"The Cubs win the series! The Cubs win the series!" Long-suffering fans of Chicago's northside nine can undoubtedly hear those words as if rolling off the tongue of the late, great Harry Carey. This original oil painting on birch panel commemorates the Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series Championship.

The Cubs defeated the Cleveland Indians four games to three in a seven-game series to win their first World Series since 1908. Game 7, an 8–7 victory in 10 innings, marked the fifth time that a Game 7 had gone into extra innings and the first since 1997 (which, coincidentally, the Indians also lost). It was also the first Game 7 to have a rain delay, which occurred as the tenth inning was about to start. The Cubs became the sixth team to come back from a 3–1 deficit to win a best-of-seven World Series.

Pictured, from left to right: Jon Lester, Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Aroldis Chapman, Kurt Schwarber, Anthony Rizzo (embracing Bryant), Mike Montgomery (back turned), Javier Baez (Russell bent over to his right), Ben Zobrist, Jake Arrieta, David Ross (being "wedding carried"), Dexter Fowler, and Kyle Hendricks.

This piece features the iconic outside façade of Wrigley Field, with the art deco sign broadcasting the Cubs as the champions of baseball, while fans celebrate in the streets, some “flying the W,” which had become a symbol of the team’s remarkable run to the title. Also shown in the background is the line score from the seventh and deciding game, one which became an instant classic in baseball history.

This piece involved countless hours of researching players and representative photos, sketching potential poses (including live sketching players while watching the series on television), and composing the piece before the painting process even began.

This original painting is sold, but limited-edition prints are available here:

"A Century in the Making" limited-edition prints