CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs had them singing from the rooftops, dancing in the aisles and crying at the memories.
This is the 10-year anniversary of the Cubs ending their 108-year World Series curse, and they returned over the weekend to Wrigley Field to celebrate the glorious season that North Siders will cherish forever.
The 2016 team partied on those rooftops and at Murphy Bleacher’s with Bill Murray and Eddie Vedder. They told stories and reminisced about ol’ times at the Chicago Theatre with David Ross and Anthony Rizzo hosting a two-hour podcast with their former teammates.
They gathered Saturday to unveil a 22-foot-high “Champions Gate" outside Wrigley Field, honoring their three World Series championships teams, with former Cubs manager Joe Maddon, Rizzo and Cubs owner Tom Ricketts speaking. Former pitcher Kyle Hendricks threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
And then they spent the game sitting in the right field bleachers with cold adult beverages, with Cubs first baseman Michael Busch even hitting a home run into the bleachers that landed at Rizzo’s feet while holding his infant son.
“These last few days, have been the best few days," said Rizzo, wearing his Game 7 jersey, “in the last 10 years of my life."
The good times rolled all weekend, leaving this year’s version of the Cubs feeling envious, knowing just how much they’d love to be included in that royalty some day.
“For the guys that are back in town, it makes you appreciate it even more," says Cubs manager Craig Counsell, “because it’s so difficult to do. It just makes you treasure it. It makes you work hard and understand that it takes your best every single day if you want to even have a chance at it."
These Cubs believe they could be that team playing deep into the cool October nights themselves, if they can ever figure out just who they are themselves.
They looked like a team mired in mediocrity the first two weeks of the season, looked like a juggernaut who could challenge the Dodgers when they won 20 of 23 games, looked like a mirage when they dropped 10 games in a row, and then looked like a serious threat to the Brewers by going 20-8 before the break.
They produced two 10-game winning streaks, lost 10 in a row, and finished the first half as MLB’s hottest team with a 54-42 record and the top spot in the NL Wild Card race.
Who are these guys? When you find out, please let them know, too.
“It’s been a really odd first half," said Jed Hoyer, Cubs president of baseball operations. “Our record seems solid, you know, but the way we got there was so strange. The winning streaks, the 35 games as the worst offense in baseball, struggles, the injures.
“We put ourselves in good position, but obviously I know we can we can play even better."
The ultimate mission, of course, is to make sure the Cubs don’t go another century without winning another championship and there are folks still alive to witness it.
The Cubs haven’t adopted any gimmicks or mantra like Maddon’s “Embrace the Target" or ‘Try Not To Suck,’’ but they believe that with their explosive – but inconsistent – offense (ranking fourth in OPS) and fabulous defense, they have the nucleus to play until the ivy turns brown.
But if they’re going to be a serious challenger to the big boys in the National League, they’re going to need some more pitching. To be specific, a big-time starter, with San Francisco Giants No. 2 starter Robbie Ray being a perfect fit. They are expected to have Jameson Taillon return this week, and Edward Cabrera in three weeks, but they can’t afford to wait. They could use bullpen help, too, with closer Daniel Palencia sidelined until at least mid-August.
“I think I’ve said it to you a million times," said Hoyer, “you can’t have enough pitching. You never have enough. This first half has kind of proven that. We thought we went in with real depth and we got to the end of our depth, and I had to trade for guys and pick up guys."
The Cubs believe that acquiring just that one starter, maybe a reliever, too, could be the difference between playing late in October or going home in the first round of the postseason, providing, of course, they get there.
The 2016 Cubs exemplified what an ace and a lights-out closer can mean for a playoff team. They had a star-studded rotation with Lester, John Lackey and Hendricks, but they also had one of the best pitchers on the planet in Jake Arrieta. Arrieta went 22-6 with a 1.77 ERA while winning the Cy Young award in 2015, and then came back to go 18-8 with a 3.10 ERA the year Chicago won the title.
“I would walk into the stadium every day knowing we were going to win the game," Arrieta said, “because of the pitching we had along with four to seven [position players] that were going to get off that night."
Still, if the Cubs were going to win the 2016 World Series, they knew a light-out closer was a necessity. The Yankees had one in Aroldis Chapman, but it was going to be a steep price. were asking for the Cubs’ top prospects. Epstein initially resisted, and as painful as it was, traded pitcher Adam Warren and three prospects, highlighted by their No. 1 prospect Gleyber Torres.
It led to Epstein’s famous quote: “If not now, when?"
“It’s one thing to assemble a bunch of talent," Epstein said Saturday, “it’s another thing to have that group turn into a championship team that stands up in the face of adversity at the most important times. That’s more than just numbers and more than talent, it’s how they came together as a group.’’
It was the second time Epstein, the former Cubs president of baseball operations, ended a curse, leading the Boston Red Sox to the 2004 World Series championship after last winning in 1918. Yet, even though Epstein is a native of Boston, this one resonated much more.
“The difference was that I was super young in Boston," Epstein said, “and we kind of did it with a bunch of young guys in the front office. The whole thing, I barely remember it. The whole thing seemed like one wild night out. We didn’t realize how hard it was. We were just kind of all along for the ride together.
“With the Cubs, I knew how hard it was. I didn’t take it for granted. So I appreciated that one more in the moment, how hard it is, how you can’t let those opportunities go by you.’’
This is why the Cubs need to strike and acquire pitching if they’re going to take advantage of this opportunity, themselves. They have a 4.33 ERA, which ranks just 21st in baseball.
“I try to not get overly emotional about it,” Hoyer says. “I try to stick to the numbers and make sure we’re doing things that make sense on paper. But I think our position-playing group is really, really good. … That’s a group that could win a lot of games in October.
“Obviously, the challenge for us has simply been pitching and pitching injuries.”
The way Hoyer views it, it’s not enough just to get into the playoffs. They did that last year when they were a wild-card team, played a best-of-three series against the San Diego Padres, and were bounced out of the NL Division Series by the Brewers after forced to start Matthew Boyd on short rest.
It’s a huge advantage in October, Hoyer insists, not only winning the NL Central, but having one of the league’s top two records to clinch a first-round bye.
“Getting a bye is effectively winning a series and weakening your opponent in the next series,’’ Hoyer says. “That’s a really big deal. If the odds say that you can do that, that’s a different equation than if not. You have to be aware of those things, and we certainly will be.”
Certainly, they can’t afford to have another lull in the second half if they’re going to catch the Brewers, who have a six-game lead. The more the Cubs can close the gap on the Brewers, the more aggressive the front office will be to pursue pitching. But if the Cubs drop further back by the trade deadline, that approach could become much more passive.
“There’s some sense of urgency of going out there and playing your best ball right off the bat," Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson says. “There’s no room to get things figured out. We’ve got to be ready now.
“We can sit here and go through all the scenarios in the world, but what matters is this group stepping up and playing ball that it’s capable of doing.”
And if they do, well, their lives could forever change, as Rizzo and former Cubs catcher and manager David Ross can tell you.
“I’d be a lot poorer, I know that,’’ Ross said. “This team let me manage. This team’s let me dance ("Dancing with the Stars"). It’s gotten me an ESPN gig. It’s gotten me a podcast. It’s gotten me a managerial job. It’s gotten me private jets.’’
Said Rizzo: “There’s a lot of great guys, players before us that didn’t win here that are cerebrated and loved dearly here. Obviously, no one’s won here in 108 years before us, so winning does change everything for you. Winning in Chicago, the magnitude of what we won, has elevated our careers and live and brotherhoold tremendously. It has changed our lives, big time.’’
If this Cubs team can grab that big-time starter and get into the dance, there’s no telling just what might happen.
“Whether it’s in Chicago, in Illinois, or nationwide or worldwide,’’ Arrieta said, “we get told stories on a daily or weekly basis of what this meant to families and generations of families, and that’s special. This is something we were able to do and cement ourselves in Cubs history forever.”
Now, with no player remaining in the organization from the 2016 team, and only four players still active in the game, this team is ready to carry the torch.
“I’m proud of how hard it was for us and how much adversity was thrown our way,” Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong said. “For how beat up we were, for how many guys have cycled through here … this was a friggin’ team effort, this first half.
“It definitely shows that this clubhouse, this team that we have right now is capable, super capable.
“We got a lot to look forward to.’’
Around the basepaths
– The New York Mets have yet to conduct a managerial search for the 2027 season, but their first choice appears to be Hall of Famer Carlos Beltran. They actually expressed interest having him take over after the firing of Carlos Mendoza. Yet, he passed with his Hall of Fame commitments this summer, and they instead turned to Andy Green.
Green will return to the front office after the season ends and Beltran’s schedule will be free.
The Mets are also retiring his No. 15 in September.
– Rival executives believe that the Mets will trade shortstop Francico Lindor this winter – not at the trade deadline. He’s owed $160 million over the next five years after this season, and has a full no-trade clause, complicating a deal by Aug. 3.
– The Chicago White Sox sent Nick Hostelter, their special assistant, to keep taps on Mets starter Clay Holmes, who has begun his rehab assignment after breaking his right fibula on May 15.
– Aaron Judge's fractured right rib is healing, but he is still unable to resume baseball activities. The Yankees remain hopeful and cautiously optimistic that Judge will return this season, but there are no guarantees.
– The Chicago Cubs have begun working on the 2027 All-Star Game, but are tentatively planning to cancel their traditional Cubs Convention in January because of the potential lockout. They can’t plan for a convention not knowing if players will be able to attend in the event of a lockout. The plan would change, of course, if there’s a labor agreement much earlier than anyone anticipates.
– While Shohei Ohtani is the most famous baseball player on the planet, apparently word hasn’t reached former boxing champion Mike Tyson.
When he announced that Ohtani was the winner of the ESPY’s best single-game performance for his three-homer, 10-strikeout Game 4 of the 2025 NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers, a hot mic caught Tyson asking MMA fighter Jake Paul, “Shohei’s a guy?"
Paul: “Yeah, he’s a guy.’’
– So, what are the Houston Astros looking for at the trade deadline?
In the words of one high-ranking Astros’ executive: “Pitching, pitching and more pitching.’’
The Astros are about $12.5 million under the luxury tax threshold after saving $2.5 million in the Lance McCullers trade with the Brewers, which would certainly cover the salary of acquiring someone like Tarik Skubal or Robbie Ray.
Their rotation posted the third-highest ERA and averaged the eighth-fewest innings per start before the All-Star break.
– Scouts from the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays were at Wrigley Field over the weekend to closely watch Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers, starter Joe Ryan and outfielder Trevor Larnach.
– The Phillies, who already were seeking a right-handed hitting outfielder, now are in desperate need of a setup man with veteran Brad Keller out for the year with a torn UCL in his right elbow. They would love to acquire Mets reliever Luke Weaver, but the price tag may be high.
– The Pirates, who entered the break having scored an MLB-leading 516 runs, plan to be aggressive at the deadline. Yet, only if they can acquire pieces without increasing payroll. Their biggest need is the bullpen after blowing 17 saves in 36 opportunities with a 4.49 ERA. It’s the worst save percentage in MLB.
The Pirates have the second-longest playoff drought in MLB at 10 years, ahead of only the Los Angeles Angels.
– The Padres are last in MLB in runs per game (3.95) and 27th in starting pitcher ERA (4.78).
That’s a tough combination to overcome.
They have just six quality starts in their past 34 games, all by Michael King.
Rival executives are convinced the Padres will be motivated to sell and buy at the same time, and will move All-Star closer Mason Miller.
– It was bizarre that MLB released their 2027 schedule just two hours after the NHL schedule came out, and 1 ½ months earlier than a year ago.
It could be to show the fans that they really plan to start the season on time next season, or allow the owners to bank the season-ticket money and collect interest while the lockout endures.
–Justin Verlander says he’s undecided what cap he would wear on his eventual Hall of Fame plaque between the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros, where he won two World Series titles.
Prediction: He’ll either wear a Tigers cap or no logo.
– Verlander believes it’s ludicrous that anyone could actually believe that former San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey’s Hall of Fame credentials could be diminished because of his struggles as Giants president of baseball operations.
“That’s ridiculous,’’ Verlander said. “That’s a ridiculous question.’’
– It was quite the All-Star weekend for Hamilton High School in Chandler, Ariz.
Roch Cholowsky became the No. 1 pick by the Chicago White Sox in the amateur draft, and three days later fellow Hamilton High alumnus Cody Bellinger was MVP of the All-Star Game.
– Rob Manfred has spoken openly about the teams at the top of the list for an upcoming All-Star Game. Here's what the future years could look like, barring the 2027 game getting canceled due to a work stoppage:
2027: Wrigley Field, Chicago
2028: Oracle Park, San Francisco
2029: Rogers Centre, Toronto
2030: Camden Yards, Baltimore
2031: Las Vegas
2032: Fenway Park, Boston
2033: Rate Field, Chicago
– For those who question why the Detroit Tigers would keep ace Tarik Skubal, the Tigers finished the first half with the second-best ERA (3.50) in the American League with the lowest opponent’s batting average (.225), despite Skubal missing five weeks, Casey Mize spending two short stints on the IL, and Verlander making one start.
They also won 22 of their last 36 games entering the All-Star break.
“Adversity,’’ Skubal told reporters before the break, “isn’t foreign to us.’’
– Pete Crow-Armstrong on whether he thinks it’s possible for him or anyone else to ever unseat Shohei Ohtani for the MVP award providing Ohtani stays healthy and productive as a two-way player.
“I would love to de-throne him," Crow-Armstrong said, “but I don’t know how you do it unless I go to a pitching lab in the off-season. I’ll go be a closer or something and see how that helps my odds.
“But, nah, that guy’s a freak. So maybe once he stops being a little freaky ….’’
– San Diego Padres veteran starter Nick Pivetta, who has been out since the fourth start of the season, must return by Aug. 22 to avoid the Padres from having the option to trigger an opt-out clause in his contract. If he’s not back by that day, which is 130 days from going on the IL, the Padres can void the last two year and $32 million of his contract.
– Remember when the White Sox lost an MLB-record 121 games two years ago?
Remember when they were 32-65 at the All-Star break a year ago?
When they opened the season with a 6-13 record, outscored, 52-21, on their opening road trip?
Well, they since went 44-32, with the AL’s second-best record since April 17, and now find themselves in the playoffs if the season ended today.
“We just settled in,” White Sox manager Will Venable told reporters. “If you’re going to survive in this league, you have to deal with adversity. I thought we did a good job of really staying the course there in the early going. To find our way means a lot.”
– Veteran Milwaukee Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff, who needs shoulder surgery for the second time in three years, still hopes to return to baseball, perhaps in 2028.
– Atlanta officials are pessimistic that prized starter Spencer Strider will return this season. He hasn’t pitched since June 12 when he was placed on the IL with elbow inflammation, and is scheduled to visit Dr. Keith Meister again this week.
They badly need another veteran starter at the deadline.
– Who would have imagined that the Toronto Blue Jays would be two outs away from the World Series one year, and sitting in last place in the AL East the next? They have gone from potential buyers to likely sellers at the trade deadline.
– You wonder why the Phillies are searching for another starter? The Phillies’ ERA in games not started by Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler and Jesus Luzardo had a 5.14 ERA. They are 40-14 when that trio starts, and 14-30 in all other games.
– The Cleveland Guardians have got to love their chances of repeating in the AL Central when you consider that they rank 29th in MLB in runs scored, batting average and OPS, and still be tied for first place. They’ll take their chances that they’ll see drastic improvement from injured third baseman Jose Ramirez (.239 with a .757 OPS and Steven Kwan (.225 with a .614 OPS).
– THard to believe, but the Cincinnati Reds are a woeful 6-22 against their NL Central opponents this season, easily the worst in baseball.
– The most surprising turnaround has been the Boston Red Sox, who were left for dead, and suddenly reeled off 10 consecutive victories and now are as dangerous as anyone in the American League.
Maybe, Craig Breslow had an idea what he was doing, after all.
Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cubs' World Series anniversary is reminder to act at MLB trade deadline
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