the chicago cubs hadn’t won the world series since 1908. 1908!!
108 years ago! that all changed at the beginning of this month. paul sullivan at the chicago tribune wrote
the most epic drought in sports history is over, and the cubs are world champions.
it was a big deal earlier this year when the cleveland cavaliers of the nba ended a 52-year drought during which no professional sports team in cleveland won a championship. the cubs’ 108 year drought was more than double that, and ironically came against the cleveland indians, who now have the longest championship drought in major league baseball at 68 years.
fun english practice 
richyrocks english on youtube
cubs players celebrate after the final out of the world series. (ezra shaw/getty images)
game 7, the final game of the world series, was truly extraordinary. sullivan reported
after blowing an eighth-inning lead in stunning fashion, the cubs bounced back in the 10th with run-scoring hits from ben zobrist and miguel montero.
blow means having an advantage and losing it. the cubs were ahead 6-3 in the eighth inning and it felt like they would win. but the indians tied the game (made it even) with three runs, stunning (shocking, surprising) the cubs and their fans. bounce back means chicago recovered, showed resiliency. cleveland scored a run in the bottom of the 10th but the cubs held on (persisted, survived) to win 8-7.
a few cub fans might have thought this when the indians tied the game in the 8th inning. the cubs bounced back though.
one of the most remarkable storylines of this unforgettable world series was the surprise return of cub outfielder/catcher kyle schwarber. schwarber hadn’t played since the third game of the season. sullivan explained
the schwarber comeback was so unbelievable, so corny, even disney wouldn’t have dared touch it. after going down with a torn acl in the third game of the season after an outfield collision with [teammate dexter] fowler, he spent the entire season rehabbing and hoping he could make it back for the end.
not only did he make it back, he led the team in hitting with a .412 average for the series. corny means overly sentimental. wouldn’t have dared touch it is a hypothetical in the past (3rd conditional). it gives the idea that disney would not try to make a movie about schwarber’s comeback (rehabilitation/return) because even though disney is famous for corny, inspirational movies, schwarber’s story is just too improbable. go down refers to schwarber’s injury.
kyle schwarber missed almost the whole season but made a spectacular world series comeback. (tommy gilligan, usa today sports)
plenty of emotion, corny or not, surrounded the cubs long-anticipated championship.
the cubs brought bill murray to tears a couple times during the world series.
sullivan described it like this in the tribune
tears flowed across cubs nation after the final out, and fans responded with the world’s biggest group hug, remembering all the loved ones who could only imagine what it would be like to experience this moment of pure bliss…..the road trips to cemeteries commence……caps, balls, pennants and news clippings will be placed on markers of loved ones, letting them know they did it. the cubs did it.
tears is pronounced like beers, not bears (chicago’s nfl team. :D). bliss is extreme happiness, ecstasy. fans buy pennants to show support for their team. news clippings are stories cut out of newspapers, they are less common today now that the internet is where people go for news. will be placed is future passive voice. the subject (family and friends of the deceased cubs fans) is not mentioned but implied.
sullivan’s description sounds similar to día de los muertos celebrations in méxico. in fact, it was an amazing mystical coincidence that the final two games of the world series actually took place on november 1 and 2, the night and day that dìa de los muertos is celebrated here in mexico.
sullivan called the spiritual displays by cub fans…
touching tributes to those who taught us to love a baseball team through thick and thin
this is a useful selection of words. taught is the irregular past tense of teach, but often i’ve heard students mistakenly answer that it’s touch. touching means emotional. through thick and thin means in good times and bad.
the cubs’ ben zobrist was named mvp of the world series. (charlie riedel/the associated press)
sarah spain‘s article for espnw puts a personal touch on sullvian’s observations
i’m grateful that the stars aligned to let me be alive in this moment, old enough to understand this grand adventure, to appreciate it and not take a bit of it for granted.
grateful means thankful. the stars aligned means it was destiny and reinforces the metaphysical importance that this event represents for many cubs fans. take for granted means not appreciate.
is this how the stars aligned to elect donald trump?
spain shares her perspective as a lifelong cubs fan.
i’ve imagined this night so many times and never could’ve pictured the roller coaster of emotions that was this game 7….. it was the best game of any kind I’ve ever been to in my life — and would have been even if the cubs hadn’t won.
it’s common to use a roller coaster as a metaphor for a situation that evokes strong, opposite emotions. could’ve pictured and would have been are additional examples of third conditional, and when used with if, past perfect can also indicate a hypotheitcal situation in the past (if the cubs hadn’t won).
a roller coaster named after the cubs (@sfstlouis)
and spain recognizes that the world series is just a game and that there will be another world series in 2017
it almost feels silly to care so much about a world series win — someone wins every single year, after all.
silly means unwise, crazy. every single gives emphasis to the fact that the world series is an annual event. after all is ultimately, at the end.
a cubs pennant
are u a baseball fan? did u watch the world series? did u experience the emotional roller coaster of game 7? share your comments under leave a reply
