CHICAGO — Most years, a night this warm this late in October would feel like a gift. This year, because of a young Cubs team that fought off hibernation until the next-to-last possible moment, it turned out to be more of a mixed blessing.
The closest thing to a hometown celebration Wednesday night lasted all of a half-minute. It came while the Mets were still celebrating themselves, spilling out of the visiting dugout nearly a half-hour after completing a four-game sweep in the NLCS with an 8-3 win.
Across the field, the Cubs emerged from their dugout a few players at a time, tentative at first, and then turned to face the half-empty grandstands.