to life as we know it, namely scraping ice off our windshields with credit cards. But for now, enjoy this organic moment as long as you can. It may never be this fun again. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs decline 2017 option on right-hander Jason Hammel By Mark Gonzales The Cubs started to look toward the future Sunday by cutting ties with 15-game winner Jason Hammel. The team announced it declined Hammel's option for 2017, making the right-hander a free agent. The option was worth $12 million, and Hammel gets a $2 million buyout. President Theo Epstein, in a statement, said the Cubs' intent was never to pick up the option and trade Hammel, which a few teams anticipated. "While Jason is healthy and primed to have another effective season in 2017, we have decided to consider other internal and external options for our starting rotation next year," Epstein said in a statement. "Our hope is that by giving a starting opportunity to some younger pitchers under multiple years of club control, we can unearth a starter who will help us not only in 2017 but also in 2018 and beyond." The only way the Cubs would have picked up the option was if the Cubs intended to keep him, Epstein added. "Jason will have the opportunity to enter free agency coming off an outstanding season and the ability to choose his next club," Epstein continued. "Meanwhile, the organization gains some flexibility and the opportunity to use a rotation spot to develop a younger, long-term starting pitcher." Left-hander Mike Montgomery, who made five starts in August and September, has the inside track to grab the fifth spot in the rotation, for now. Hammel, 34, is expected to attract interest from several teams, including the Phillies and Mariners. Hammel was traded in July 2014 by the Cubs with Jeff Samardzija to the A's as part of the deal that brought Addison Russell to the team. In December of that year he signed as a free agent with the Cubs, who paid him $9 million each season he was with the team. Cubs manager Joe Maddon praised Hammel for how he handled being left off the postseason roster. Hammel said he was disappointed but understood the decision. "You still feel like you're a part of it," he said. "You want to be a little more a part of it. We'd be sitting home on our couch if we really didn't matter." -- Chicago Tribune Cubs stars give 'SNL' a post-World Series song and dance By Phil Rosenthal

A trio of Cubs playing themselves -- David Ross, Dexter Fowler and Anthony Rizzo – were exotic dancers for a dead grandmother live from New York on “Saturday Night Live,” the first stop on their post-World Series tour of late-night television. Later in the program, joined by “SNL” alumnus and longtime Cubs fan Bill Murray, they returned in matching straw hats and Cubs sweaters to (sort of) sing the fan anthem “Go Cubs, Go” in the guise of having won a “Weekend Update” version of “The Voice.” “This is the best thing we’ve ever done,” Fowler said flatly to little studio audience response. If both bits seemed awkwardly tacked on, it’s understandable “SNL” would run a “W” flag up the pole in a bid to catch a bit of the national buzz the Cubs have generated with their first World Series championship in 108 years. After all, the decisive Game 7 on Wednesday averaged 40 million viewers on Fox, 5.6 million more people than this year’s Academy Awards. The “Go Cubs, Go” bit, at least, was innocuous. As for the exotic dancer sketch, well, for fans keeping score at home, what might have been a wild pitch should probably go down as an error. The premise: A grandmother (played by Aidy Bryant who’s remarrying is treated to a surprise bachelorette party. The shock of the unexpected celebration kills her instantly, but this goes unnoticed by both the guests and a pair of dancers (one played by guest host Benedict Cumberbatch). The dancers rubbed up against dead grandma, sprayed her with whipped cream to be licked off her. Then they announced that, as a special reward, actual Cubs players would perform. Fowler asked who wanted a “granny slam.” Ross said not to worry because “Grampa Ross" would "take real good care.” Rizzo said something about “a triple-header.” Then they (sort of) danced. Even within the pantheon of sports stars on “SNL,” it wasn’t quite was more Derek Jeter in drag than Peyton Manning nailing a hapless kid with a bullet pass. No one will confuse any of it with Nancy Kerrigan skating with Chris Farley, O.J. Simpson as a Conehead, Joe Montana as an extremely sincere roommate or Michael Jordan plagued by self doubts and telling himself: “I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me!" The Cubs are going to get more practice in the days to come. Just to start, on Monday night, Rizzo, Fowler and Ben Zobrist reportedly are scheduled to visit Jimmy Fallon on NBC’s “The Tonight Show," while Kris Bryant is penciled in for ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” But even if it doesn’t work out, there’s no reason to think they’re going to quit their day jobs. -- Chicago Tribune The Weight: Chapter 16 A dream fulfilled as the impossible comes true for the Cubs By Paul Sullivan Dream Big." Mr. Cub wrote those words on an autographed photo of him and Anthony Rizzo, who attached it to the wall of his locker in the spring of 2015.

Ernie Banks, the Cubs icon, and Rizzo, the young first baseman, had bonded after Rizzo's arrival from the Padres in 2012. After Banks died in January 2015, Rizzo paid tribute to his friend by posting the photo in his locker, a daily affirmation from a man synonymous with sunshine. It wasn't one of the catchy slogans the Cubs would make famous in 2016 — "Embrace the Target" or "Try Not to Suck" — and it wasn't particularly poetic. Just a friendly reminder from someone who never made it to a World Series that it all starts with a dream. Now Rizzo and the Cubs finally had made it to the World Series, ending a 71-year wait that spawned the "lovable losers" epithet and made the franchise a late-night TV punchline from Johnny Carson to Stephen Colbert. All they needed to do was beat the Indians to end the 107-year championship drought and kick off the party of the century in Chicago. Rizzo and Travis Wood were the last of the 2012 Cubs that lost 101 games in the first year of The Plan. On the eve of Game 1 of the Series, Rizzo reminisced about the winter of 2014, when Joe Maddon arrived and Jon Lester signed. At last, the dream finally began to look real. "It was a turning point," Rizzo said. "I remember saying to my parents 'I should be on a contending team the rest of my career.' The first four years of it weren't like that. It's a good feeling to come in knowing we're going to play this game and next year we're going to go into spring training expecting to win the World Series again, just like we did this year, expecting to win the World Series. "It's exciting stuff." It was, and the Cubs not only were ready, they had an October Surprise in their back pocket — the return of Kyle Schwarber, who had missed more than six months rehabbing from knee surgery after an outfield collision with Dexter Fowler in the third game of the season. A couple of days earlier, Schwarber had been playing in front of 100 people in an Arizona Fall League game, preparing to launch a made-for-"30-for-30"-style comeback. Now he was on baseball's biggest stage, trying to help end an epic drought, with millions of Cubs fans dreaming big. The weight of the past was heavier than ever, but the time had arrived. Here they were. Now they were here. Digging deep The Rev. Burke Masters, a Cubs chaplain, celebrated Mass on Sunday morning in the Wrigley Field stands before Game 5 of the World Series, as the participants hoped to restore faith that had been shattered in the blink of an eye. After Indians ace Corey Kluber shut down the Cubs in a 6-0 victory in Game 1, Schwarber's Hollywood comeback and Jake Arrieta's dominance led them to a 5-1 triumph in Game 2 that knotted the Series for the much-anticipated return to Chicago. The pregame scene for the first World Series game at Wrigley Field since 1945 resembled a Norman Rockwell painting, warm and fuzzy and visually perfect. But the game itself was Stephen King-like, a horrific 1-0 Cubs loss that gave the Indians home-field advantage again. John Lackey, who ripped the Chicago media for pointing out the Cubs' postseason swings during the National League Championship Series, saying "you guys dramatize everything," was overdramatic during a Game 4 meltdown. Lackey repeatedly lost his cool after Kris Bryant made his second error during a two-run second inning, sending the Indians to a 7-2 victory and commanding 3-1 series lead.

The Cubs' high hopes of ending the drought seemingly were dashed, and the only thing left for the Indians to do to clinch their first championship in 68 years was to win one of three games, starting with beating Lester in Game 5. That was not happening. Lester struck out the side in the first to keep hope alive but served up a home run to Jose Ramirez in the second to quiet the home crowd. The Cubs were in the midst of another offensive funk, just like the one in the NLCS, and couldn't find an escape hatch. Bryant had been 1-for-15 in the Series, making his decision to film a commercial with a billy goat for an energy drink look ominous. Damn, that old goat had won again. But the kid with the never-ending grin stepped to the plate to start the bottom of the fourth inning and calmly cranked a home run into the left-field bleachers, tying the game and starting the Sigh Heard 'Round Chicago. Rizzo then doubled off the ivy in right, and suddenly the ballpark was alive again. Addison Russell's infield hit brought in the go-ahead run, and David Ross' sacrifice fly made it 3-1. Lester was not going to give up this lead. No chance. But he told Maddon after six innings and 90 pitches that he was done, turning the season over to the Cubs' shaky bullpen. Carl Edwards Jr. came on with a one-run lead in the seventh, but after a single and flyout, Maddon had an October Surprise of his own. Edwards was yanked for closer Aroldis Chapman, who was being asked to do the unthinkable — get the final eight outs and get the Cubs to Game 6. Chapman delivered — but only after scaring the daylights out of Cubs Nation, neglecting to cover first on Rajai Davis' infield hit to Rizzo with one out in the eighth. Would the lack of hustle with the season on the line ultimately turn Chapman into the goat of the century? Chapman let Davis steal second and third with ease, greasing the skids for his demise, before Francisco Lindor was called out on strikes to end the suspense. Crisis averted. After the Game 5 victory, Maddon gave the players a timeout for Halloween instead of having them fly to Cleveland for the off day. This was the genius of Maddon, the reason he had been able to get the most of his players. Let them be dads first and Cubs employees second. There was no way to quantify its affect, but the players appreciated the chance to breathe. Lester and Ross took their kids trick-or-treating, getting their first taste of a Wrigleyville Halloween. "It was a little nuts," Ross said. "Some lady, had to be about 60, was something. She was sprinting down the street because she didn't answer the door and then saw it was me and Jon Lester walking around. It was crazy, but fun crazy. People were excited." Another mood swing in the city that couldn't sleep was well underway. Bryant's home run got them off the mat, the tag-team performance of Lester and Chapman saved the season and they had Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks going in Games 6 and 7, respectively. "What could go wrong?" fans said to themselves, knowing perfectly well what could — and perhaps would. Rolling the dice

The real curse of the Cubs was not the billy goat or the black cat or the foul ball. It was having to flash back to an awful moment or poor decision-making at a crucial juncture of a potential history-changing game. In 1984, it was manager Jim Frey going with Scott Sanderson in Game 4 of the NLCS in San Diego with a 2-1 series lead over the Padres. Rick Sutcliffe, the major leagues' best pitcher, was ready to go, and Game 2 winner Steve Trout was ready for Game 5 if necessary. Thirty-two years later, it still rankled the '84 Cubs. "We've visited that area many times," said Ron Cey, the team's third baseman known as 'the Penguin' for his inimitable waddle. "Yeah, it kind of grinds at me once in a while. I didn't discuss it with (Frey), but I discussed it with a lot of people." Cubs managers, even the most successful ones, had contributed to the weight. Leo Durocher ran the '69 Cubs regulars into the ground by playing them every day, not trusting his bench players to give them a breather. Dusty Baker watched Mark Prior implode in the eighth inning of Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS because he didn't trust his bullpen. Lou Piniella removed Carlos Zambrano early in Game 1 of the 2008 NLDS so he could save him for the Game 4 that never was. Maddon had been infallible to this point. None of his crazy moves ever seemed to backfire, and he was not going to stop rolling the dice in Game 6. Bryant hit a two-out, 433-foot home run off Josh Tomlin on an 0-2 pitch in the first, and the Cubs were off and running. They scored twice more in the inning thanks to some shoddy Indians fielding and pulled away in the third on Addison Russell's grand slam. Game 7 was not only a possibility, it was in the bank. All the Cubs had to do was hold on and force a scenario in which the pressure would be on the Indians to avoid a choke. The shoe was on the other foot — for once — and it was a comfortable feeling indeed. Leading 7-2 with two on and two outs in the Indians half of the seventh, Maddon rolled the dice once more, calling on Chapman again. A five-run lead was fine, but Maddon refused to look ahead. Lindor smoked a hot grounder to Rizzo off of first, and this time, Chapman sprinted toward the bag for Rizzo's throw instead of malingering on the mound. Two feet hit the bag at nearly the same moment. Lindor was called safe, loading the bases. Ron Santo could be heard from above: "Oh, nooo." But Chapman's hustle paid off. A replay challenge overturned the call, and the Cubs were out of the inning. Chapman pitched to only three batters in the eighth, and the Cubs scored a pair in the ninth to grab a six-run lead. With a bullpen full of options, Maddon inexplicably sent Chapman back out to start the ninth. Twitter lit up in Chicago with variations on a theme: C'mon, Joe. Save Chapman for Game 7. Yes, Chapman had done his job, but at what price? Would his arm still be attached for Game 7? Why did Maddon waste his closer with a seemingly comfortable lead? Chapman walked the leadoff hitter, and Maddon brought in Pedro Strop and then Travis Wood to seal a 9-3 victory. In the postgame clubhouse, Ross was asked if he was managing the game along with Maddon. "You're always managing in your mind," Ross said. "I keep a lot of it to myself — what I would do and wouldn't do. I used to talk about it a lot more. I keep it to myself a lot more." Was "Grandpa" surprised at Maddon's moves?

"Oh yeah, but he has been doing it a lot longer than I have," he said., "He didn't come down there and go 'Hey, Rossie, what do you think I should do?' I definitely didn't see that coming, but I was glad it worked out the way it did. … You bring guys in in big situations — is he the closer, is he not?" The traditional role of a closer had been obliterated in this postseason, thanks to Indians manager Terry Francona's inspired use of Andrew Miller whenever he felt it necessary. "This game is crazy," Ross said. "One thing I do like about Joe is he doesn't take anything for granted. It was pretty cool how that all played out. Chappy, with all the pitches he had the other night, looked sharp tonight. In Cincy, Joey Votto used to say the more he pitches the better he seems to get. "He just seems to be really sharp, his throwing strike one, and his slider was decent. He was high-fiving everyone in the dugout, and I told him 'Hey, man, get the heck out of here. Go ice down and get ready for tomorrow. Get some sleep.'" The Cubs went to sleep knowing they would play in a Game 7 of the World Series. Dream big? "Everything you guys write about us tomorrow, if we win it, it will be the best things of our life," Rizzo said. "We have to come in tomorrow and get it done." 'Here we stand' Armageddon arrived on another unseasonably warm night in Cleveland, and the prevailing thought was the Cubs either would celebrate or implode by midnight. "Obviously there is going to be a team that's pouring champagne tonight, and there's going to be a team that's disappointed," general manager Jed Hoyer said. "There is no way around that. But that's kind of the way I've looked at it all day. "Listen, we need to win our 114th game, and it's a good feeling to be able to say that. On Day One of spring training if someone said to me 'You're playing one game to win the World Series,' I'd take that all day long. "Now we're here, so we have to turn it up for that moment." Here they were. Now they were here. Dexter Fowler's leadoff home run off Kluber provided a much-needed spark, and the Cubs built a 5-1 lead by the fifth, beginning the silent countdown back home. Lester replaced Hendricks with two outs in the fifth and threw a wild pitch that brought home two runs, but Ross answered with a home run in the sixth, and all was well again. Lester cruised into the eighth and had four outs to go with a three-run lead when Maddon opted to keep rolling the dice, bringing in Chapman after a two-out single. Brandon Guyer's RBI double cut the lead to two, and Davis followed with a tying, two-run, line-drive homer to left, shaking the foundation at Progressive Field. Visions of past disasters danced in the heads of millions of shell-shocked Cubs fans. The ball under Leon Durham's glove, Brant Brown's dropped fly, the 2003 NLCS collapse … "Oh, nooo," again, times 10. Maddon was being destroyed on Twitter for overmanaging, and the Cubs' world seemed to be crashing down. But Chapman got through the ninth unscathed before a timely rain delay halted the action, giving the Cubs time to regroup.

"I believe the rain delay was God telling us to calm down," Fowler said. Fox Sports' Tom Verducci reported that Chapman was crying in the clubhouse, destroyed by the possibility of being the World Series goat. But Jason Heyward gathered the team together for a players-only meeting in the weight room and delivered an inspirational speech to get everyone's mind back on the prize instead of the collapse. When the 17-minute delay ended, Schwarber led off with a single, and pinch runner Albert Almora Jr. advanced on Bryant's 400-foot flyout to center. After an intentional walk to Rizzo, Ben Zobrist answered the call with a double down the left-field line to give the Cubs the lead again. Another apocalyptic sigh swept across Chicago. Zobrist's double had marginalized the gloom-and-doomers waiting to proclaim "I told you so" after the ultimate collapse. But it wasn't over yet, and up stepped Miguel Montero, who had replaced Ross behind the plate in the ninth. Montero had been relegated to the bench since Game 4 of the NLCS. His pinch-hit grand slam in Game 1 of the NLCS was his shining moment, and after he received communion from Burke during morning Mass at Wrigley the next day, the priest was ecstatic. "Miggy has had such a tough year, and I was just so happy for him to have that moment of celebration," he said. "He deserves it." Montero had been 0-for-3 in the Series but made his last at-bat count, driving a single up the middle to make it 8-6. Maddon called on Edwards to start the 10th but pulled the rookie for Mike Montgomery after Davis' RBI single brought the Indians to within a run. Montgomery's arrival was much less heralded than Chapman's, but here he was in Game 7 of the World Series. On Montgomery's second pitch, Michael Martinez slapped a weak grounder to third. Bryant scooped it up and rifled a throw to Rizzo for the final out, lifting the weight forevermore. The party started and would not end, not on this night. Lester stopped the clubhouse celebration for a moment, and the room quieted as he delivered one final salute to the retiring Ross. "He went out a (bleeping) champion," Lester yelled, bringing down the house. The Cubs were professional partiers and were ready to let loose. Actor Bill Murray joined the festivities, interviewing players and clinking champagne bottles with Epstein, who announced he was going on a bender and turning the team over to Hoyer. Twenty minutes later, Lester stood in the corner of the clubhouse, away from the cacophony, and put the season in perspective. "This is why I came here," he said. "To break the goat or the black cat or God knows what else somebody wants to talk about. It's over. It doesn't matter. A curse for me is an excuse, looking for a way out. We just played good baseball. We didn't care about goats. We cared about each other, cared about getting outs. "We cared about playing good baseball and we did that from Day One. And here we stand. Everybody wanted to doubt us in LA and say we can't hit good pitching and we can't do this and we can't do that. "Here we are." There they were. The Cubs were finally world champions again, and no one ever would be able to take this moment away. Ernie had been right all along.

Dream big. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs likely will have some patchwork to do, chiefly to shore up pitching By Mark Gonzales Dexter Fowler's brief speech Friday at Grant Park was a reminder of his success tied to the Cubs' World Series title but a chilly message of what lurks ahead for a franchise trying to win multiple titles. "You know what they say," Fowler, a free agent, said. "You go, we go." "So I'm going." After a chuckle, Fowler replied, "No, thank you Cubs fans for coming out. You're the best in the world. Thank you for having me. You're like extended family forever. Go Cubs." Fowler, 30, likely will get many multi-year offers from teams that could include playoff contenders such as the rival Cardinals and Giants. The Cubs could replace him in center field with astute 22-year-old Albert Almora Jr., but they could be hard-pressed to find someone who can produce a .393 on-base percentage as the switch-hitting Fowler did if they don't re-sign him. The bullpen also is a concern, especially because Hector Rondon and Pedro Strop — both arbitration eligible — have pitched in a combined 385 games over the last three seasons, and versatile left-hander Travis Wood is a free agent. Rob Zastryzny earned the faith of manager Joe Maddon during a late-season promotion and could be used more prominently against left-handers. Re-signing submarine style reliever Joe Smith would provide Maddon with a funky look to opposing hitters accustomed to conventional power-armed relievers. The return of Kyle Schwarber for the World Series fortified their offense. It might not be so bad if Schwarber isn't cleared medically to catch, although that won't be determined until later this winter and teammates have seen Schwarber in a squat without any discomfort. Versatility was essential to the Cubs' success, from Ben Zobrist moving from second base to left field for the playoffs, and rookie catcher Willson Contreras receiving work in left to preserve his energy for catching in the playoffs. But there are warning signs the Cubs will continue to address. Maddon stated in September that it eventually will be common for teams to use a six-man rotation for at least parts of a regular season. That strategy worked well for the Cubs when mid-season acquisition Mike Montgomery was inserted for five starts. It's believed the Cubs will pick up the $12 million option on 15-game winner Jason Hammel, but adding young, major league-ready starting pitching talent is a necessity with John Lackey likely to retire after 2017 and Jake Arrieta becoming a free agent after next season. That could result in the Cubs perhaps trading some of their surpluses, such as in the outfield where Jorge Soler and Matt Szczur face another logjam with the return of Schwarber. The only encouraging sign for Soler would be if Jason Heyward moves to center field. That would allow Soler to return to right and force Almora and Szczur to come off the bench. And if Schwarber is projected exclusively as an outfielder, then it would make sense for the Cubs to sign a veteran to bridge the gap between Contreras, 24, and left-handed hitter Miguel Montero, 33, who is entering the final year of his contract.

-- Chicago Tribune Cubs on verge of dynasty, likely to avoid familiar pitfalls By David Haugh Nobody honors the 1986 Bears. Nor did Chicago hold a parade for the 2006 White Sox, whose championship path started changing when they traded Aaron Rowand 28 days after winning the 2005 World Series. And Chicago only remembers the 2004 Cubs, Sports Illustrated's preseason prediction to win the World Series, because of the way that combustible team imploded in the final week to miss the playoffs. Whither the 2017 Cubs? How do you approach the year after what was universally considered a once-in-a-lifetime season? All the confetti has yet to be cleaned up along Michigan Avenue and Cubs fans already wonder. They want more. Winning makes a fan base greedier. Forget exhaling; they want to hyperventilate again through taut playoff games. This was too much fun to stop at one trophy. Now that the Cubs have ended the longest drought in professional sports with a World Series title, expectations imply repeat and conversations involve making November baseball an annual thing on the North Side. Both are appropriate. Having shown resilience and having learned how to win during a historic playoff run, these Cubs look like baseball's next dynasty. Theo Epstein built this team to last. The Cubs now have a pedigree of champs, not chumps. The end of the baseball season at 11:47 p.m. Wednesday only presaged the start of something special. In terms of successful professional sports reigns in the city, these Cubs resemble the 1990s Bulls and the current Blackhawks more than any of Chicago's aforementioned disappointments. Nobody's guaranteeing the Cubs can win three championships in a row — or even six in eight seasons — as the Bulls did. But the Cubs do have the Michael Jordan of baseball executives in Epstein, so winning three titles in a six-year span like the Hawks did from 2010-2015 looks like a lofty standard but hardly an unrealistic one. Consider the Cubs started five players in Game 7 against the Indians who were 24 or younger. That didn't include 27-year-old graybeards Anthony Rizzo and Jason Heyward. They have a core of position players young and talented enough to believe they can become the 10th major-league team to win three World Series in a five-year span. By the time 24-year-old Kris Bryant turns 30, the Cubs could draw comparisons to the Giants of 2010-2014, the Yankees of the late 1990s, who won three straight titles, and the A's of the early 1970s. They would prefer to avoid mimicking the Braves, who went to 14 straight playoffs from 1991-2005 but won only one World Series. Challenges exist. Pennant contenders will improve and that target Cubs manager Joe Maddon urges his team to embrace just got bigger. The Giants team that won three Series titles from 2010-2014 will return a deep pitching staff and aggressively pursue hitters in the offseason to stop the Cubs from replacing them as the National League elite. The Dodgers will spend exorbitantly and search intelligently. The Nationals think they are close. The Cardinals are the Cardinals. The Cubs face two immediate pressing questions as general manager meetings convene Monday in Arizona: center fielder Dexter Fowler and closer Aroldis Chapman enter free-agency Tuesday. What happens if "You Go, We Go" Fowler goes to the Cardinals or Giants? How aggressive will the Cubs be in trying to re-sign the players, both major factors in the Series? The Cubs have faith in outfielder Albert Almora Jr. and reliever Carl Edwards Jr. as potential replacements and confidence in Epstein remains high to find other alternatives if those don't work.

The other significant issue involves starting pitching. The entire rotation expects to return, provided the Cubs pick up 15-game winner Jason Hammel's $12 million option. And even if they do, left-hander Mike Montgomery looks like a solid candidate to supplant him as the fifth starter. How Jake Arrieta handles the final year of his contract, amid ongoing speculation over possible long-term deal, looms as a possible distraction. John Lackey looked every bit of 38 in the playoffs. Only Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks return without any nagging questions. But the Cubs bought enough pitching to win a World Series and, as long as Epstein is the one shopping, either can buy or acquire replacements capable of doing it again. The unanswerable question involves chemistry. Success changes people. It's why the 1985 Bears never dominated more than one season. It's the one thing impossible to anticipate for the young Cubs celebrities whose lives changed forever Wednesday night. As well as Epstein understands nuance, nobody can account for everything that makes an atmosphere in a locker room or clubhouse conducive to winning. What will the mix be like in '17? Nobody could have anticipated the importance of 39-year-old backup catcher David Ross to the Cubs. Nobody could have predicted underrated leader Miguel Montero, hardly a lock for the playoff roster because of a bad back and light bat, would come up with two of the biggest hits of the postseason — a pinch-hit grand slam against the Dodgers and the Game 7 game-winner. Nobody could have guessed Heyward, after failing to hit his weight this season, would be the one whose inspirational words during an impromptu meeting steeled the Cubs before Wednesday's 10th inning. Those intangibles made the 2016 Cubs unique. Those things could be the hardest to replicate on a roster already considered big 2017 World Series favorites. The last time the Cubs won the World Series, 108 years ago, it was the franchise's second title in a row. So, ironically, Maddon's team will report to Arizona in three months with same goal as last year: Do what the 1908 Cubs did. Repeat. That 1908 championship preceded an unprecedented period of losing in Cubs history. Expect this title to set off an unparalleled stretch of winning. -- Chicago Tribune 'Cubstock 2016' puts cap on baseball crown; revelers jump from downtown bridge, lightposts By Tony Briscoe, Dan Hinkel and Genevieve Bookwalter Chicago transformed into a sea — and a river — of Cubbie blue Friday as the city celebrated the Cubs' historic, if still somewhat surreal, World Series triumph. A massive crowd turned out for a parade and rally — dubbed "Cubstock 2016" by manager Joe Maddon — that finally rewarded the loyalty of the team's long-suffering fans. It was a party 108 years in the making, a three-hour bash in which players choked back tears and repeatedly paid tribute to a fan base that no longer has to wait until next year. "We've asked a lot of you and put you through a lot," Cubs President Theo Epstein said. "Let's be honest, for a while there, we forgot the 'not' in try not to suck." The city that works apparently took a collective day off as city officials estimated about 5 million people attended the World Series celebration. For that number to be accurate, it would mean a crowd nearly twice the city's population took part, and that it dwarfed the estimates for the 2005 White Sox party and 2015 Blackhawks parade.

It was just the third parade in Cubs history. Though they did not have a procession after winning the 1908 World Series, there were parades after the team won National League pennants in 1932 and 1938. "I have had so many emotions," fan Allie Kutrubis said of the Cubs victory celebration. "Most of the time it doesn't feel real. It feels like I'm being punked." The rally, at Grant Park, marked the team's first public appearance since defeating Cleveland on Wednesday to win the World Series, not including left fielder Ben Zobrist's impromptu autograph session Thursday outside his North Side home. A native of downstate Eureka and the series' most valuable player, Zobrist told the crowd that the team pushed through the postseason's tougher moments for the city's sake. "This team answered the bell," he said. "This ballclub pulled through for all of you." The celebration was pushed back about 50 minutes as some players were late arriving at Wrigley Field because of the snarled traffic near the ballpark. The crowd accepted the delay with relatively good cheer, a byproduct, no doubt, of already having to wait more than a century for a championship. "People from all corners of the city are coming together for something good," longtime fan Marie Leaner said. "It's been a long time coming, and I don't mean just 108 years either." When the rally finally began, first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who caught the final out in Game 7 after third baseman Kris Bryant fielded the ball, gave the game ball to team co-owner Tom Ricketts in what has become somewhat of a Chicago tradition. Former White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko made the same gift to owner Jerry Reinsdorf at the team's 2005 celebration. "He sacrificed everything to make this happen for this city," Rizzo said of Ricketts. "It only seems right to hand it over to him." Rizzo also struggled to control his emotions when he introduced catcher David Ross, who plans to retire. He credited Ross with teaching him "how to become a real winner" and said he was grateful the catcher was "going out a champion forever." Indeed, Ross came out to the day's loudest applause and promptly took a picture of the crowd. "How about a selfie?" he asked. "Everybody, hands up!" The rally ended with country singer and Illinois native Brett Eldredge leading the crowd in a joyful version of "Go Cubs Go" in what was arguably the happiest singalong in Grant Park history. Ross, Rizzo, and center fielder Dexter Fowler served as enthusiastic backup singers, while pitcher Travis Wood ripped off his sleeveless camouflage shirt and sang bare-chested for the crowd. "You are like extended family to me," Fowler told the crowd. "I'll love you all forever." Along the 6-mile parade route, people lined rooftops and stood a dozen deep on sidewalks to catch a glimpse of the team, which traveled from Wrigley Field to Grant Park atop double-decker buses. The crowds chanted, "Let's go, Cubs!" and waved to the players as the city bid farewell to the longest drought in professional baseball and the team's reputation as lovable losers. En route to the park, the team buses crossed over the Chicago River, which was dyed blue in tribute to the historic championship. "This is the biggest sports event in Chicago," said Jim Murphy, of Glenview. "This is the one we've been waiting on."

Fans packed public transit before dawn in an effort to make their way downtown for the celebration. Metra trains faced delays as they tried to accommodate suburban passengers on what the commuter rail service said was one its busiest days in history. The Grant Park gates opened at 8:30 a.m., with a tide of blue rolling into the rally site. Fans who waited for hours ran toward the staging area just south of Balbo Drive, where radio highlights from the Cubs' historic championship run played over the public address system. But Peter Torres, 28, and Colin Hines, 27, both from Elk Grove Village, devised a plan to skip the crowds and secure themselves a spot in the front row. The two woke up at 4:30 a.m. and caught the first train they could to the Loop. Their sleep deprivation ultimately paid off as they walked into Grant Park before the barricades were set up and found themselves chatting with media members beforehand. Like countless other fans, the friends couldn't afford the steep ticket prices during the Cubs' postseason run and they saw the free rally as their only chance to witness history. "This is the next best thing than going to the World Series," Torres said. "I don't have the money for that." Though police reported no major incidents, the downtown crowds occasionally teetered on the edge of chaos as people struggled to move on packed sidewalks. At one point, fans pulled down a fence to get through to Columbus Drive on Congress Parkway. Police did not try to stop them. Tensions also escalated when fans began climbing light poles and purposefully falling back into the arms of people several feet below. And a few spectators jumped off the Wabash Avenue Bridge into the river after the team rolled through the Magnificent Mile. Police said no one was injured in the stunts. "I don't think they care," Berwyn resident Gabriel Mendez said of the crowd's daredevil antics. "Cubs won, they have nothing to worry about." The city had issued a warning against drinking on the public way, though some players could be seen drinking beer and Epstein jokingly said he intended to go back on the bender he began two days ago. Fans started staking their spots near Wrigley Field before sunrise, draping W flags over the route's metal barricades and waiting patiently for the team to pass. Families and young people dominated the crowd, in large part because of a previously scheduled day off for Chicago Public Schools. A police officer waved a massive W banner in the middle of the street, while the crowd chanted "Let's go, Cubbies." Other officers complied with requests to take pictures of those lining the route. "It's so cool that every cliche about it is dead," said John Carruthers, of Ravenswood. "I feel so happy." His sister Maggie, who staked out space on the sidewalk for the parade, agreed. "Lovable losers and 'there's always next year' — I'm so glad to be done with that," she said. City Hall had been planning to have a parade Monday, but the team asked to move it up to Friday. Baseball general managers will gather Monday in Scottsdale, Ariz., for four days of meetings. The meetings are a sign — along with Ross' retirement and Fowler's impending free agency — that the team may not look the same come April. But Cubs fans chose to live in the present and not dwell on the future. For the first time in 108 years, nobody cared about next year. --

Chicago Sun-Times Cubs embrace ‘targeted’ moves this winter as most of core returns By Gordon Wittenmyer What do you get the baseball team that has everything? The short answer: pitching. The longer answer: more pitching. Less than a week after winning it all, claiming what 107 Cubs teams before them have been unable to reach, the World Series champs head to Phoenix this week to start the process of trying to do it all over again. Never mind the historically disorienting nature of trying to improve a Cubs team that spent seven months – from the season opener through Game 7 of the World Series – as the best team in baseball. Team president Theo Epstein barely had enough time for a decent “little bender” before the start of the general managers meetings Monday at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. “We finished our season technically Thursday morning, and Sunday night we’re flying for meetings,” general manager Jed Hoyer said. “The turnaround is really quick. “We’re thankful we bring so many guys back that our moves can be very targeted this winter.” Among those the Cubs won’t bring back is 15-game winner Jason Hammel. The Cubs on Sunday declined his $10 million option for 2017 (buying it out for $2 million), citing a decision to look for both internal and external alternatives for that spot in the starting rotation – with an emphasis on younger with multiple years of club control. Hammel went 15-10 with a 3.83 ERA in 30 starts this season but was the odd-man out of what Epstein called “one of the best rotations in club history” when the brass set the postseason rosters. He was 33-22 with a 3.51 ERA in 78 starts over the past two seasons and half of 2014. Left-hander Mike Montgomery, the postseason long reliever who earned the save in Game 7 Wednesday night, has been discussed as one of those alternatives almost since he was acquired from Seattle in a July trade. Among the Cubs’ nine free agents are center fielder/leadoff man Dexter Fowler, closer Aroldis Chapman and versatile lefty reliever Travis Wood. The Cubs aren’t expected to immediately pursue any of their free agents for next season, though Fowler will get a qualifying offer (to assure a chance for draft pick compensation). They’re open to re-signing one or two, including Fowler, depending on how the winter market plays out. In large part because of work the Cubs did last winter, they return a sizeable core of their championship team. That includes two Cy Young candidates (Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks) among the top four starting pitchers. It also includes two MVP candidates (Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo) among every starting position player returning except Fowler. Without going outside the organization, they figure to improve defensively with regular playing time next year for 2016 rookies Willson Contreras behind the plate and Albert Almora Jr. in center field. The top three issues to address this winter: Starting pitching depth, which would be more likely to come through trade than free agency;

Back-end bullpen depth; Center field – specifically, whether Almora can handle everyday duties, would need to platoon to be more effective; or whether the club decides it can add a veteran to lessen the load on Almora’s transition (another surprise return of Fowler on a one-year deal?). “Just as it was our priority last offseason and at the deadline this year, we do need to continue to try to find starting pitching depth,” Hoyer said. “These meetings will largely be about having a ton of conversations with teams, gathering as much information as possible.” One additional wrinkle: MLB and the players union are in the late stages of negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement, and teams aren’t certain what some of the changes might mean, especially for such things as draft-pick compensation for free agency losses. A player with, say, two years of club control left, might have a certain added value under the current qualifying-offer system – but could have that value altered significantly depending on a system change. “I do think the CBA negotiations will have an influence on the way the offseason gets started,” Hoyer said. “How big an influence, we’re all unsure.” WAIT ‘TILL NEXT YEAR? How the Cubs’ roster breaks down heading into this week’s general managers meetings coming off their historic championship: Under contract 2017 salary SgndThru OF Jason Heyward $21.5 million 2023 LHP Jon Lester $20 million 2020* RHP John Lackey $17.5 million 2017 IF/OF Ben Zobrist $16 million 2019 C Miguel Montero $14 million 2017 1B Anthony Rizzo $7 million 2019* OF Jorge Soler $3 million 2020 2017 committed $99 million *-Plus club option(s) beyond. Arbitration eligible (2016 salaries in parentheses) – RHP Jake Arrieta ($10.7 million), RHP Pedro Strop ($4.4 million), RHP Hector Rondon ($4.2 million), RHP Justin Grimm ($1.275 million). Pre-arbitration/under club control – RHP Kyle Hendricks, LHP Mike Montgomery, RHP Carl Edwards Jr., LHP Rob Zastryzny, RHP Felix Pena, C/OF Kyle Schwarber, C Willson Contreras, IF Javy Baez, SS Addison Russell, 3B Kris Bryant, CF Albert Almora Jr., OF Matt Szczur, IF Tommy La Stella. Free agents – CF Dexter Fowler, LHP Aroldis Chapman, RHP Jason Hammel, LHP Travis Wood, OF Chris Coghlan, RHP Trevor Cahill, RHP Joe Smith, IF Munenori Kawasaki, C David Ross. -- Chicago Sun-Times Fittingly, flawless Kris Bryant is the face of the franchise By Rick Telander

Through the years, there have been a number of ‘‘faces’’ of the Cubs, and some have not been exactly gorgeous. I’m thinking of fellows such as Hack Wilson, Leo Durocher, maybe even Sammy Sosa here. It’s not that they were physically ugly, — though Wilson, when recovering from a bender, could make a mirror crack — it’s just that their character made them rather difficult to hug tightly. There were others, too. Ryne Sandberg was a good guy but was shy and had little to say. Andre Dawson was private and cool. Some stars flamed out or never achieved the greatness expected of them. But now we have young Kris Bryant, and if anyone could have happy-face-of-franchise written more starkly across his mug, it would have to be one of those smiley circles on a small-town water tower. Though only 24, Bryant has done things that have excited Cubs fans more than any player in years. Think of what he accomplished this season alone, only his second in the majors — 39 home runs, 102 RBI, 176 hits, 121 runs scored. Those are MVP numbers. And guess what? Bryant is almost a dead-solid lock to be voted the 2016 National League MVP. He’s doing this with his happy teammate Anthony Rizzo right behind, with near-MVP numbers himself. Indeed, Rizzo, a bit older at 27, is like a partial face of the Cubs himself. It’s just that there’s something about fresh kid Bryant that seems impossible to contain, as if the 6-5, 230-pound multiposition man has no limits and the sky is reachable. Though Bryant is lanky, he has a natural swing that is ferocious and beautiful. The other day at a practice game at empty Wrigley Field, I sat close enough to him while he warmed up in the on-deck circle to hear the wind sizzling as his bat flew through its arc. The sheer speed of the swing seemed magical. And it’s not as if Bryant is a shocking newbie who hasn’t been rewarded for his excellence. In high school in Las Vegas, he was named to USA Today’s All-USA baseball team. In 2013, he won the Golden Spikes Award as the best college player in the nation and was taken by the Cubs with the second pick in the amateur draft. He was sent to the Cubs’ farm system and promptly was named the 2014 Minor League Player of the Year. Brought up to the bigs in 2015, Bryant was named NL Rookie of the Year and played in the All-Star Game. This year, he again made the All-Star team, and, of course, it’s just a matter of a few weeks before he gets his MVP award. Is this crazy? I’ll answer: Yes, it is. Because what is left? Really, only a World Series crown and, one supposes, getting named the MVP of that little event. But here’s where Bryant’s good-hero side kicks in — he genuinely does not seem to be concerned with individual honors, something that seems real and is nice and that makes him appear to be a regular, humble fellow rather than a freak of baseball nature. ‘‘I’ve always said they’re just trophies,’’ Bryant said of all the hardware he has won or has yet to win. Gone are the days when he could do a Lyft ad and drive a car around Wrigley, as he did last year, picking up riders who either had no clue who he was or thought maybe he looked like a ballplayer they had seen on TV or the laundromat. ‘‘The expectations we have for ourselves are bigger than anything out there,’’ Bryant said after practice Thursday, again deflecting the individual-honors thing.

Bryant still seems caught up in all the sweetness of the game, of batting hard, running hard, cutting down on mistakes (he went from 199 strikeouts last year to 154 this year, while raising his batting average from .275 to .292) and proving his versatility (he played third base, left field, right field, center field, first base and DH this season). And then there’s that easy smile, those courteous responses and the blue eyes with the extraordinarily long eyelashes that make him at times look like a Ken doll with a helmet on. You know what they say: Chicks dig the long ball. At any rate, Bryant is the current face of a surging program. And it’s a fine match. -- Chicago Sun-Times ‘A city of MVPs:’ Cubs fans pack World Series parade, rally By Stefano Esposito, Andy Grimm, Mick Dumke and Alexandra Olsen Some fans still couldn’t believe it. Others wanted to savor every moment for family members who didn’t live long enough to see it happen. Many wanted to be part of history, while others wanted to celebrate the arrival of a new era. Fittingly, Joe Maddon called the day “Cubstock,” a play on the famed Woodstock music festival. Cubs nation gathered around Wrigley Field, poured into Grant Park and lined the streets in between on Friday for Chicago’s official celebration of the team’s first World Series title in 108 years. The rally itself lasted about an hour, with short speeches by a few Cubs players and executives who paid tribute to the city and its loyal fans. Outfielder and second-baseman Ben Zobrist, named the most valuable player of the World Series, hosted his MVP trophy as he gave credit to his teammates and the fans. “This is a team of MVPs, and we’re in a city of MVPs,” he said. Most of those MVPs awoke well before the crack of dawn. “This is where you want to be, where it all went down,” said J.P. Calkins, an Oswego resident who arrived outside Wrigley Field at 6 a.m. “You want to be here, with the fans you suffered with all these years.” The city’s Office of Emergency Management estimated a total of 5 million people assembled along the parade route and in Grant Park. That figure would put the total number of Cubs fans who descended on the city at nearly double its population of 2.7 million — and about equal the entire population of Cook County. The crowds in Chicago on Friday began assembling before dawn and led to delays on the roadways and CTA and Metra trains. When officials opened the gates around Grant Park’s Hutchinson Field, thousands of fans sprinted to get coveted spots near the front of the stage. Kevin Serlin was among them. “I don’t think I’ve run that much in probably two or three years,” said a delighted Serlin, 27, of Ukrainian Village. Like thousands of those who attended the victory party, Hutchinson didn’t have to skip work; his boss gave him and other coworkers the day off.

“Ever since that last out, I’ve kind of had that Anthony Rizzo feel — that glass case of emotion, on edge, so much excitement, haven’t slept much,” said Serlin, who awoke at 4:45 a.m. Friday. By 10 a.m. the sky was clear Cubbie blue, as was the Chicago River, dyed so for the celebration. An ocean of fans stretched back behind Serlin, pockets of which occasionally whooped and broke into bursts of “Let’s go Cubs!” The parade began outside Wrigley Field, where Jose Faria wore his Javier Baez jersey with a homemade World Series championship title belt draped over his shoulder. The amateur wrestler had brought it with him to Game 6 in Cleveland. “Some Cleveland fans tried to steal the belt,” said Faria, who wrestled under the Cubs-inspired moniker Loochie Sosa. “I had to give out some sweet chin music to get it back.” Lifelong Cubs fan Stephanie Foy pulled her daughters, Angela and Amelia, ages 13 and 11, out of school in Des Plaines to attend the rally at the ballpark. She’d also let them stay up late for all the playoff games. “I wouldn’t let them miss this,” Foy said. “They will probably live to see another World Series, but I may not. This will be something they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.” Cubs players waved at the cheering crowds and hoisted the World Series trophy from the top of double-decker buses. The caravan made its way through Wrigleyville to Lake Shore Drive, which was closed to traffic, and then along the Magnificent Mile and into the Loop. Fans in Cubs attire lined the streets. Sara Kruscynski, 20, of Hammond, Ind., was waiting for the team in Grant Park. She didn’t hesitate to admit that she’d skipped her organic chemistry class at Ball State University to be at the rally. “It’s so worth it,” she said. As was the case with many fans, the day was about more than baseball for Kruscynski. She wanted to enjoy the historic event for herself while thinking about her Cubs-loving grandfather who died a decade ago. “I’ve already cried twice today,” she said. But unlike so many previous seasons, many Cubs fans expect to be back in the Series again – and soon. Wearing custom-made replicas of the Cubs’ 1908 uniforms and makeup to give them a zombie-like pallor, two men who gave their names as “Frank Chance” and “Joe Tinker” – stars of that last championship team – walked away from the rally feeling confident about the future. The pair were part of a group of nine Cubs impersonators who attended games throughout the season, though the other seven didn’t attend the rally in costume. “We said if they ever won the World Series, we would all crawl back in the grave, but we decided to come out,” the faux Frank said. “I think they’ll be fine with this young ball club they have. “Of course, we thought we might have a good (team) in 1909, when we won 104 games, but we didn’t get the pennant….” Though most of the speeches at the rally didn’t match the electricity in the crowd, the fans didn’t want the day to end. Brian Sheehan, 35, and his buddy, Vasken Haroian, 35, sat on a piece of flattened cardboard near the edge of the muddy, trash-strewn Hutchinson Field. Both men had tears in their eyes. They had no plans to go home soon. The field was almost empty. “I’m just soaking it in,” said Haroian, who lives in Waukegan.

Beside him, Sheehan’s shoulders shook as he sobbed, remembering grandparents who were with him Friday only in spirit. “It’s just amazing,” said a husky-voiced Sheehan. “Finally.” ABOUT THAT CROWD ESTIMATE . . . Even considering the Cubs’ strong fan base, experts said the 5 million crowd-estimate figure is highly dubious — as are previous estimates of 2 million for the Blackhawks’ 2013 Stanley Cup celebration and 1.75 million for the White Sox’ 2005 victory parade. Curt Westergard, President and Director of Research at DigitalDesign and Imaging Service Inc., said crowds at large events are typically overestimated. Westergard’s company estimates the “carrying capacity” of various event spaces using aerial photographs, 3-D modeling and complex math. Moving crowds are the most difficult to measure because of the likelihood of double-counting. The 5 million figure the city set for Friday is “a lot more hope than science,” Westergard said. “The top five biggest events in Washington, D.C., have barely broken 250,000.” Here are the numbers announced for some victory celebrations in Chicago: Cubs 2016: 5 million Blackhawks 2013: 2 million Barack Obama’s 2008 victory speech: 240,000 White Sox 2005: 1.75 million Bulls 1991: 1 million Bulls 1996: 250,000 Bears 1986 (for 1985 team): 350,000 (held in sub-freezing temperatures at Daley Plaza) Sources: Office of Emergency Management; Chicago Police Department, Mayor’s Office of Special Events -- Daily Herald Chicago Cubs decline option on pitcher Hammel By Bruce Miles The Chicago Cubs on Sunday declined the $12 million club option on right-handed starting pitcher Jason Hammel, making him a free agent. This season, the 34-year-old Hammel went 15-10 with a 3.83 ERA in 30 regular-season starts. He was not a part of the Cubs' postseason roster for any of the three postseason rounds. Cubs president Theo Epstein praised Hammel. "First, I want to thank Jason for all of his contributions in his almost three seasons as a Cub," Epstein said as quoted in a news release. "He was an effective, reliable starter the entire time he was a Cub, and this year he was an integral part of one of the best rotations in club history.

"We would not have been in a position to win the World Series without Jason's terrific performance during the regular season. Jason and his family have been outstanding members of our organization and our community, and we are proud of their time with and impact on the Cubs. "While Jason is healthy and primed to have another effective season in 2017, we have decided to consider other internal and external options for our starting rotation next year. "Our hope is that by giving a starting opportunity to some younger pitchers under multiple years of club control, we can unearth a starter who will help us not only in 2017 but also in 2018 and beyond." One of those options could be left-hander Mike Montgomery, whom the Cubs obtained from Seattle in a July trade. Montgomery proved to a valuable swing man, and he earned a save in Game 7 of the World Series against the Cleveland Indians. The Cubs originally signed Hammel as a free agent before the 2014 season. While still in a rebuilding mode, they traded him to Oakland in July 2014 in a deal that brought shortstop Addison Russell to Chicago. In December 2014 the Cubs again signed Hammel as a free agent, to a two-year deal with the club option. During both the 2015 and 2016 seasons, Hammel expressed displeasure at times at being taken out of games early by manager Joe Maddon. "When we agreed with Jason on this two-year contract back at the 2014 winter meetings, the option was included with the intent that it would be exercised if Jason was going to be a Cub in 2017," Epstein said in his statement. "The intent was never to exercise the option and then trade Jason, so we will not consider that path. Instead, Jason will have the opportunity to enter free agency coming off an outstanding season and the ability to choose his next club. "Meanwhile, the organization gains some flexibility and the opportunity to use a rotation spot to develop a younger, long-term starting pitcher. We wish the Hammels nothing but the absolute best going forward. "We would certainly be open to Jason rejoining the organization in the future, but even if that never happens we will always consider him a Cub and be thankful for his role in delivering a World Series championship to the people of Chicago." -- Daily Herald Kasper: A lifetime of memories from a spectacular Cubs season By Len Kasper This was simply the most fun spring, summer and fall of baseball I have ever witnessed. The memories, moments and oddities are flooding my brain, in no particular order … Embracing the target, the Mother's Day marathon, the Kris Bryant game, Jake Arrieta's no-hitter, the pennant-clincher by Kyle Hendricks, Kyle Schwarber's devastating injury and subsequent miraculous return. Dexter Fowler's surprise re-signing, all-star season and Game 7 leadoff homer. Addison Russell's dives and his Game 6 grand slam, Javier Baez's hands, lightning-quick tags and his MLB tattoo, Willson Contreras' energy, Travis Wood's catch in the ivy on national television and October home run. David Ross' throws, sense of humor and Game 7 home run. Anthony Rizzo's ledge catch. And his leadership. And his charitable heart.

Jason Heyward's professionalism. And his defense. Rob Zastryzny's last name. And Matt Szczur's too. Szczur's bat. And his underwear. Police escorts to the ballparks and airports. Ben Zobrist's walk-up music. And his MVP Series. Ryan Kalish's inspirational, albeit brief, return, Munenori Kawasaki's spring training home run. John Lackey's facial expressions, Jon Lester's scowls, and his work ethic. Miguel Montero's tweets and his championship series grand slam. Pat Hughes' iconic pennant-clinching and World Series-winning radio calls, Ron Coomer's laugh and Jim Deshaies' one-liners. Kris Bryant's versatility. And his baserunning. And power. And his infectious smile. And his All-Star Game home run off Chris Sale. Pedro Strop's crooked cap. And his quick pitch, Carl Edwards Jr.'s skinny frame, and ridiculous stuff. Chris Bosio's no-nonsense interviews, bullpen coach Lester Strode's class and positivity, and strength coach Tim Buss' inspirational pre-team stretch speeches. Billy Williams' batting cage observations, and Ryne Sandberg in the stands wearing his Cubs hat. Aroldis Chapman's fastball, Hector Rondon's slider, and Mike Montgomery's World Series-clinching save. Bob Newhart's tweets, Jason Hammel's beard, and Beanie Maddon's police escort to Game 3. Jake Arrieta's beard, his flat-brimmed cap, and his flawless posture. A jam-packed Clark Street before, during and after the NLCS clincher. Tom Ricketts' commitment and Cubs fans' undying loyalty. Theo Epstein's contract extension, and his fake mustache. The immortal spirit and legacy of Ron Santo and Ernie Banks. Wrigley Field under the lights with a packed house going bonkers. And in the quiet mornings before the gates open. Joe's Maddonisms. Respect 90. Try not to suck. Never permit the pressure to exceed the pleasure. Do simple better. Kyle Hendricks' major-league leading earned run average. And his steely demeanor. Eddie Vedder cheering from the front row, Jeff Garlin and Bill Murray singing the stretch, and Eddie's duet with Harry. Hendricks' devastating changeup. Lester's cutter and competitiveness, Arrieta's slider and home run power.

John's Vincent singing our national anthem, Julianna Zobrist's "God Bless America," and Wayne Messmer's voice. All the crazy themed road trips. John Mallee's work ethic and Mike Borzello's game plans. Gary Jones' toothpick, and his gutsy sends. Brandon Hyde playing catch with his son Colton in the outfield. Javier Baez's homer vs. the Giants, Addison Russell's blast in Los Angeles and their pennant-clinching double play. Albert Almora Jr.'s defensive instincts. Postgame celebrations. Post-series celebrations. October, color-changing ivy. 25-6, 47-20, 103-58. 22-6 in August. 656 walks and 808 runs. Plus-252 run differential. A 3.15 team ERA. Eliminating the Giants in their own ballpark. Beating Clayton Kershaw for a trip to the World Series. Cubs baseball in November. Game 7. All of it in its wacky, heart-wrenching glory. AC 0000000. National League Central Champions, National League pennant winners for the first time in 71 years, World Series Champions for the first time in 108 years. -- Daily Herald Some magical Cubs moments that will last forever By Bruce Miles When you cover a team through Game 7 of the World Series, there are too many memories to count. In no particular order and for no particular reason, here are a few things that stuck with me. World Series, Game 7: From the first pitch to the last out, I have never heard such noise or felt the swings of emotion in any ballpark.

With the thousands of Cubs fans and thousands of Indians fans singing and chanting back and forth, I could well have been at a European or South American soccer match than at a World Series game. The decibel level was earsplitting. And there was a spirit of good sportsmanship about it. When the Indians tied the game in the eighth inning, the look of shocked disbelief on the Cubs fans' faces at Progressive Field was almost too much to bear. With deadline approaching, I was working on three game stories simultaneously: one if the Cubs won, one if the Cubs lost and another with the game going into rain delay as deadline came. Ben Zobrist's facial expression when he hit the tiebreaking double in the 10th was priceless, as was Anthony Rizzo stuffing the ball from the final out into his back pocket. And let's not forget Albert Almora Jr., a rookie, tagging up on Kris Bryant's flyball in the 10th -- that was as heady a play as you'll see. A backup shall lead them: The legend of David Ross morphed organically into something otherworldly. Every team has a backup catcher. Most are veterans who play once or twice a week and understand their role. When the Cubs signed Ross before the 2015 season, they envisioned him providing some veteran leadership and catching the starts of left-hander Jon Lester. But Ross turned into a vocal team leader, one who was never afraid to get into a teammate's ear on the rare occasion it was needed. He became "Grandpa Rossy" this year, his farewell season. In the final home game of the regular season, manager Joe Maddon came out and sent Ross off to a standing ovation. "It's gone way off script," Ross said of what's happened here. "I think signing here, this was one of my favorite places to play as a visiting player. As a visiting player I loved the city and Wrigley Field. Coming from a place that was a lot of baseball history before I came here (Boston), I loved that. I loved that market. I loved the big market. "And playing against this group in 2014, I saw how much talent there was. They came into Boston and swept us. And Jake Arrieta almost no-hit us and we were a really good lineup, so I knew that if they signed Jonny they had two number ones. … And so you're like, well, two aces and that kind of lineup, Jon was coming here, comfort, I knew Theo (team president Epstein) from Boston. There's a lot of comfort there." A couple of kids: When the season began, relief pitcher Carl Edwards Jr. and catcher Willson Contreras were at Class AAA Iowa. On the night of June 19 at Wrigley Field, Contreras came up to the plate to make his major-league debut. He promptly hit the first pitch he saw for a home run. Into November, Edwards and Contreras were playing in Game 7 of the World Series and looking like they belonged there. The aftermath: Following the final out of Game 7, three writers were allowed inside the Cubs clubhouse for the trophy presentation and the initial popping of the corks: Carrie Muskat of cubs.com, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune and me. Being a lifelong resident of Chicago or the Chicago area and having covered baseball in some way since 1989 and the Cubs every day since 1998, there was no bigger thrill than to witness that kind of history. --

Daily Herald Imrem: Imagine what else Theo Epstein could do beyond baseball By Mike Imrem "Theo Epstein 4 President" buttons should be popping up by now. But, you say, he already is the Cubs' president of baseball operations. We're talking about a higher calling for a higher office: President of the United States. No, really. The country could do worse, don't you think? Usually when someone wins a championship in a rabid sports town like Chicago it's said that he could run for mayor. The legend of Theo Epstein has grown above that now that he has delivered a World Series to Wrigley Field. Five years ago, Epstein was welcomed to Chicago. It seems at once like a century ago and like just yesterday. At that news conference on Oct. 25, 2011, Epstein was as impressive as he was while winning two World Series as general manager of the Boston Red Sox. It was easy that day to start believing Epstein would win a championship with the Cubs, too ... which you might recall he did last week. So back then I asked Epstein why baseball instead of something more important? After all, it is only sports. The point of the question was that someone as intelligent, polished and successful as Epstein could do so much good in so many other areas. Politics, I suggested. Epstein recoiled a little and mentioned that I didn't even know what his party affiliation was. Didn't matter and still doesn't. Has anyone noticed lately the state of presidential politics as Election Day approaches? Epstein's baseball record sure does seem to make him a better option. My goodness, Epstein the GM in Boston helped win the Red Sox's first championship in 86 years. Now Epstein the club president has helped the Cubs win their first championship in 108 years. It's no wonder that a Chicago newspaper portrayed Epstein walking on water just before his first game with the Cubs. This isn't to diminish Epstein's baseball accomplishments or to diminish sports in general because they mean so much to so many people. But there really is so much more good that needs to be done in society than winning games. What I'm thinking about Epstein I always think about great athletes like Michael Jordan. What if they applied their competitiveness, drive and desire to succeed in an area like cancer research, or international diplomacy, or social justice?

Maybe Jordan is a bad example considering that he hasn't been able to build the Charlotte Hornets into an NBA champion. The difference is that Epstein skipped the playing end of sports and made his name as an architect of champions. With the Red Sox (of all teams) and with the Cubs (really, really, really of all teams). Couldn't government use some of Epstein's specialties: Culture changing, organization building, a single heartbeat? Winning championships with the Red Sox and Cubs is to sports what erasing hunger and homelessness would be to the world. Cubs manager Joe Maddon was asked by The New York Times not long ago to identify Epstein's greatest attribute. "Just ridiculous intelligence," Maddon was quoted as saying. "He has this crazy ability to take a situation and reduce it so quickly into its simplest form and then give you options that make the most sense." So, Mr. Epstein, how about those "Theo 4 President" placards at the championship rally? You can even keep your day job with the Cubs, too, if you want. -- Daily Herald Rozner: Cubs' Ross puts ultimate exclamation on career By Barry Rozner A few minutes before the start of Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, David Ross walked out to home plate at Progressive Field. Joe Maddon had given him the lineup card and his job was to deliver it for the final time of his playing career. He shook hands with all six umpires on the World Series crew, chatted briefly, and slowly returned to the Cubs' dugout, looking into the stands and taking it all in. At that moment, it was possible that those would be his last steps on a playing field as an active player. A couple hours later, Jon Lester replaced Kyle Hendricks on the mound and Ross replaced Willson Contreras behind the plate. Ross had a new lease on life. Again. A home plate ump with a sense of humor might have recalled aging Cowboy John Wayne at the end of his career in the movie "Big Jake," when various characters kept repeating to the veteran actor, "I thought you was dead." Said Wayne in full twang each time, "Not hardly." It would have worked for Ross in Game 7, when he had a particularly busy game for someone of his maturity. "Old guys like me are supposed to go out quietly," Ross screamed with laughter, over the din of the postgame celebration. "I guess not."

Later in the Cubs' dugout, shielded from a postgame monsoon outside and a champagne bath inside, Ross sat with his wife and children and more reasonably discussed what had just occurred, out of harm's way and away from an unruly clubhouse. "I had a feeling Jon would pitch," Ross said. "Joe mapped it out for us pretty good (Tuesday) night, so I thought I would get in there at some point. "All hands on deck. Last game of the season. I don't have any more games to play so I was ready to play." Kyle Hendricks had made few mistakes in Game 7 when he got squeezed on what should have been a called third strike to end the fifth inning. But after Carlos Santana walked and with Hendricks at only 63 pitches and having had two very good innings, Maddon made the double switch and brought in Lester and Ross. A swinging-bunt basehit and an errant Ross throw down the first-base line put runners on second and third. When a Lester pitch bounced in front of the plate, hit Ross in the mask and scooted 30 feet away, both runners made it home and it was 5-3. Ross, however, redeemed himself quickly when he jumped on a 1-2 pitch from all-world reliever Andrew Miller and blasted it to the deepest part of the park and over a leaping Rajai Davis for a 406-foot solo shot and a 6-3 Cubs lead. "Lot of action there, right?" Ross said. "I felt like I came in the game and gave up two quick ones. "I didn't get a good grip on that ball (Jason) Kipnis hit. Rushed it a bit, the adrenaline of the game. They get 2 runs. I was glad to hit the home run and get a run back for us. Was really happy about that." From there, Lester was brilliant. He went 3 innings on two days' rest, throwing 55 pitches, giving up 3 hits with a walk and 4 strikeouts. He should have been the World Series MVP and victorious in Games 5 and 7 of a series in which his team trailed 3-1. But Maddon again could not sit still. With two outs in the eighth, a hard hit ball up the middle looked like the third out. Ross was running off the field. Addison Russell probably should have had it, but he overran it and the ball clanked off his glove. With a runner on first, Maddon went to closer Aroldis Chapman to get 4 outs and Chapman immediately found trouble. After throwing 42 pitches Sunday and 20 Tuesday, Chapman gave up a run-scoring double to Brandon Guyer and Cleveland was within a pair. On a 2-2 count, Davis fouled off a pair and then ripped a 2-run homer to left and Game 7 of the World Series was tied at 6-6 in the bottom of the eighth. But Ross said there was no fear on the Cubs' side and during a rain delay before the 10th inning, the players got together for a brief discussion. They remembered they were good and what they had overcome already in the postseason, and had no thoughts of this becoming a disaster. "That's what people that aren't winners do. That's not what we did," Ross said. "That's people who worry about the problems instead of pushing forward. "You have to be positive. You can't worry about what happened. You have to look ahead. "It doesn't matter if it was tied or even if they had taken the lead. You continue to have your at-bats the way you're supposed to and make pitches the way you're supposed to. "Losers worry about the problems."

After the winners won, Ross and wife Hyla were speechless in trying to describe what had just occurred. The very popular Ross had gone out on top, standing ovations to the end, hitting a home run in Game 7 of the World Series, and helping end a 108-year drought while winning the championship in extra innings after blowing a lead with your closer on the mound. Where do you start? "I honestly don't know," Ross said. "It's a classic if I ever saw one. Back and forth, extra innings, some of the best pitchers in baseball giving up homers on both sides. "It says a lot about this group of guys. Always resilient, never quit, that's the mantra and you saw it in Game 7 of the World Series. "For me to go out this way, oh my gosh. It's storybook. You can't write it any better. It's amazing. My family is here and I'm a part of this special group of guys. "What else can you ask for? You can't make this stuff up. I can't find the words. Maybe you can find the words for me." Not hardly. -- Daily Herald Millions celebrate at Cubs parade, Grant Park rally By Christopher Placek and Doug T. Graham The Chicago Cubs celebrated in grand style with millions of fans Friday throughout the city in a rally and parade 108 years in the making. Indeed, these weren't just Chicago baseball players, Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts observed, but "Chicago baseball legends." An estimated 5 million revelers clad in Cubbie blue descended on Wrigleyville, the North Side and downtown for the 6-mile-long parade and rally at Grant Park's Hutchinson Field to celebrate the 2016 World Series champions. If that crowd number provided by Chicago city officials is right, it would beat previous estimates for Blackhawks Stanley Cup parades (2 million) and the White Sox World Series celebration in 2005 (1.2 million). Suburban paradegoers packed onto Metra trains early in the morning to get downtown, while many businesses called off work or allowed employees to work from home. The afternoon commute home was no less inviting; Metra officials think it may have been the busiest day in the rail service's history. The celebration was largely safe. Chicago police reported six arrests for battery, damage to city property, disorderly conduct and operating a drone, the city said. The Chicago Fire Department reported 33 medical emergencies. Motor boats moved up and down the Chicago River early in the day, dyeing it a shade of bright blue to match the team's color. A rally for the ages It's been seven years since Ricketts and his family bought the team from the Tribune Co. and five years since the hiring of team President Theo Epstein, the former Boston Red Sox executive who now has the distinction of having shaped two franchises with long histories of losing into World Series champions.

That history wasn't lost on Epstein, who thanked Cubs fans at the Friday afternoon rally for sticking with the team during a grueling rebuilding process that included a 101-loss team and having to trade away fan-favorite players. "Let me be honest: For a while there, we forgot the 'not' in 'Try Not to Suck,'" Epstein joked, in reference to Manager Joe Maddon's T-shirts. "But you stayed with us." The result of Epstein's promised rebuild came to fruition Wednesday night in the 10th inning of Game 7 of the World Series, after a 17-minute rain delay and a motivational team meeting led by outfielder Jason Heyward. "I saw all 25 guys huddled shoulder-to-shoulder in the weight room. Instead of lamenting, 'What happened?' after blowing the lead, they said, 'Let's do this. Let's pick it up. We're going to win this game. We're going to win it for each other. We're going to win this for the fans.' "As soon as I heard that, I stopped and said, 'We're going to win this game.'" Epstein brought Maddon to the podium with the World Series trophy -- to the roar of thousands packed into Grant Park. "Welcome to Cub-stock 2016," said Maddon, who in February ushered in spring training in Mesa, Arizona, with a tie-dye shirt and brown 1976 Dodge van reminiscent of the infamous Woodstock music festival. Maddon kept it cool as ever Friday, wearing his unbuttoned Cubs jersey that revealed the latest T-shirt in his fashion line: "We Did Not Suck 2016." "Let's hope it's not another 108 years," he told the crowd. "Let's repeat this and come back next year." Ben Zobrist, holding his World Series MVP trophy, recalled playing baseball as a kid growing up in Eureka, Illinois, often getting inspiration from "Rocky" movies. It was no wonder then that Zobrist, now 35, was inspired when teammate Anthony Rizzo started playing "Rocky" movies in the clubhouse during the World Series. "This team answered the bell," Zobrist said. "Games 5, 6 and 7 were like a heavyweight fight, and this ballclub pulled through for all of you." Rizzo, the player on the team the longest at four years, gave a nod to those Cubs greats who came so close to championships of their own before ultimately falling short, including the 1969 team led by Ernie Banks, Billy Williams and Ron Santo. Williams, wearing his No. 26 jersey, was joined on stage by No. 23 Ryne Sandberg. Both had their numbers retired by the organization. "Every single person who has worn this jersey won this trophy with us the other day," Rizzo said. He referred to catcher David Ross as a brother, who taught him lessons on and off the field. "I'm forever grateful for him," said Rizzo, barely able to hold back tears over the 39-year-old player who hit a home run in his last game before retirement. "He's going out a champion forever." Ross brought out country singer Brett Eldredge, who grew up in Paris, Illinois, to lead the crowd in "Go Cubs Go." Players gathered on stage with the trophy to take selfies, amid a seemingly endless stream of red and blue confetti and the sounds of sports anthem "We Are the Champions." Paradegoers part of history

For the thousands of Cubs fans lining the parade route Friday morning outside Wrigley Field, time seemed to stand still as the 2016 World Series trophy, hoisted first by Cubs co-owner Todd Ricketts and then by Epstein, made its first public appearance in 108 years at the corner of Clark and Addison streets just after 10:45 a.m. Some two dozen open-top, double-decker buses passed by the gathered thousands, some of whom arrived before dawn to guarantee their spot to see history. The red buses, covered on either side with blue banners proclaiming "2016 World Series Champions," carried players, coaches, front office management, alumni, broadcasters, team sponsors, politicians and their families. The procession took some two hours to make its way along Addison to Lake Shore Drive, then Michigan Avenue and finally Columbus Drive before reaching the rally location in Grant Park. The biggest cheer from the crowd outside Wrigley was reserved for Zobrist, who hit the memorable breakthrough RBI double in the top of the 10th inning of Game 7. Comeback kid Kyle Schwarber, returning for the World Series after being injured in the third game of the season, pumped up the crowd by lifting his arms up and down. Rizzo, pointing number ones into the sky, Dexter Fowler with a cigar in hand, and Kris Bryant, wearing a WWE-style championship belt with Cubs logos, were all smiles. The parade reportedly started some 45 minutes late because players had a hard time getting to the ballpark because of the big crowds and traffic. As the procession finally got underway, fans held out phones to snap pictures, while those lucky enough to ride on the double-deckers or trolleys snapped photos back to capture the throng of gathered fanatics. Among those standing in the front row behind metal barricades was Steve May, a Joliet resident who secured his spot at Clark and Addison at 3:30 a.m. Next to him was his 31-year-old son, Ryne, named after the legendary Cubs second baseman. May, who has had stage 4 cancer for the last two years, watched part of the Cubs 2016 playoff run in a hospital intensive care unit. He got well enough to be home for their National League pennant and World Series victories. May called the World Series championship a "fulfillment." "I've been waiting 58 years for this," May said. "I didn't think I'd ever see it. This is the happiest day of my life." Some fans waved flags -- among them the distinctive "W" -- while others held World Series pennants. Construction workers wearing neon vests and hard hats paused to watch, too, taking a break from work on the hotel expected to open across from Wrigley Field on Clark Street in 2018. The ballpark setting could have been a scene from an Opening Day of yesteryear -- red, white and blue bunting draped from rafters; city, state and team flags hung from poles; and the historic red marquee proclaiming "Wrigley Field, Home of Chicago Cubs." Except on this day, the sign read "World Series Champions." -- Cubs.com 'Go Cubs Go' takes on deeper meaning By Mike Bauman Here's a not-completely-anticipated bonus to the Cubs winning the 2016 World Series: We get to hear a Steve Goodman song on a regular basis.

OK, "Go Cubs Go" was not Goodman's best work. But it is a catchy, upbeat little ditty, and it has become the Cubs' victory anthem at Wrigley Field. If you watched "Saturday Night Live" this weekend, you saw the song being sung by the Cubs' Anthony Rizzo, Dexter Fowler and David Ross, along with super fan/comic Bill Murray and a group of backup singers. Some 32 years after the song was written, it had climbed to the top of the American cultural charts. Goodman was a singer-songwriter, a little guy with a big talent, a beautiful, rich baritone voice, an ability to craft a really good song and a terrific sense of humor. For those of us who had a chance to know him, he was more than just a dynamic musical talent. He was a fanatical Cubs fan, no doubt about that. But he was a remarkable human being. He battled leukemia for most of his adult life. And his adult life did not last anywhere near as long as it deserved to last. Goodman died in September 1984, at age 36, just days before the Cubs clinched the National League East title. So, every time I hear Goodman singing "Go Cubs Go" again, there is also sadness to it. But it also serves as a reminder of the music he made. And that is always a good thing. He had a lot of wonderful songs, funny songs, sad songs, historical songs and contemporary songs. His best-known song was undoubtedly "City of New Orleans," the song about the Illinois Central train with the disappearing railroad blues, which was made famous by Arlo Guthrie, heir to America's folk tradition. Guthrie, in his live appearances for years, would tell the story of Goodman giving him the song and asking him to take the song to Johnny Cash. "I didn't see Johnny Cash," Guthrie said dryly, "mostly because I was trying not to." It was a wonderful song and a number of prominent performers covered it. A Willie Nelson version of the song won a posthumous Country Grammy Award for Goodman. There was another Cub-centered song in the Goodman catalog that was more of a multifaceted effort than "Go Cubs Go." It was "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request." Among the dying Cub fan's wishes were these: "Make six bullpen pitchers carry my coffin, and six groundskeepers clear my path Have the umpires bark me out at every base In all their holy wrath. It's a beautiful day for a funeral, Hey Ernie, let's play two! Somebody go get Jack Brickhouse to come back, and conduct just one more interview Have the Cubbies run right out into the middle of the field, Have Keith Moreland drop a routine fly Give everybody two bags of peanuts and a frosty malt And I'll be ready to die." A lot of us had that frosty malt in our younger days. But here is the refrain from the "Last Request." "Do they still play the blues in Chicago When baseball season rolls around? When the snow melts away, Do the Cubbies still play In their ivy-covered burial ground? When I was a boy they were my pride and joy But now they only bring fatigue

To the home of the brave The land of the free And the doormat of the National League." That was written in 1983, a much less optimistic time for Cubs fans, which also means it was a much more typical time for Cubs fans than the present. I would like to hear what Goodman could do, in terms of words and music, with a World Series championship. In lieu of that, "Go Cubs Go," seems to be a much more meaningful song than ever before. It was always a comfort to think that Goodman would live on as long as people heard "City of New Orleans." Now, we add "Go Cubs Go" to his eternal playlist. -- Cubs.com Cubs decline Hammel's 2017 option By Manny Randhawa The Cubs have declined their 2017 contract option for starting pitcher Jason Hammel. The 34-year-old right-hander came to the end of a two-year, $20 million contract with Chicago after the club won its first World Series in 108 years on Wednesday. The Cubs decided not to exercise the $12 million option. Hammel went 15-10 with a 3.83 ERA in 30 starts for the Cubs in 2016, contributing to the Majors' best overall starting rotation. Hammel first signed with the Cubs as a free agent following the '13 season, but Chicago traded him to the A's in July 2014 along with Jeff Samardzija in the deal that brought shortstop Addison Russell to the Cubs. In two-plus seasons with the Cubs, Hammel went 33-22 with a 3.59 ERA in 78 appearances (all starts). He pitched for Chicago in the 2015 postseason, going 0-1 with a 14.54 ERA (seven earned runs in 4 1/3 innings pitched) in two starts, one in the National League Division Series and one in the NL Championship Series. He was not on the postseason roster this year. "While Jason is healthy and primed to have another effective season in 2017, we have decided to consider other internal and external options for our starting rotation next year," said Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein in a written statement. "Our hope is that by giving a starting opportunity to some younger pitchers under multiple years of club control, we can unearth a starter who will help us not only in 2017 but also in 2018 and beyond." Hammel, an 11-year-veteran, joins the list of starting pitchers available on the free-agent market this offseason, including Rich Hill -- who posted a 12-5 record and 2.12 ERA for the A's and Dodgers in 2016 -- and Jeremy Hellickson and Bartolo Colon, who each had solid seasons entering free agency. This move could benefit lefty Mike Montgomery, who made five starts with the Cubs after he was acquired from the Mariners for Dan Vogelbach. Montgomery compiled a 2.82 ERA in 17 appearances with the Cubs. As a starter this year, he was 1-1 with a 3.28 ERA in seven games, (including two with the Mariners. The Cubs' list of free agents also includes Dexter Fowler, Aroldis Chapman, Travis Wood, Joe Smith, Chris Coghlan, Trevor Cahill, and David Ross, who has said he's retiring after this season. -- Cubs.com Wrigley, millions: Cubs celebration epic By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- They came by train, by car, by bike and by kayak. They lined the streets around Wrigley Field, Lake Shore Drive and totally overwhelmed downtown Chicago. City officials estimate 5 million Cubs fans, nearly all wearing Cubbie blue and many carrying "W" flags, celebrated the newly crowned World Series champions on Friday. This party was for all the current Cubs fans giddy after a 103-win club snapped a 108-year drought, and for those who weren't here but helped foster their children's love of the team. "I've been around baseball for a bit," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "Never, never have I experienced anything like Wrigley Field on a nightly basis, never have I experienced anything like the conversations that I have with all of you when I run into you on the street. It's different, it's spectacular, it's comfortable, it's warm and it's the way it should be. I want to congratulate the fans and thank you for being so patient." Patient? The last Cubs championship was in 1908, when the city of Chicago's population was about 2 million. The stars of that team were Mordecai Brown, Orval Overall, Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers and Frank Chance. This year's stars included Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell, Kris Bryant, Jon Lester and Ben Zobrist. Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said that whenever he visited the Minor League affiliates, he would tell the young players they could be heroes someday. "The men who are on the field when the Cubs win the World Series will not just be Chicago baseball players, but they are going to be Chicago baseball legends," Ricketts said. A motorcade of more than 40 buses carrying the players and their families left Wrigley Field around 11 a.m. CT for a one-hour parade and were greeted by loud cheers from the start. They wound their way to Lake Shore Drive, heading southbound toward Michigan Avenue. Motorists going north pulled over to the far left lane to stop and wave. "The amount of people here is mind-boggling," pitcher Jake Arrieta said as they traveled down Michigan Avenue. It was the seventh-largest gathering in human history and the biggest in the Western hemisphere. The following is the top 10 largest gatherings: 1. Kumbh Mela pilgrimage, India, 2013 (30 million) 2. Arba'een festival, Iraq, 2014 (17 million) 3. Funeral of C.N. Annadurai, India, 1969 (15 million) 4. Funeral of Ayatollah Khomeini, Iran, 1989 (10 million) 5. Pope Francis in the Philippines, 2015 (6 million) 6. World Youth Day, 1995 (5 million) 7. Cubs World Series parade (5 million) 8. Funeral of Gamal Abdel Nasser, 1970 (5 million) 9. Rod Stewart concert, Brazil, 1994 (3.5 million) 10. Hajj pilgrimage, Mecca, Saudi Arabia, 2012 (3 million) Nobody must have gone to work or school on Friday. By cosmic coincidence, many kids had an off day from school anyway. But for anybody who had class, here's guessing notes from parents or guardians would be unnecessary. The crowds shut down traffic downtown as fans gathered for a glimpse of their favorite players to take quick snapshots -- and the players reciprocated by taking photos of the fans. "Way more people are here than I ever could've imagined," Game 7 starter Kyle Hendricks said. "This is wild -- we want to do it again and again." Once the motorcade reached Grant Park, a video with season highlights, including the postseason games, was played, and a few of the Cubs players snuck out from behind the backdrop to peek at the sea of fans. Maddon called the event "Cubsstock."

"You'll remember this moment for the rest of your lives," Cubs radio announcer and emcee Pat Hughes said. Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein definitely will. "One hundred and eight years -- ridiculous," Epstein said to the crowd. "One hundred and eight years of support, patience, love for this team, waiting for what happened two nights ago in Cleveland. I've been here for five years, and we've asked a lot of you and we've put you through a lot over the last five years. One hundred one losses, trading for players you've come to know and love for guys you've never heard of, trading 40 percent of the rotation three years in a row, asking you guys to follow the Draft and follow the Minor Leagues. ... You stayed with us." Both Epstein and Ricketts said they have met numerous older fans who told them they wanted to live to see the Cubs win a World Series. Now they can celebrate. The fans' support helped propel the Cubs through the tough times in the postseason, Epstein said. He also thanked Ernie Banks and Ron Santo for divine intervention and providing the rain delay at the right moment prior to the 10th inning in Game 7 at Progressive Field. It gave the players a chance to regroup. "I was walking in the clubhouse and saw all 25 guys huddled together, shoulder to shoulder in the weight room, and instead of lamenting what happened and blowing the lead, they were picking each other up," Epstein said. "'We got you, we've got this, let's keep grinding, we're the best team in baseball, we're going to win this game, we're going to win it for each other, we're going to win it for the fans, let's go do this.' As soon as I heard that, I said, 'We're going to win this game.' "We've all dreamed of this and this has exceeded our wildest dreams," he said. The festivities included country singer Brett Eldredge leading the crowd in singing "Go Cubs Go," which is played after the team wins at Wrigley Field. Rizzo presented Ricketts with the baseball from the final out, which he had tucked in his back pocket after catching the throw from Bryant on Wednesday. Rizzo and his teammates also had a chance for one more emotional goodbye to veteran catcher David Ross, 39, who is retiring after this crazy season. What a way to go. Zobrist, named the World Series MVP, recalled how Ross inspired the Cubs when they were down, 3-1, in the best-of-seven Fall Classic. "It was silent in that clubhouse, let me tell you," Zobrist said of the feeling after the Game 4 loss. "And then the man, the myth, the legend, David Ross spoke up. He said, 'No, don't do that. Don't hang your heads.' He said, 'We're the best team, we've come back, we've won three games in a row a lot this year and we're going to do it.'" The next day, Rizzo was playing "Rocky" movies in the clubhouse and shouting out quotes from the films, which Zobrist said inspired him when he was growing up in Eureka, Ill. "You better believe when he started that stuff up, I was pumped up," Zobrist said. "Sure enough, this team answered the bell. Games 5, 6, 7, it was like a heavyweight fight, and this ballclub pulled through for all of you." And by the millions, the fans cheered. These Cubs, beloved by so many generations of Chicagoans, have ascended to the top of the steps. -- Cubs.com Emotional Rizzo salutes fans, Ross By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- When Anthony Rizzo caught Kris Bryant's throw across the infield for the final out in the 10th inning of Game 7 of the World Series against the Indians, securing a Cubs win for their first title since 1908, the first baseman tucked the baseball into his back pocket. Rizzo made sure to give that ball to a member of the front-office staff to protect during the wild celebration after the Series win on Wednesday in Cleveland. On Friday, Rizzo presented that ball to Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts during the team's rally at Grant Park. The gift was part of an exuberant celebration in Chicago that included a parade from Wrigley Field to Grant Park and drew an estimated 5 million people. For Rizzo, it was an emotional day. When he was introduced, the first baseman addressed the thousands gathered at Hutchinson Field. "It happened, baby," he said. "It happened." Rizzo is well aware of the hard times the fans have endured to get to this point. "I was here during the bad times and got so much into the culture of the Chicago Cubs," Rizzo said. "Every single person who has worn this jersey, I feel, won the World Series with us." He cited recent players like Kerry Wood and Ryan Dempster, but also Hall of Famers Ernie Banks, Billy Williams and Ron Santo. "Every single player who is still living has been a big reason we're here and a big part of this," Rizzo said. The last player introduced was catcher David Ross, who has become a cult hero. Ross, a.k.a. Grandpa Rossy, is retiring, but he made an incredible impact on the team. "Gramps and I sat down a few years ago in the offseason before his last year with Boston," Rizzo said. "He was a free agent. We just talked. We have the same agency, and we're talking, and I said to my agent, 'Man, this is exactly what the Chicago Cubs need, he's exactly what we need to bring everything together.' "He taught myself personally how to become a real winner," said Rizzo, who then got choked up. "He's like a brother to me. He's taught me a lot in life on the field, off the field, how to be a better person. I'm forever grateful for him. He's going out a champion forever. For the rest of his life, he can say, the last game he played in, he's a world champion." Ross then came out on the stage and the two embraced. "Chicago!" Ross said, then pointed to the Commissioner's Trophy. "Look what the boys got me!" Of course, Ross couldn't exit quietly, and he asked for a selfie with his teammates and the thousands of fans. They obliged. "I love you Chicago -- thank you," Ross said. "Thank you, fans." -- Cubs.com Rogers: Baseball changed on North Side forever By Phil Rogers CHICAGO -- They poured into the city before sunset, coming from all across the Midwest in cars and on buses. Thousands had flown into town on Thursday, from locations as far away as Puerto Rico, Vietnam and China. Those Cub fans lucky enough to wake up in their own beds rolled out of their North Side brownstones without bothering to eat breakfast.

With a chance to join in a communal celebration for their team's biggest win in 108 years, fans started arriving at Grant Park at 5 a.m. CT for a rally scheduled for noon. When the gates opened to let fans enter the park, the dash for spots was as wild as the seventh game of the World Series. Up north at Wrigley Field, where the team's procession of double-decker buses and trollies was scheduled to depart at 10 a.m., men, women and children were 20 deep in some places before 9 a.m. The throng at the corner of Clark and Addison grew from there, stretching almost a block in some directions before the Cubs started their four-mile ride to the rally. Nobody was talking about a billy goat, either. Gone, clearly, are the ghosts that haunted past generations of Cub fans. This generation's fans will be able to tell their grandchildren about a team that recovered from a 3-1 deficit in the World Series to beat the Indians, and the magic of Parade Day, otherwise known as the day that the city dyed the Chicago River Cubbie blue and 5 million people were there to see it. "Welcome to Cubstock, 2016,'' Cubs manager Joe Maddon said, looking out at a crowd of more than one million gathered at Grant Park. "This is overwhelming. The drive from Wrigleyville down through Michigan [Avenue] to here. The one thing that really came to my mind first and foremost is that we've known each other forever. You guys are the best. Congratulations.'' Chicago's often harsh climate is one of the obstacles that the Cubs have always battled, but even that seems to have been impacted by the two-run rally in the 10th inning that gave the Cubs an 8-7 victory for the ages on Wednesday night at Cleveland's Progressive Field. It was 56 degrees and sunny when the Cubs rolled out of Wrigleyville, and it must have seemed warmer when they got to the stage that awaited them at Grant Park, where eight years ago Barack Obama had held his victory rally on election night. This had to be the exact dream that Tom Ricketts envisioned when he bought the Cubs late in the 2009 season. He told the crowd that he has frequently encountered elderly strangers with one request -- a World Series victory before they die. "They say, 'Mr. Ricketts, I'm 71 years old,''' Ricketts said. "'Please win the World Series before I die.' Now, I normally say something like, 'OK, do you eat right? Do you take care of yourself? Do you exercise? How much time do I have?' Well, for the thousands of people who have said that to me, and are still with us, there you go." Crane Kenney, the Cubs' president of business operations, has been associated with the organization since the Tribune Company ownership. He praised Ricketts for setting the team up for success. "There's a saying in business that 'culture eats strategy for breakfast,''' Kenney said. "And there were a lot of strategies over the years. But we proved that culture matters most. The Ricketts family brought a new culture to this organization when they joined us. All of them -- Tom, Pete, Laura and Todd, their father, Joe, and their mother, Marlene. They told us to think big. They told us to stop cutting corners. They said, 'Hire the best.' They said, 'Build the best. Don't settle for second. No one has a time clock on any of you. Do it right, and do it always.' They changed our culture.'' Early in his tenure as the Cubs' chairman, Ricketts spent a lot of time studying the organization. He toured the since-overhauled facilities in the Dominican Republic and visited all of the team's Minor League affiliates, asking questions everywhere he went. He also issued a challenge to players. "When I used to go to Minor League clubhouses a few years ago, I would tell people that the men who are on the field when the Cubs win the World Series will not just be Chicago baseball players,'' Ricketts said. "They are going to be Chicago baseball legends.'' Pat Hughes, the club's play-by-play radio man since 1996, called those players up onto the stage in the park, reading the roll call of a 103-win team that was favored to win the World Series in Spring Training and will likely be favored to repeat next spring.

Ben Zobrist, the World Series MVP from Eureka, Ill., a small town in the southern part of the state, told the crowd that after winning a championship with the Royals last fall, he literally prayed to get a chance to join the Cubs. "I thought, how can I ever top this?" Zobrist said about winning with Kansas City. "And then I started thinking about Chicago. I started thinking about Wrigley Field, 108 years and I said, 'I want to be part of that.'" Theo Epstein, the team's architect, likewise was lured to Chicago by the chance to win with a franchise that had grown to expect disappointment. He had built two World Series-winning teams in Boston, his hometown, including the 2004 Red Sox ballclub that captured that franchise's first title since 1918. Epstein's first Cubs team lost 101 games, but it only took three losing seasons before players like Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks carried the Cubs to the National League Championship Series in 2015. They were swept by the Mets but gained a belief that they were on the verge of ending the drought. "That's what's made it such an emotional month,'' Epstein said. "Our players felt it, felt how badly you guys wanted it. Riding around town, seeing all the W flags, seeing you guys sharing this with your parents and your grandparents. All those who didn't quite make it all the way here, how badly you wanted just not to get there, but win the World Series. It was incredibly emotional for everybody. And our players really felt it and dug deep for you." Epstein rode through the streets of Boston in one of the World War II-era amphibious duck boats in the 2004 parade, held on a cold and rainy day, but he said that as grand as that celebration was, this was even better. "It exceeded my expectations by about tenfold,'' Epstein said. "It was way bigger than Boston, and that was the only point of reference I had. Boston was great, I think equal amounts of passion, but the size of the city, this was overwhelming. I told my wife, we have to go home and change some diapers and do some laundry just to get our feet back on the ground and back to reality.'' The baseball reality has changed on the North Side, forever. John Cusack, the actor who attended more than 60 games at Wrigley Field this season, was part of CSN Chicago's coverage of the Grant Park rally. He spoke for his fellow fans in saying he could get used to this. "Our resting state is a big grin,'' Cusack said -- Cubs.com Bartman 'overjoyed' for Cubs, but laying low By David Adler Steve Bartman is "overjoyed" that the Cubs won the World Series, according to a report from USA Today, but the longtime Cubs fan did not attend the celebratory parade in Chicago on Friday. Bartman infamously interfered with Moises Alou attempting to catch a foul popup in the eighth inning of Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship Series against the Marlins. At the time, the Cubs were leading the series, 3-2, and the game, 3-0, but the play led to the floodgates opening to an eight-run inning for the Marlins, who went on to win Games 6 and 7, and then the World Series. Bartman faced a strong and unfortunate public backlash for the incident, as some Cubs fans blamed him for the team's demise. He subsequently disappeared from the public eye, but he naturally became more of a focal point as the Cubs inched closer to their elusive World Series title this fall. Now, with the Cubs' title drought ended, maybe all can be forgiven.

"It's such a scapegoat," Cubs fan Dan Cohen said at Friday's victory parade. "It's sad for him, people used him as the excuse to express their anger." "I think it's long gone," said Jim Parck, another Cubs fan in attendance at the celebration. "I think it's history. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. All is forgiven and everything's cool. I don't think we have to look back on that anymore." Still, Bartman doesn't want to be "a distraction to the accomplishments of the players and the organization," said Frank Murtha, a lawyer who has served as Bartman's spokesperson, per the USA Today report. As the city celebrates the Cubs' first World Series championship since 1908, Bartman will continue to lie low. "He was just overjoyed that the Cubs won, as all the Cubs fans are," Murtha said, telling USA Today that he spoke to Bartman on the phone after the Cubs beat the Indians in Game 7 of the World Series on Wednesday. "We don't intend to crash the parade." "I think people do need to forgive him and just let him be," Cubs fan Duncan Moss said at the parade. "It's all in the past now. It doesn't matter. This is a whole new time." -- ESPNChicago.com Jason Hammel to hit free agency after Cubs decline his option By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- Just days after winning the World Series, the Chicago Cubs said goodbye to a key regular season component when they declined the $12 million option on starting pitcher Jason Hammel for 2017, the team announced Sunday. "I want to thank Jason for all of his contributions in his almost three seasons as a Cub," team President Theo Epstein said in a press release Sunday. "He was an effective, reliable starter the entire time he was a Cub, and this year he was an integral part of one of the best rotations in club history. We would not have been in a position to win the World Series without Jason's terrific performance during the regular season." A source familiar with the situation told ESPN.com that the team gave Hammel the option to decide if he wanted to return in 2017 or test free agency in a very attractive market for starting pitchers. "When we agreed with Jason on this two-year contract back at the 2014 winter meetings, the option was included with the intent that it would be exercised if Jason was going to be a Cub in 2017," Epstein said. "The intent was never to exercise the option and then trade Jason, so we will not consider that path. Instead, Jason will have the opportunity to enter free agency coming off an outstanding season and the ability to choose his next club. Meanwhile, the organization gains some flexibility and the opportunity to use a rotation spot to develop a younger, long-term starting pitcher." Hammel, 33, went 15-10 with a 3.83 ERA in 2016, but was left off the playoff roster after a bit of a second-half fade partly due to an elbow issue. He went 1-3 in September and October with an 8.71 ERA. But he helped the Cubs get off to a fast start, going 6-1 in April and May, including a 0.75 ERA in the first month of the season. "While Jason is healthy and primed to have another effective season in 2017, we have decided to consider other internal and external options for our starting rotation next year," Epstein said. "Our hope is that by giving a starting opportunity to some younger pitchers under multiple years of club control, we can unearth a starter who will help us not only in 2017 but also in 2018 and beyond." Lefty Mike Montgomery is most likely to benefit from the move as he came on strong after the Cubs acquired him in a midseason deal with the Seattle Mariners. Montgomery appeared in 17 regular-season games and 11 postseason contests, starting five games overall. He earned his first career save in Game 7 of the World Series, but

from day one the Cubs have discussed using him as a starter in the future. Manager Joe Maddon has raved about Montgomery's stuff, especially a nasty curveball which is effective against both righties and lefties. Hammel was re-signed by the Cubs before the 2015 season after they traded him in 2014 as part of the deal that brought shortstop Addison Russell to the Cubs from the Oakland Athletics. Hammel will get a buyout of $2 million and can sign with any team beginning at 12:01 am Tuesday morning. -- ESPNChicago.com Chicago parties with the Cubs By Bradford Doolittle CHICAGO -- They came from every direction, on buses and trains, in cars and especially on foot. Clad in blue, carrying white W flags, wearing Harry Caray glasses and bearing signs that proclaimed "World Champions," they came in rivers of humanity, covering every sidewalk and street, clogging every plaza. They all came to Grant Park, in Chicago, to celebrate the Cubs. As the Chicago Cubs' parade procession crept closer from the north, downtown became a scene of mass insanity. The city shut down major thoroughfares, including Michigan Avenue and Congress Parkway among other streets, and rerouted buses, and the train system was overwhelmed. The estimate going around was that 5 million Cubbies fans had gathered to watch the parade and rally. It’s a figure that seems outlandishly high, but who knows? It felt like a few million people at times, all there for what branding-savant Joe Maddon -- also the Cubs’ manager -- dubbed Cubstock. About 7 in the morning, 10 floors up from the street in my South Loop apartment, I became aware of a higher-than-usual volume of honking taxicabs out on the street. I looked outside, and cars were already backed up along South Clark, as far south as I could see. There was a trickle of pedestrians walking eastward in blue T-shirts and hats. One was already waving a big white W flag -- the renowned Cubs' win flag -- as if he’d been doing it nonstop since the wee hours of Thursday, when third baseman Kris Bryant threw to first baseman Anthony Rizzo for the last out of Game 7, giving the Cubs their first World Series title since 1908. After watching the beginning of the parade at home and checking out pictures of the blue-dyed Chicago River, I headed outside to enter the melee. Though it was just a couple of blocks from Chicago’s central business district, it seemed that every person I saw was wearing some kind of Cubs merchandise. In front of my favorite coffee shop, there was a guy selling World Series T-shirts. He was the first of a legion of merchandisers I’d encounter throughout the day, offering shirts, poster versions of newspaper covers, laminated World Series tickets, W flags and Cubs banners. Over on Michigan Avenue, people were flowing toward the park in a steady stream. People climbed onto large concrete sculptures and the roofs of covered bus stops and stood precariously on the rail of the bridge that spans the Metra tracks. A pack of teenage girls ran by screaming “Go Cubs Go,” the last of them carrying a W banner. It was already the second time I’d heard the song -- the first was when I passed the staircase leading down to the Harrison subway stop, where an invisible chorus of revelers was belting out the song from below. So many people showed up so early that the Chicago Police Department had blocked all east-west bridges between Michigan and Columbus, where the parade would finish up. Your option was to try to cut north through the throng, or go with the flow of walking traffic south to get around it. But to do that, you had to walk all the way to 18th Street, south of Soldier Field. After I took a couple of steps north in hopes of wading through the mass, a young lady no older than 14 elbowed me in the stomach. I turned and headed south. The walking was easier in that direction, but still, there were a few dozen determined rally-goers traipsing along with me, past Roosevelt and through the Prairie House district. Finally, we reached 18th Street and its precious pedestrian bridge. That’s where I met Jerry, from Milwaukee, who told me he’s not a baseball fan or a Cubs fan but wanted to see the rally anyway. As we walked over Lake Shore Drive and were deposited just south of Soldier Field, he peppered me with questions:

“Who are the big heroes?” “I guess that would be Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo.” “Really, what’s their story?” “I don’t know. They’re really good. They hit a lot of home runs.” “Did they hit any in the World Series?” “Yes.” “Don’t they have some guy that throws 150 mph?” “No one throws that fast. They have a guy who throws 100 to 103 mph.” “What’s his name?” “Aroldis Chapman.” “Zaroldy?” “Aroldis. A-roll-diss.” “How do you spell that?” After we passed the Field Museum, where the replica Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton outside was sporting a giant Cubs jersey, I pointed Jerry toward the pedestrian tunnel while splitting off and walking along the lakefront. It was a perfect day -- resplendent blue sky, glistening calm water -- and the breeze was refreshing off the lake. Soon I cut up the hill and watched with horror as several people recklessly darted across a still-operating Lake Shore Drive, including one woman pushing a stroller. But soon they backed up the traffic, and I joined them in crossing midstreet. On the other side of Lake Shore, through the same chain-link fencing they use to keep non-ticket-holders out of Lollapalooza, you could see the central gathering -- a mass of humanity that, well, you just don’t see every day, all spread out across every inch of the area of Grant Park called lower Hutchinson Field. Like much of the park, the Cubs’ rally venue was atop old landfill, a place that was still under water at the time the Cubs were originally founded in the 19th century. I walked along the fence. A couple of cars zipped past on Lake Shore, honking, with oversized W banners hanging out of their windows. The Chicago Police Department was heavy in numbers, and every so often I’d hear a radio dispatcher reporting something like "fighting along Michigan," but I had observed no major disturbance myself. There were certainly elements of anarchy in evidence -- the omnipresent smell of pot, people climbing over the fencing to get into the rally, etc. Nothing to be too concerned about. The biggest annoyance the police faced were people asking how to get inside. “Suburbanites!” one officer said, smiling, after one exasperated woman said she just wanted to get back on the train. Finally, after what was about a 4-mile trip around the perimeter of the festivities, I reached the northern entrance and went inside. I immediately ran into two men dressed in 1908-era Cubs uniforms and wearing period-appropriate ball gloves. One of them motioned to a boy carrying a ball and a modern glove, and the boy tossed the ball to him. It popped right out of the old glove, which reminded me why we still have weird things like unearned runs on the books. I asked for a picture of the men and asked who they were supposed to be.

“Sir, you are talking to Mr. Joe Tinker,” one of them said. “Frank Chance,” his companion said. “Where is Johnny Evers?” “Still in his early grave, I’m afraid.” Videoboards had been set up in various parts of the park for those who couldn’t get to the main rally area, including three at Buckingham Fountain. There, I watched and listened to Wayne Messmer sing the national anthem. Then Cubs play-by-play man Pat Hughes took the microphone on the faraway stage, so I headed over into the belly of Cubstock. Hughes introduced the manager, coaches, players and executives. There was lots of cheering and applauding. In that way, it was like every championship celebration you’ve seen. The most touching moment was when Rizzo took the microphone and, in his quiet way, thanked pretty much every nonmedia person he has ever met. Then, when he got to retiring teammate David Ross, whom he calls “Grandpa,” Rizzo broke up. Most of the crowd applauded politely, but I heard a sniffle and looked at the woman next to me. She had started crying too, but she still had a smile on her face. Then Ross finished up and introduced country singer Brett Eldredge, a lifelong Cubs fan himself. Eldredge led the crowd in a rendition of the song that may have been the most listened-to and performed song in the country this week -- “Go Cubs Go” -- and a few hundred thousand, or even a few million, all joined him in the biggest chorus Chicago has ever heard. Then, just like that, it was over. Everybody turned and started back to whence they came. Along Columbus, people were scooping up pieces of blue and red confetti from the curbs, leftover mementos from the victory parade. As people shuffled along the Jackson Avenue Bridge, officers exchanged fist bumps with the happy fans. Some of the fans thanked the officers. One thanked them back for being more or less calm all day. In the middle of Jackson, a clarinet player was blowing a mournful tune, his instrument pointed east as the river of blue humanity split around him and headed west. Streets & Sanitation workers were already pulling on the piles of trash and sweeping up broken glass with huge brooms. I stopped and jotted down in my notebook some words that the Cubs’ bubbly manager had said. “Let’s hope it’s not another 108 years,” Maddon said. “Let’s do this again next year.” --