A Joyful World Series for a Weary Country

This is a great piece. As a life long Cleveland fan, my hat goes off to the Cubs for coming back to take the crown. Let's have a rematch next year.

This is so beautifully written. Last summer, I had an opportunity to visit my son in Chicago as an angry Republican Convention was on full display. Instead of watching, we all went to Wrigley's Field where we enjoyed a fun evening swapping stories with fans we'd never met, sharing hotdogs and popcorn and basking in the company of a happy crowd of thousands; even giddily singing that goofy song after the Cubs won. It was, as written here, a "thrilling escape." I was euphoric when we left. It made me realize that America and her people are, indeed, joyful, generous and gracious. Congratulations and thank you to the Cubs, the Cleveland Indians. You did indeed bring "joy in a time of exhaustion." Well played. And E. Williamson - well written.

BRAVO For the Clubs! Congratulations on their devotion to excellence and teamwork! Let's hope that we in the US can do a victory dance after the election, rather than a death march.

It was a popular Series; according to articles in the Times, it was watched by more people than any WS since the 2004 Red Sox Cardinals wipe out. Why so? Well, for one thing it had the Cubs, loved as losers striving to finally win after 108 years. The real reason, I think, was that people were eager, even starved for entertainment that was not at all coupled to politics; simple, straightforward baseball. Americans needed to escape for a few days, at least. No mention of "Crooked Hillary," or even crooked Maddon or crooked Francona. Just baseball.
Overall, a great finish to a medium Series. Not the thriller of 1975, but not bad.

A wonderful set of seven games. A pleasure to watch especially because they lacked any political overtones.

I congratulate both teams for a job well done!!!

Baseball has always been the truly American game. There have been ups and downs, glorious seasons interspersed with some embarrassing periods. Fortunately, baseball at least has been honest in its shortcomings and has worked to address the problems. Segregation, indentured servitude, income inequality, racism, cheating, gambling, steroids, baseball has done what it can to keep moving forward.

The game itself has always shown that one person alone can't win it all. No one can pitch a no hitter every day. No one can hit five homers every day. It takes an entire team, working together to get it done. More importantly, it takes a group of diverse talents, of all sizes, personalities, and even nationalities, to get along with one another every day for an entire season to get it done.

Let's hope some folks take a moment to follow the example of these two fine teams and remember that democracy is a team sport.

Always a Dodger fan, I will never forget this particular series. Thank you Elizabeth Williamson for a timely and apt piece.

This is true and beautifully said. We are better when we remember that we are not enemies but humans struggling together.

Hearing so many Cubs players credit Mr. Heyward, not for brawny athletic feats, but for his insightful leadership - that felt like the future of baseball (and humanity too).

The author's characterization of Maddon and Francona as "coaches" underscores that she is not a baseball fan, per se, a fact that enhances the piece by underscoring the universality of the game's importance.

Bernie Sanders would not be happy:

Game 4 starter John Lackey made more money this year, $16 million, than the entire Indians' rotation ($11.7m)

The 7th game of a World Series is generally al businessl. But there is plenty of rancor in baseball. Beanballs, dirty slides, interference, fights, and barrelling into home. And some of the slogans cannot be printed in this paper. I doubt a single player left the stadium saying "wow, those guys played great." And you can be pretty sure that plenty of Cubs and Indians, as well s their fans, are Trump supporters. There is no escape from an election full of rancor, not even in a memorable baseball game.

Well....not so fast.

One team (the winning one) spent money like it was no object. A 43% increase in salaries alone this year -- which was a record. Not to mention their payroll was nearly double.

And that same winning team was picked to win last March by most sportswriters. They were in it to win it.

So....not too far off from our political system where money wins.

Even Nate Silver's blog did an analysis last year showing a clear advantage for those big money teams.

Money wins in America. And Cleveland -- young, scrappy, injuries, working on fumes with two of their best pitchers injured -- and the 24th lowest payroll in the MBA almost gave us hope that maybe sometimes it doesn't matter.

Congratulations to the Cubs. But the term "underdog" when applied to this series is a false equivalency.

The world series was a wonderful lesson from our oldest national sport. It is too bad the series isn't starting right now so it can drown out the rest of this miserable election.

I'm not a believer in equivalence. I don't blame the Clinton campaign for the nastiness they are battling. Four years ago we had an equally hard-fought election and when it was over Mitt Romney was a true patriot in losing. (Sadly Mitch McConnell and the Republicans in Congress were less so.) But we cannot indulge the fantasy that both sides are equally unqualified to lead. We can't console ourselves that whomever wins will be no worse that the one who lost. Someone has to stand up and point out the reprehensible words and actions of Donald Trump and his crowd. Hillary tried to do so with her "basket of deplorables" speech and has been pilloried by her opponents and by the press ever since. It looks like, even if she manages to pull out a victory her assessment of Trump's supporters will be more than justified. Hillary's only mistake in lumping half of Trumps followers into that basket was that she set the percentage way too low.

I am one of the sleep deprived and completely happy Chicago fans. I did feel like the game was going to finish me off especially when the tarp came out, but the end result made up for everything. I did think how great it was that the Cleveland fans were so gracious with the Cub fans celebrating in their town. I think it is important to point that out because if we an do this in sports, we can hopefully get along in real life too, right? Yea, Cubs!

I am not a baseball fan but what a World Series this was! To go to an extra inning in the last game and win by one point? What a game of matched skill. Congratulations to all Cub players and fans and to The Cleveland team for some of the best baseball ever.

The great sportswriter Red Smith once said, ''Sports is not really a play world. I think it's the real world."

Smith was great, but I'm not sure he's right in this case. What we saw in this World Series is miles above the "real world" of 2016. Give me the play world any day.

Thank you for this column! It just made me feel good and believe that there still is hope for the country if there are so many good people cheering and being happy for each other. This campaign is NOT the real America!

Congrats, Cubbies. You done good, and Cleveland can hold its head high, too. Sometimes both sides do win.

Beautifully said. We're lucky to have these two teams during this nightmare election.

One of the reasons we are so into sports as a nation is that sports is an escape from the headaches and heartaches of the everyday world. No red and blue states, no policing issues, no ISIS, etc. Maybe that's another reason why so many people were angry about Colin Kapernick's sitting (then kneeling) for the national anthem as it represented an intrusion into our escapism from the angry outside world.

I've suffered Cubs disasters since 1969. Friends have suggested that the Cubs curse is essential to my allegiance and a victory will diminish it. Nonsense. I couldn't possibly have wished for another failure. But maybe there will now be room in my heart for the Indians as my 2nd team.

Best part were the classy post-game speeches by the managers, and the enthusiastic yet humble comments of the players. I do not understand why our political figures cannot show this much class and sincerity.

Thanks, this is so beautifully written. Basking in the glow of last night's game, I was thinking that watching it was watching something real--undistortable (okay, not a word). I like to think that the game, the players, the fans you've described reflect the reality of "us." Some call it a "sweet escape," but such nobility of behavior and pursuit could become more the norm if we can be reminded of it. What's that feeling? Oh, I remember--joy!

Thanks for mentioning the contribution of the Cleveland Indians and not making it all about the Cubs.

And a weary, utterly exhausting, World Series for the two joyful participants.

Yes, one side won and it is sweet; much of Chicago is sleep deprived and over the moon. Cleveland is likely quiet; they will have to wait; it will be 69 or 70 or more years for them now.

That said, both teams played their hearts out. In a sense there were no winners and no losers for both teams played amazing ball. How many World Series go 10 innings in a game 7?

The other thing was the behavior of the fans. They were alternately cheering and looking like they were watching their best friend have a heart attack as the score and the lead see-sawed. Yet, there was little to no rancor; there was little booing. There was respect and good sportsmanship both on and off the field. In our current climate, our political fans right & left might learn a thing or two, if they would only pay attention, about how to be the opposition while all being Americans together.