The Chicago Cubs marked the 10th anniversary of their 2016 World Series victory with a series of events at the Cubs Convention, including a private reunion at Wrigley Field. Former players gathered to reflect on ending the franchise's 108-year title drought and shifting the team's culture toward expecting wins. The celebrations highlighted the lasting impact on the organization and its fans.
In Chicago, a large portion of the 2016 Cubs roster reunited for the Cubs Convention this weekend, kicking off a year-long 10-year anniversary celebration of their World Series triumph. The event not only commemorated ending the franchise's 108-year drought but also celebrated the cultural shift that made winning the norm, dispelling long-held curses around the team.
Players expressed pride in setting a high standard. "The kids that are actually getting to the big leagues now, they have that pressure," former catcher Miguel Montero said. "They need to win. Now, they walk in and they see us: ‘Those are the guys that won the World Series.’ Yeah, we are. We set the bar really high."
Saturday's panel featured Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist, Pedro Strop, Mike Montgomery, Justin Grimm, and Montero. Friday's opening ceremony announced Jon Lester's induction into the Cubs Hall of Fame. The night before, nearly the full 2016 cast gathered privately at Wrigley Field, including former executives Theo Epstein and manager Joe Maddon, plus players like Kyle Schwarber, Javier Báez, David Ross, Jason Heyward, and Kyle Hendricks.
"It was bizarre how quick the same energy showed up with all those same people," Zobrist recalled. "The same voices are yapping and going back to each other. And the joy just of the moment returns, and you feel like, it’s the same guys." Rizzo joked about the party's vibe as "afternoon tea," while Montero quipped it was "pretty quiet," drawing laughs. Jerseys hung in the clubhouse, with drinks and stories flowing late into the night.
"Ten years away from each other has been the perfect amount of time," Rizzo added, "for all of us to love each other again. It was honestly like we had just won a playoff series."
More events are planned for July at Wrigley Field, including a tribute in Gallagher Way, as announced by president of business operations Crane Kenney. Rizzo credited Lester's 2015 arrival on a six-year deal as the catalyst, leading to 97 wins that year, an NLCS appearance, and five playoff berths in six seasons.
The 2016 season saw 103 wins, an NL pennant, and a dramatic World Series against Cleveland. After losing the first three of four games, the Cubs forced Game 7, winning 8-7. Rajai Davis's eighth-inning homer tied it, prompting Zobrist to momentarily wonder, "Are we cursed?" He then hit a go-ahead RBI double in the 10th, earning MVP honors. Montgomery sealed the victory with a groundout.
"Two pitches," Montero said of Montgomery's clincher. "The best two pitches in Cubs history."
Montgomery noted the win's gravity sank in later, during the plane greeting by fire and police departments and the massive parade. "I knew it was big, but I didn’t know what it was really going to mean to everyone," he said. "And then just the outpouring of people saying, ‘Hey, you changed my life.’"
Current center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, who got close to the trophy, remarked, "Call it what you want, but it wouldn’t be such a bad script to write if we do it 10 years apart. That’d be a fun reunion in 10 more years from now."
