It happened! The 2016 Cubs capped off a historic season with a World Series victory, and along the way they provided fans with memories galore. Here are a few of our favorite moments from 2016:
- Kyle Hendricks dominating the Dodgers in Game 6 of the NLCS,
- Jon Lester's walk-off bunt to cap a crazy, comeback, extra-inning win over the Mariners,
- Jake Arrieta no-hitting the Reds in a 16-0 victory,
- Kris Bryant racking up 6 RBI against the Reds,
- Dexter Fowler's leadoff home run in Game 7 of the World Series,
- David Ross homering in his final regular season game and final World Series at bat,
- Eleven straight wins between July 31 and August 12,
- The four-run, ninth-inning comeback in the NLDS finale,
- Javy Baez's walk-off homer to finish a May sweep of the Nats, and, of course,
- An epic battle to win Game 7 of the World Series in extras against Cleveland!
The Cubs' 2015 season certainly foreshadowed the success they saw in 2016, as we noted here last January. And the additions of John Lackey, Aroldis Chapman, and Mike Montgomery, along with the development of Javier Baez and Willson Contreras, more than made up for not only the departure of Starlin Castro but also the injuries to Kyle Schwarber and Jorge Soler.
As the Cubs head into the 2017 season, the bulk of the championship 2016 roster, rotation, and bullpen remain constant. Gone are Chapman, Fowler, Coghlan, Hammel, Wood, and Ross. But Schwarber is back, Wade Davis is the Cubs' new closer, Heyward is hard at work getting his swing back on track, and Jon Jay & Albert Almora will take over in center.
Pitchers and catchers report to Sloan Park in Mesa today, and Opening Day is April 2. As long as Theo has recovered from his month-long bender, things look pretty good on the north side.
