108yearslate, Cubsfansbreathe

After 108 years, Chicago Cubs fans finally exhaled.

Nolonger will theysingthe blues in Chicago when baseball season rolls around. Curses were leftin the corner as Cubs fans rejected the notion thataferal goat wasgoingto derail theirdreams of a championship.

Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder crooned for yearsthat“someday”this team would go all the way.

Asall greatprotagonistsdo, the Cubs had to fail again and again and again beforethey could finally getit right.

TheoEpstein, then 30, became the youngest general manager to win a World Series, with the Boston Red Soxin 2004. When the Cubs were lucky enough to gethim on board in 2011, alight began to flicker on Chicago’sNorthSide.

Epstein reiterated that he couldn’tpromise immediate results, but if fanswere patient, he and the organization would bring a World

Series to the mostloyal support system in sports.

Asthe late hours of Nov. 2 bled into the early morning atProgressive Field in Cleveland, “someday” was no longer a distant dream.

NotevenShakespeare could have scripted amore dramatic final act than the 10-inning Game 7thriller that finally ended with third baseman Kris Bryant grinning ear to ear as he fielded a ground ball and threw to first, ending the longest drought in professional sports.

Foronce, heartbreak didn’t come knocking on the Cubs’ door. And the partywas on.

Five million people, a turnout typically reserved for papal visits, poured into the streets to celebrate, snapping selfies in front of the iconic marquee thatreads

HowtheCubbiesgotit done

Oct.4,2015: Cubs finish the regularseason 97-65 beforebeing swept in the NLCSby the New York Mets.They vastly improvefrom their previous regularseason’s 73-89 record.

Dec.15,2015: Free-agent rightfielder Jason Heywardsigns an eightyear,$184 million contract with the Cubs.

July 25,2016: Cubs land thebest closerin baseball when they acquire Aroldis Chapman in a trade with the New York Yankees.

Oct.2,2016: The regularseason ends with the Cubs defeating the Reds 7-4and finishing with a103-58 record.

Oct.11,2016: Cubs punch their ticket tothe NationalLeague Championship Series bydefeating the Giants three games toone in the division series.

Oct.22,2016: Chicago beats Dodgers’ aceClayton Kershaw in Game 6 of the NLCS5-0 to captureits firstpennant since 1945.

Nov.2,2016: Cubs defeat the Indians 8-7 in a wild 10-inning Game 7 delayed by rain to capturetheir firstWorld Series title since 1908.

“World Series Champions,”writing inchalk outside Wrigley Field the names of loved ones who didn’tlive longenough to witness this moment.

Inthat colorful muralof names could be seenthe pain andfrustration of108 years but also the elation after itwas washed away in what seemedlike an instant.

Thischampionship, and its aftermath, which even saw South Side White Sox fans cheering alongside their North Side neighbors, wasabout morethan abaseball team trying to end the longestdrought in sports history.

Thiswas about exhaling.It was about saying goodbye tothat dreaded “someday.”

CCRONIN@BAYAREANEWSGROUP.COM