Wrote Alfred, Lord Tennyson, “’Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” The hell did he know? He would die in 1892—11 Octobers before the first World Series would be contested and 16 before the Cubs won their second straight (and most recent) title. Cleveland for its part was back then a triumphant capital of American trade and industry boasting a Temple Cup-winning baseball club, the Cleveland Spiders.
Sometimes one really is better off not loving at all. The Indians and Cubs entered this year's World Series have combined for 176 straight title-free seasons.