by Olin Meinders

In case you have’t heard, the Chicago Cubs are playing in the World Series. Their 108-year World Series drought could come to an end, and everyone’s going crazy about it. Even though most fans of the Cubbies would prefer to see the “W” flag flying outside of their homes after game seven, most are just happy to see the team in the World Series. The first time the Cubs have played in a World Series since 1945.

The world was a completely different place when the Cubs last won a World Series. For instance there were only 16 professional baseball teams, the United States had 45 states, the average wage was $200 a year, and drugs like heroin and marijuana were available over-the-counter.

If you ask any diehard Cubs fan why it’s been so long since a World Series Championship has come to Wrigleyville , they’ll tell you it’s because of the Curse of the Billy Goat. The curse is said to have begun when local tavern owner Billy Sianis was kicked out of Wrigley Field during game four of the 1945 World Series. Sianis had brought a goat, which was the mascot of his business, to the game and due to the smell of the goat was forced to leave the stadium. According to legend, while being escorted out he exclaimed “Them Cubs, they ain’t gonna win no more.” For the next seven decades the Cubs wouldn’t be able to make it to the World Series and have a chance to prove Billy Sianis and his goat wrong, until now.

After managing to get past the very tough Los Angeles Dodgers, the Billy Goat Curse might be in trouble. If you ask most Cubs fans, they will say 2016 is their year. Noel Brown, a PCM baseball coach and Prairie City resident, evidently thinks this. Last month he made the bold decision to get a tattoo that states the Cubs as 2016 World Champs. His decision quickly gained attention, and his tattoo was shown on KCCI, ESPN, Sports Illustrated and Fox Sports. By the time your reading this you might know whether or not the tattoo is true.

Kyle Schwarber has been one of the biggest stories of the series because of his timely return from an ACL and LCL tear. The injury happened to him during the second game of the season, and he was ruled out for the rest of 2016. Usually, that injury takes at the least a full year to recover, but he came back in just six months. Schwarber appeared to have no issues, as he almost hit a home run while playing designated hitter in game one of the World Series, which was also his first hit of 2016. Just the fact that he’s playing is nothing short of a miracle, but what’s even more amazing is that he can hit like the injury never even happened.

Even though the Cubs are not from Iowa, they have very strong ties with their minor league affiliate, the Iowa Cubs. Several players on the World Series roster have played in Iowa, including Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Anthony Rizzo and Javie Baez.

If they do win the Series there will certainly be lots of celebrating some 300 miles west of Chicago, right here at home in in Iowa.