My crazy quest to dig up the 2016 Cubs record
Okay so last night I’m scrolling through old baseball highlights when this question pops into my head: “Man, how many games did those 2016 Cubs actually win?” I mean everyone remembers they finally won the Series after a century, but the exact numbers? Total blank. Grabbed my laptop and started digging like a squirrel hunting acorns before winter.
The messy research phase
First I hit up baseball reference sites – you know, those databases that look like they haven’t changed since dial-up internet. Scrolled past a zillion stats until I found the 2016 season tab. Saw “CHC” buried between a bunch of ads for fantasy leagues I don’t care about. Clicked it and bam! There it was staring me down: 103 wins, 58 losses and 1 tie? Who even knew baseball allowed ties anymore!
- Triple-checked the math: 103+58+1 = 162 games. That makes sense!
- Scrolled sideways so hard I almost got finger cramp finding the “162” column header
- Spotted that insane +252 run differential – these guys weren’t just winning, they were crushing people
Then my wife yells from the kitchen “Dinner’s ready!” and I’m stuck trying to explain why historical baseball stats trump spaghetti. She just rolled her eyes like “Not this again…”
The embarrassing memory part
Here’s the weird personal connection: I actually missed their entire championship parade. Why? Because I got super lost in Chicago that week! My buddy Dan swore he knew this “shortcut” from Wrigleyville to downtown. We wound up by some sketchy warehouse district while half the city partied without us. Spent two hours watching drunk guys in blue hats stumble past while we checked a paper map like idiots. Dan still owes me a hot dog for that disaster.
Anyway, back to the stats – that 103 number feels unreal compared to recent Cubs teams. Funny how time warps memories. Could’ve sworn they had fewer wins, but nope, 2016 was straight dominance. Might buy a 103 decal for my bike this summer to honor that insane season.
