Rain. It usually ruins everything in baseball. But on a humid November night in Cleveland, a literal cloudburst saved the Chicago Cubs from a historic collapse. Honestly, if you watched the 2016 World Series Game 7 live, you probably still haven’t recovered. It wasn't just a game. It was an exorcism.
Most people remember the 108-year drought. They remember the billy goat and the black cat. But the actual nuts and bolts of that night? It was a mess of managerial overthinking, improbable home runs, and a 17-minute rain delay that felt like an eternity. The Cubs were up 5-1. They were cruising. Then, Joe Maddon started playing chess against himself, and Rajai Davis turned Progressive Field into a tectonic shift of noise.
You’ve got two fanbases who have basically forgotten what winning feels like. The Indians (now Guardians) hadn't won since 1948. The Cubs hadn't won since 1908. Something had to give, and the way it happened was so bizarre that a Hollywood scriptwriter would’ve been fired for being too "unrealistic."
The Dexter Fowler Lead-Off and the Early Dominance
Dexter Fowler did something nobody had ever done in a Game 7. He hit a lead-off home run. It was a statement. Corey Kluber, who had been an absolute cyborg for the Cleveland Indians throughout the postseason, finally looked human. He was pitching on short rest for the third time in the series. You could see it in the sinker. It wasn't sinking.
The Cubs jumped out early because they were aggressive. Kyle Hendricks was on the mound for Chicago, looking like a 1950s high school teacher and pitching like a Hall of Famer. He was carving. By the fourth inning, it felt like the Cubs were going to walk away with it. They added runs in the fourth and fifth. Javier Báez homered. David Ross, in the final game of his career, took Andrew Miller deep. Miller was the most feared reliever in baseball at that point. He looked invincible until Ross, the "Grandpa" of the team, caught a 94-mph heater and sent it to center field.
At 5-1, the vibe in Chicago was pure euphoria. In Cleveland? It was starting to feel like another "Cleveland" moment. But baseball is cruel.
When Joe Maddon Got Too Cute
Joe Maddon is a brilliant manager, but he almost out-managed himself into a catastrophe. Kyle Hendricks was cruising. He had two outs in the fifth and had only given up a walk. He looked completely in control. Maddon pulled him anyway.
He brought in Jon Lester. On two days' rest. With a runner on.
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Lester is a legend, but everyone knows he has the "yips" when it comes to throwing to first base. The Indians knew it too. A wild pitch—which was basically a ball that bounced off David Ross’s mask—allowed two runs to score. Suddenly, it was 5-3. The momentum didn't just shift; it evaporated. Maddon’s decision to pull Hendricks so early is still debated in bars across the North Side. It was a massive gamble that nearly backfired before the real drama even started.
The Rajai Davis Moment That Stopped Time
Aroldis Chapman was gassed. Let's be real about that. He had been ridden hard by Maddon in Games 5 and 6. By the time he entered Game 7 in the eighth inning, he didn't have that triple-digit life on his fastball. He was throwing 97-98, which sounds fast, but to a professional hitter, it’s a different world than 103.
Brandon Guyer doubled. Then came Rajai Davis.
Davis isn't a power hitter. He’s a speed guy. But he hung in there. He fouled off tough pitches. Then, on a 2-2 count, Chapman left a fastball down in the zone. Davis turned on it. The ball screeched over the left-field wall, barely clearing the padding.
The sound. You have to understand the sound. Progressive Field didn't just cheer; the Earth shook. LeBron James was in the stands losing his mind. The game was tied 6-6.
The Cubs looked dead. They were the "Loveable Losers" again. You could see it on the faces of the players in the dugout. They looked shell-shocked. If the ninth inning had ended and they went straight into the tenth, Cleveland probably wins that game on pure adrenaline.
The 17-Minute Rain Delay That Changed History
Then the sky opened up.
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It was a tiny cell of rain. Just enough to trigger a delay. While the fans were nervously checking weather apps, Jason Heyward—who had struggled offensively all series—called a players-only meeting in a weight room near the dugout.
There are a lot of myths about what was said. But basically, Heyward told them to remember how good they were. He reminded them they were a 103-win team. He told them to breathe.
"I told them I loved them," Heyward later told reporters. It sounds cheesy. It sounds like a movie. But every player in that room says it changed the energy. They went from being terrified of losing to being ready to win.
When the tarp came off, the Cubs were a different team.
The Tenth Inning and the Final Out
Bryan Shaw was on for Cleveland. Kyle Schwarber, who shouldn't have even been playing because of a shredded knee, led off with a single. He was replaced by pinch-runner Albert Almora Jr. Then Kris Bryant hit a deep fly ball to center, allowing Almora to tag up and reach second. That was a veteran move. It set the stage.
Ben Zobrist—the guy who always seems to be in the right place—came up. He slapped a double down the left-field line. Almora scored. The Cubs were up 7-6. Miguel Montero added another insurance run with a bases-loaded single.
8-6.
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But Cleveland wouldn't die. In the bottom of the tenth, Carl Edwards Jr. got two outs. Then he walked a guy. Then Rajai Davis (him again!) singled to make it 8-7.
The tying run was on first.
Mike Montgomery came in. He’s a lefty with a good curveball. Michael Martinez was at the dish. Martinez hit a soft grounder to third. Kris Bryant, who was literally smiling as he fielded the ball, threw it to Anthony Rizzo.
Out. Game over. 108 years of misery ended at 12:47 AM ET.
Why 2016 World Series Game 7 Still Matters
This game is the gold standard for drama because of the stakes. It wasn't just about a trophy. It was about the weight of a century. It changed how we look at bullpen management. It showed that even in the era of "Moneyball" and high-level analytics, a 17-minute rain delay and a locker room speech can still dictate the outcome of a championship.
There were so many "what ifs." What if Davis's home run was a few feet shorter? What if the rain never started? What if Hendricks stayed in the game?
Takeaways for the Modern Fan
- Don't over-manage: Joe Maddon's quick hook on Hendricks is a cautionary tale. Analytics are great, but sometimes you have to trust the "eye test" when a pitcher is in a rhythm.
- The "Human Element" is real: Jason Heyward’s speech proves that team chemistry and leadership matter as much as OPS or ERA.
- Depth wins titles: The Cubs won because their bench (Almora, Montero, Montgomery) executed when the superstars were flagging.
If you want to relive the magic, the full broadcast is available on various MLB archival platforms. Watching the ninth and tenth innings back-to-back is still a masterclass in tension. For anyone interested in the technical side, look at the Statcast data for Chapman’s velocity drop throughout that series; it explains exactly why Davis was able to catch up to that fastball.
The 2016 World Series Game 7 remains the most-watched baseball game in twenty-five years for a reason. It was perfect. It was messy. It was baseball.
To truly understand the impact, look into the "W" flag tradition in Chicago or research the "Curse of the Billy Goat." Understanding the history of the 1945 World Series and the 1908 Cubs roster provides the necessary context for why the 2016 victory felt less like a sports win and more like a cultural shift. You should also check out the documentary "The 2016 World Series," which features mic'd up segments from that rain delay meeting. It's the closest you'll get to being in that weight room.