5 reasons a Cubs-Indians World Series needs to happen
By Roje Smith
Out of the four teams remaining in the 2016 MLB playoffs, two of them haven’t won a World Series in the past 60-plus years and one of those teams hasn’t made an appearance in the series for the past 70 years. This is why the battle for the MLB crown must conclude with a matchup between the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians.
The 2016 American League and National Championship Series’ are taking place right now with four deserving teams battling for a World Series bid. The majority of attention is focused on the Chicago Cubs since they haven’t played in the series since 1945. Additionally, the last time that the Cubs were crowned as MLB champions was 1908. It’s a drought so long that there are many non-Cub fans rooting for them to end their slump. However, this doesn’t mean that the other three teams still alive in the playoffs haven’t suffered postseason slumps of their own.
The Cubs’ opponent, the Los Angeles Dodgers, haven’t played in the World Series since 1988. They won the series that year, but going 28 years without an NL pennant isn’t a drought to take lightly. At least Dodger fans have experienced some recent excitement due to their team playing in the NLCS three times since 2008.
As for the American League, the Toronto Blue Jays haven’t been to the World Series since 1993. They won the series that year and successfully repeated as world champions after that. Prior to that, Toronto played in the ALCS three times in 1985, 1989 and 1991. Additionally, they played in it last year where they lost to the Kansas City Royals. Blue Jays fans have waited patiently for their next ring, but not as long as their opponent.
The last time that the Cleveland Indians were crowned as world champions, it was 1948 and the Braves still played in Boston. The Tribe returned to the World Series in 1954 where they lost to the New York Giants and wouldn’t return again until 1995 against the Atlanta Braves. Cleveland lost to the Braves that year and lost in the 1997 World Series to the Florida Marlins. The last time that they were close to playing for the world title, it was 2007 when they lost in the ALCS to the Boston Red Sox.
After going through the championship backstories of each team, it seems fairly obvious that the Indians and Cubs have suffered the worst droughts. This is why it would be good for their organizations and for the sport itself for them to meet at the end.
5. An epic showdown between two great managers
This is not meant as a slight towards John Gibbons and Dave Roberts, since they’ve both done excellent jobs with their teams. However, in terms of career accomplishments, they pale in comparison to Terry Francona and Joe Maddon.
Francona’s name is already legendary especially with his success in Boston. He was the Red Sox’s manager in 2004 when they made history by defeating the New York Yankees in the ALCS. For those who don’t remember, the Yankees led the series 3-0 and Boston won four straight to stamp their World Series ticket. It was the first time in MLB history that a team came back from an 0-3 deficit to win a playoff series. Boston went on to win the world title that year and Francona led them to another championship in 2007. Additionally, he won the AL Manager of the Year award in 2013 during his first year with the Indians.
As for Maddon, he has a World Series ring from being one of the coaches on the 2002 Anaheim Angels team. However, his resume as a manager is still very impressive. As the manager of the Tampa Bay Rays from 2006-2014, Maddon brought the franchise to new and unimaginable heights. He guided them to their first World Series appearance in 2008 and multiple playoff appearances after that. He was crowned as AL Manager of the Year in 2008 and 2011 with the Rays. Maddon would then win his third Manager of the Year award as the skipper of the Chicago Cubs in 2015.
The World Series isn’t only about the players. It’s also about the managers, especially if they’re considered to be among the best. If the Cubs face the Indians in the Fall Classic, then it will be an epic battle between two of the best managers alive.