World Series Preview

At long last, the final battle has arrived. Major League Baseball is now set to crown a world champion in the sport. After 162 regular season games, a wild card game, the divisional round and league championship, we have arrived at the summit of the baseball season. In a little over a week, we will determine who the best baseball team in the world is for the 2016 season. Post season play began three weeks ago with ten teams fighting it out for the right to be the best team in the world. We've come down to the final two teams, which also just so happen to be the two teams in baseball with the longest world championship droughts. So enough talk, lets break it down.

For the 112th time, the American League Champions battle the National League Champions. This years World Series pits the American League Central winners, the Cleveland Indians, taking on the National League Central Champions, the Chicago Cubs. Cleveland has home field advantage in this series by way of the American League winning the All Star Game back in July. This matchup features the two franchises with the longest World Series title droughts, a combined 176 years without a championship. The previous longest combined drought was 132 years in 2005 between the Chicago White Sox (88 years) and the Houston Astros (44 years).

The Indians will make their sixth appearance in the World Series. They won their first two world championships, in 1920 against the Brooklyn Robins, and in 1948 against the Boston Braves. They lost their three most recent appearances in the Fall Classic, losing to the New York Giants in 1954, the Atlanta Braves in 1995, and the Florida Marlins in 1997. Cleveland qualified for the postseason by winning the Central (their eighth division title and their first since 2007) with a 94-67 record. They defeated the Boston Red Sox in three games of the American League Division Series, before clinching the pennant with a five-game victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Championship Series. Tribe Manager Terry Francona, is managing in his 3rd World Series, winning World Series championships in 2004 and 2007 with the Red Sox.

The Cubs will make their 11th appearance in the modern World Series (since 1903). They won two world championships in 1907 and 1908, both against the Detroit Tigers. They lost their eight other appearances, in 1906 against the Chicago White Sox, in 1910 against the Philadelphia Athletics, in 1918 against the Boston Red Sox, in 1929 against the Athletics, in 1932 against the New York Yankees, in 1935 against the Tigers, in 1938 against the Yankees, and in 1945 against the Tigers. Chicago qualified for the postseason by winning the Central (their sixth division title and their first since 2008) with a 103-58 record. They defeated the San Francisco Giants in four games of the 2016 National League Division Series, before clinching their first National League pennant since 1945 with a six-game victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Cubs manager Joe Maddon is managing in his 2nd World Series, his first was with the Tampa Bay Rays when they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008. Ironically, in 2008, his Rays beat Terry Francona's Boston Red Sox to win the AL Pennant.

Here's the date and times for every game in this series:
October 25 Chicago Cubs @ Cleveland Indians Progressive Field 8:08 pm
October 26 Chicago Cubs @ Cleveland Indians Progressive Field 8:08 pm
October 28 Cleveland Indians @ Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field 8:08 pm
October 29 Cleveland Indians @ Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field 8:08 pm
October 30* Cleveland Indians @ Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field 8:15 pm
November 1* Chicago Cubs @ Cleveland Indians Progressive Field 8:08 pm
November 2* Chicago Cubs @ Cleveland Indians Progressive Field 8:08 pm

Talk about long waiting franchises. Cleveland hasn't won since 48 and the Cubs haven't seen the series since 45. So both teams are due and something has to break in this series. So lets see who really has the edge in this series. It's going to to be a split in terms of the pitching staffs. No doubt about it, the Indians have the better relief pitching. Cleveland has had a stellar pen this post season, with ALCS MVP Andrew Miller and Cody Allen looking great over the last three weeks. Terry Francona has had no issues going to Miller and Allen over extended innings if he so needs to.Its worked for him so far, and if its not broke don't fix it. Sure, Chicago has a good pen in its own right, as Aroldis Chapman could be lights out this playoffs, but he has looked a little shaky at times.

Cleveland has a good pen, but that's if they can even get those guys the ball with a lead. Starting pitching has to go in favor of Chicago. Cleveland could get Danny Salazar back in time for Game 3 or 4 in Chicago, but who knows yet, its not set in stone, due to his injury. Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin get the nod to start the series on the hill for the Tribe, so they're off to a decent start. Chicago is going with John Lester, Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks and John Lacky to start the series. On paper, the Cubs hold the advantage, but don't count out the Tribe pitching staff, the did dispatch the two best offensive teams in the American League to get here.

Defense and hitting are just as important in this series as pitching. Chicago has a better infield then Cleveland does, except in one spot. Coming from 2nd base, Javier Baez has been a very nice surprise for the Cubs this year. But Jason Kipnis is a slightly better defender, slightly better hitter and draws more walks then Baez does. You can also make the argument for Francisco Lindor over Addison Russell at short as well, another close call. Lindor has been phenominal all playoffs, often times stealing the show with his glove. He really has been a great joy to watch play so far in the playoffs, no disrespect to Addison Russell. In the Outfield, if your the Cubs, the only one who has been a worry has been Jason Heyward. Heyward has looked completely lost at the plate, to the point that Maddon even benched him in Game 6 of the NLCS. For a guy who's had so much hype surrounding him (and with good reason at the start of his career why not), he has really come down to earth as of late. He's the only one in that Cubs outfield, or lineup as a whole for that matter, that's looked uncomfortable in this playoffs.

Chicago is hitting .222 as a team, while Cleveland is hitting .208. Chicago has also driven in twenty more runs then the Indians have, granted they've had to play more games because the Indians won both of their series in a two fewer games. Also the Indians have had a week off since closing out the Blue Jays, which could hurt their chances and cool them down a little. Same thing happened to the Detroit Tigers in 2012, they swept the Yankees in the ALCS, then got swept by the Giants in the World Series (granted the Giants were red hot at the time but still).

Cleveland can hold up with starting pitching and that bullpen is outstanding. But here's the problem. Chicago is too good and too deep a lineup. The Indians can run the bases sure, that's what most good teams need to do to be a success in the playoffs. I just think the Cubs are going to be too good. Almost didn't look that way against the Dodgers in the NLCS, but still Chicago is too talented and too deep a team to come up short. I know I picked against the Tribe in the last two rounds and they have proved me wrong. Maybe they'll do it again now. Then again maybe not.

Prediction: Chicago Cubs in 6!