Fly the W: The Chicago Cubs win their first pennant since 1945

Chicago, breathe easy, at least for a few days. The Cubs are back in the World Series.

For 71 long years, the Chicago Cubs were the most woebegone franchise in baseball. They never made it to the biggest stage in the sport, much less win and break their 108-year championship drought.

Fans dubbed the team the “Lovable Losers.” Superstitions abounded. The Cubs were cursed: stories about billy goats, foul balls and bad mojo followed Chicago’s North Siders.

Not anymore. The Cubs finished this season with a league-best 103-58 record and stormed through the early portion of the playoffs. Then they faced baseball’s most expensive team: the Los Angeles Dodgers. The best-of-seven series went back and forth, but entering Saturday, the Cubs held the 3-2 advantage, one win from victory, playing in their home park of Wrigley Field.

And when Cubs closer Aroldis Chapman induced a double play to end the game, securing the 5-0 decision, the team’s faithful fans exploded with joy.

The last time the Cubs were in the World Series, Perry Como topped the charts, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope were Hollywood’s biggest stars, and Babe Ruth was still alive.

Now, the Cubs have one more step to take before they end the longest title drought in professional sports: The last time the team won the World Series was in 1908. To get there, they’ll have to beat the Cleveland Indians, who haven’t won themselves since 1948. The World Series begins Tuesday.

This story was originally published October 22, 2016 at 7:50 PM with the headline "Fly the W: The Chicago Cubs win their first pennant since 1945."