Chicago Cubs: The game needs a Cubs-Red Sox World Series in 2019
Throughout much of the season, the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox the best teams in their respective leagues. Could these teams square off next October?
Flashback to 2003. The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees were battling in the ALCS while the Chicago Cubs led the then-Florida Marlins three games-to-one. The teams with the two longest championship droughts in baseball were seemingly destined to meet with the promise of one team finally achieving glory.
Baseball fans know what happened to Boston in 2003. Aaron “Bleepin” Boone hit a moonshot off Tim Wakefield in the bottom of 11th in Game 7, keeping the Curse of the Bambino alive for one more year.
There isn’t a Cubs fan alive who doesn’t know what happened at Wrigley two days earlier. Mark Prior had the Cubs five outs away before Alex Gonzalez, Moises Alou and some poor kid named Steve forever etched their names into baseball lore. Destiny had spoken.
Chicago Cubs: Boston has become a model organization
Fast forward to today. The Boston Red Sox are the franchise the Chicago Cubs aspire to be. Boston’s annual excellence is the model all organizations aspire to enjoy.
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With a roster created with a mix of homegrown talent and savvy trades, as well as strategic free agent signings, the front office has set the team up for success for years to come. The hope of another title is never too far away in Boston. With championships in 2004, 2007, 2013 and, of course, 2018, the boys from Beantown are the Jedis and the Cubs are the Padawans.
It’s time for the long-awaited matchup to finally occur. The North Side against the Chowder Heads. Beantown against the Windy City. Chicago has enjoyed the upper hand in recent history when these two cities face off. The Bears destroyed the Pats in Super Bowl XX. The Blackhawks forever etched “17 seconds” into hockey legend when they defeated the Bruins in the 2013 Stanley Cup Final.
The last time the Cubs and Sox met in the World Series, Boston won four games to two in the 1918 Fall Classic. That was so long ago the Cubs played their home games during that series at Comiskey Park on the South Side due to its increased capacity. It’s time for these teams to meet again. Here’s why the Cubs and Red Sox absolutely need to meet in the October 2019 World Series.
Chicago Cubs: Wrigley Field and Fenway Park
The biggest storyline? The best-of-seven series would be played at the two oldest stadiums in Major League Baseball: Fenway Park and Wrigley Field.
You’ve got Fenway and the Green Monster. Wrigley Field and its iconic scoreboard and ivy-covered walls. Babe Ruth’s called shot was at Wrigley, Carlton Fisk waving the home run fair took place at Fenway.
The legendary stadiums would be the perfect setting for a new chapter in baseball history. Baseball purists surely salivate at the thought of every game being played at two of the best places to watch the game.
And that’s just the stadiums – what about the countless other storylines that would be a part of this matchup?
Chicago Cubs: There are just so many storylines to this matchup
Jon Lester starting game one for the Cubs in Fenway. Chris Sale once again pitching in Chicago. Anthony Rizzo hitting a bomb against the team that drafted him. Theo and Jed going home to Boston as the opposition. In addition, there would be a lot of star power. Kris Bryant and Mookie Betts. Kyle Schwarber and J.D. Martinez. Javier Baez and Xander Bogaerts. David Price and Cole Hamels. This matchup would draw incredible ratings as even casual fans would be sucked into tuning in to see this historical event.
The teams can fight over who gets to have John Lackey throw out the first pitch, seeing as though the three-time champion started (and lost) World Series games for both teams. One team can have Lackey and the other can have Matt Clement, who also started playoff games for both teams. Might we even see a Lee Smith appearance?
Let’s imagine the scenario. Game 7. Wrigley Field. Bottom of the ninth inning. Cubs down by a run. Ben Zobrist on second base with two outs. The Cubs have rallied against Sox closer Matt Barnes, and are a base hit away from tying it up, and a long ball away from winning it all. National League MVP candidate Anthony Rizzo comes up to the plate.
Alex Cora brings out Chris Sale from the bullpen. Sale had dominated Game 6 just a night prior and is coming out to nail down their back-to-back titles. The game’s most lethal left-hander against Rizzo with everything on the line. The count is three balls and two strikes. Sale throws his slider. Rizzo swings. And…let’s be honest. Do you want to know what happens next?
If you don’t want to see these teams battle for the title, it’s time to question if you really love baseball. Let’s hope the baseball gods will this matchup in 2019. There are just too many reasons not to see it finally take place.