As if the Chicago Cubs beating their archrivals in the playoffs wasn’t good enough, there is something else that fans of the team can be excited about after eliminating the St. Louis Cardinals.
Over the previous three postseasons, the Cardinals have reached the NLCS twice and have gotten to the World Series once before losing to the Cubs in this year’s NLDS. In each of those previous three playoff runs, the team that eliminated the Cardinals from the playoffs not only got the bragging rights that come with beating one of the best teams in baseball, but they got something else too:
A World Series trophy.
In 2012, the Cardinals beat the Atlanta Braves in the NL Wild Card Game and then knocked off the Washington Nationals in the NLDS. In the NLCS round, the Cardinals gave the San Francisco Giants all they could handle, but they ultimately fell in a seven-game thriller. The Giants went on to sweep the Detroit Tigers and claim their second World Series title in three years.
In 2013, the Cardinals made it even further, getting into the World Series where they would battle the Boston Red Sox. Just like in the 2004 edition of the Fall Classic however, the Cardinals were knocked out as the Red Sox claimed the championship behind the pitching of players like Jon Lester.
Last season, the Cardinals looked to be on their way back to the World Series as they dispatched the Los Angeles Dodgers with ease in the NLDS, but the Giants had other ideas. San Francisco pounded St. Louis mercilessly in the series, picking up a 4-1 series win before ultimately beating the Kansas City Royals to win the title.
While the Cubs’ road to a potential championship will still require getting eight more victories, beating the team with the most regular season wins in baseball apparently has a nice added benefit to it.