CHICAGO -- Autumn is supposed to be the time for celebrations in Major League Baseball. But the Chicago Cubs have been so hot this season, their first celebration happened in the summer.
The Cubs clinched the NL Central late Thursday when the Cardinals lost in San Francisco. The players, coaches and manager Joe Maddon had already gone their separate ways, so the team plans to hold its official clinching shindig after Friday’s game against Milwaukee. On Saturday, they begin a prolonged prep for the postseason.
The Cubs have held a healthy lead in the division all season and with a margin that had bulged to 17 games, clinching was a foregone conclusion.