It’s been years, but if you close your eyes, you can still hear the sound of the ball hitting Rajai Davis’s bat in the bottom of the eighth. That sharp, violent crack. The way the Cleveland crowd didn't just cheer—they erupted in a way that felt like the stadium might actually slide into Lake Erie.
Indians vs Chicago Cubs wasn't just a baseball game. It was a collision of two ghosts. On one side, you had a Cleveland team trying to end a 68-year drought. On the other, the Cubs were staring down 108 years of "maybe next year."
Most people remember the 10th inning. They remember the trophy. But honestly? The most important part of the entire series happened in a tiny weight room during a 17-minute rain delay.
The Night the Curses Collided
You’ve gotta understand the vibe in Progressive Field that night. It was November 2, 2016. The air was thick. Not just with humidity, but with a century’s worth of anxiety.
Cleveland had been up 3 games to 1. They were supposed to cruise. But then the Cubs crawled back, forcing a Game 7 that felt less like a sport and more like a high-stakes exorcism. When Rajai Davis hit that two-run homer off a gassed Aroldis Chapman, the Cubs looked dead. Seriously. They looked like a team that had finally realized the universe was never going to let them win.
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Then, the sky opened up.
The 17-Minute Meeting That Changed Everything
When the tarp came out, the Cubs didn't just sit there staring at their cleats. Jason Heyward—who, let’s be real, had struggled at the plate all series—called a players-only meeting in a weight room near the dugout.
He basically told them to remember who they were. "We’re the best team in baseball for a reason," he supposedly said. It sounds like a movie cliché, but it worked. While Cleveland fans were celebrating what felt like an inevitable walk-off win, the Cubs were recalibrating.
When the rain stopped, the Cubs looked like a different team. Ben Zobrist, a guy who just professionalized the art of the clutch hit, doubled down the line. Then Miguel Montero tacked on another. Suddenly, it was 8-6.
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Why We Still Talk About This Matchup
The Indians vs Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series is often cited by stat nerds and casual fans alike as the greatest Game 7 ever. Why? Because the momentum shifted so many times it gave everyone whiplash.
- Dexter Fowler's Leadoff Homer: He became the first player ever to lead off a World Series Game 7 with a home run. Talk about setting a tone.
- The David Ross Factor: "Grandpa" Ross, playing in his final game at 39, homered off the nearly unhittable Andrew Miller.
- Corey Kluber’s Exhaustion: Kluber had been a god for Cleveland all postseason, but by Game 7, his arm was basically held together by tape and willpower. He didn't have the "stuff" that night.
Cleveland fought until the literal last breath. In the bottom of the 10th, they scored a run and had the tying run on base. When Michael Martinez hit that slow roller to third, Kris Bryant was actually smiling before he even threw the ball to first. He knew.
The Name Change Context
It’s weird to look back at the highlights now and see the "Indians" branding. Since 2022, the team has been the Cleveland Guardians. The 2016 series was effectively the last great hurrah for that era of Cleveland baseball. For many fans, that Game 7 loss is the "what if" that still stings more than any other, specifically because that roster—with Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez—was so special.
Looking Back at the Stats
If you look at the box score, it's a mess of wild pitches and errors.
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- The Cubs used three catchers. That almost never happens in a Game 7.
- Jon Lester came in as a reliever. Seeing a legendary starter enter in the middle of an inning was pure chaos, especially when a wild pitch allowed two runs to score.
- Aroldis Chapman's workload. Joe Maddon took a lot of heat for how much he used Chapman. By the time Rajai Davis stepped up, Chapman’s fastball didn't have its usual "life."
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you’re a student of the game or just a fan of high-pressure sports, there are a few things to take away from the Indians vs Chicago Cubs saga:
- Momentum is a Myth (Until it Isn't): The rain delay proved that a mental reset is more valuable than physical rest.
- Depth Wins Titles: The Cubs won because their bench and their "next man up" mentality—like Kyle Schwarber returning from a season-ending injury just for the World Series—was unprecedented.
- Reliever Burnout is Real: Modern managers now point to this series as a warning. You can’t ride one or two arms for three weeks and expect them to be perfect in the final hour.
The 2016 World Series wasn't just a win for Chicago; it was a total shift in how we view "cursed" franchises. It proved that eventually, the math catches up to the superstition.
For a deeper look into the mechanics of that final inning, you might want to watch the "Rain Delay" documentaries produced by MLB Network. They break down the pitch-by-pitch data of the 10th inning, showing just how close Cleveland actually came to winning it all.