DOWNTOWN — Before an adoring crowd of hundreds of thousands at Grant Park Friday, Cubs players and executives spoke of a special season that ended with the ultimate — a world championship.
Enthralled fans had gathered before dawn to get a spot in the park, working their way through security before galloping toward the stage hours before the celebration's start. Most were garbed in Cubs gear but some were wearing office clothing, reflecting how playing hooky was rampant.
Chicago police estimated that 5 million people attended the parade and rally.
Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts spoke of how people have told him over the years, Can you win the World Series before I die?
"For the thousands of people who have said that to me, there you go," said Ricketts, adding "you don't win the World Series on accident; you win the World Series because you work with great people."
Cubs president Theo Epstein acknowledged the team had been very bad in years leading up to the championship run. The team lost 101 games in 2012 as the Cubs rebuilt.
"Let's be honest. We forgot the 'not' in try not to suck," said Epstein.
But the fans stuck with the team.
"Our players felt how badly you wanted it. Our players dug deep for you. You guys are what really carried our guys through the big moments," he said.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon looked over the massive crowd and pronounced it "CubStock."
"This is overwhelming. You guys are the best," said Maddon, wearing a knit cap with "champs" embroidered on it. "Let's hope it's not another 108 years," saying that he hoped to be back next year.
"Let's do it again next year," agreed Kyle Schwarber.
Ben Zobrist said his World Series MVP was a team award.
"This team is full of MVPs and we're in a city of MVPs," he said.
Zobrist spoke of how "all year long, battled together, and we had it, and we knew we had it, until we were down 3-1 in the World Series."
"It was silent in that clubhouse, let me tell ya. And then, the man, the myth, the legend, David Ross, spoke up he said no, don't do that, don't hang your heads. He said we're the best team, we'll come back, we've won three games in a row a lot this year and we're gonna do it," Zobrist said.
Zobrist recounted how Anthony Rizzo made the team watch "Rocky" movies to pump itself up during the series.
"Our own Italian Stalion Anthony Rizzo, the heart and soul of this cub played 'Rocky" movies all day long in the clubhouse, 'Rocky' quotes. Now, I'm a small town Illinois kid grew up Downstate, but I used to watch 'Rocky' movies to be inspired before games as a kid, so you better believe when he started that I'm as all pumped up, and was all about it," Zobrist said.
A couple players wept while speaking to the crowd, including Anthony Rizzo and Ross. Rizzo gave the final ball from Game 7 of the World Series to Ricketts.