Cubs Honor 2016 Champs with New Bronze Gate at Wrigley

Ten years after breaking a century-long curse, the Chicago Cubs celebrated their 2016 World Series champions with a monument that captures what that victory meant to millions of hearts.

The Champions Gate, standing 31 feet wide and 22 feet tall, was unveiled Saturday outside Wrigley Field. Bronze medallions honor all three Cubs championships, with 2016 positioned proudly in the center.

Players who made history that magical season returned home for the dedication. Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, Ben Zobrist, and Anthony Rizzo stood together again, reliving the moment they changed Chicago forever.

Former team president Theo Epstein watched the reunion with visible emotion. "The chemistry they had, how much they supported each other, what they mean to each other, lives on to this day," he said.

The monument features plaques listing every player and coach from each championship team. Below the 2016 roster sits a bronze image capturing the final out of Game 7, the moment an entire city exhaled after 108 years.

Manager Joe Maddon brought his original notes from 2016 Spring Training, showing the words "embrace the target" that became their rallying cry. That target turned into one of baseball's most epic championship runs, culminating in a thrilling seven-game series against Cleveland.

The Ripple Effect

Jake Arrieta described how fans still share stories about what the championship meant to their families. "Whether it's in Chicago, nationwide or worldwide, we get told stories on a daily or weekly basis of what this meant to families and generations of families," he said.

The celebration took a magical turn during that afternoon's game. Rizzo, sitting in the right field bleachers with his 2016 teammates, caught a home run ball hit by current Cubs first baseman Michael Busch.

The stadium erupted as Rizzo held up the ball alongside his young son. Zobrist, the 2016 World Series MVP, stood beside him yelling in disbelief while teammates cheered.

Rizzo wore his actual Game 7 jersey to the ceremony. Before cutting the ribbon, he noted there was plenty of room on the monument for future championships.

Cubs executive chairman Tom Ricketts told the crowd that while every year crowns a champion, few titles touched as many lives. "It's difficult to imagine any championship that meant so much to so many people," he said.

For Rizzo and his brothers in victory, the gate represents something bigger than baseball. "Winning in Chicago, the magnitude of what we won has elevated our careers and lives and brotherhood tremendously," he said.

The monument stands as a permanent reminder that hope, when nurtured across generations, eventually blooms into something beautiful.