Cubs win 1st Series title since 1908, beat Indians in Game 7

The Chicago Cubs celebrate after Game 7 of the Major League Baseball World Series against the Cleveland Indians Thursday, Nov. 3, 2016, in Cleveland. The Cubs won 8-7 in 10 innings to win the series 4-3.

For a legion of fans who waited a lifetime, fly that W: Your Chicago Cubs are World Series champions.

Ending more than a century of flops, futility and frustration, the Cubs won their first title since 1908, outlasting the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in 10 innings of a Game 7 thriller early Thursday.

They even had to endure an extra-inning rain delay to end the drought.

Cleveland was trying to win its first crown since 1948, but manager Terry Francona’s club lost the last two games at home.

World Series favorites since spring training, Chicago led the majors with 103 wins this season.

After defeating San Francisco and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the playoffs, Chicago became the first team to earn a title by winning Games 6 and 7 on the road since the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates.

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Pelletier’s OT goal gives Comets win. Utica remains alive in playoff battle

Pascal Pelletier scored a power play goal with assists from Henrik Tommernes and Cal O’Reilly just 24 seconds into overtime, and the Comets defeated the Lake Erie Monsters 3-2 Thursday in Cleveland.

The Comets have 73 points with five games to play in a desperate six-team battle for the last American Hockey League Western Conference playoff spot, currently held by the Charlotte Checkers with 77 points.

It was sixth 3-2 decision in seven games between the teams, with the Comets winning four times. Utica has a 4-3 edge overall in the series, with concludes with another game at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.

Pelletier, Utica’s scoring leader (19-40 – 59), connected from his favorite spot in the right faceoff circle as the Comets skated 4-on-3. They got the extra man when Lake Erie’s David van der Gulik was called for tripping as the final horn sounded in regulation. The Monsters had tied the game on Michael Schumacher’s goal at 15:42 of the third.

Brett Clark scored early in the second period to give Lake Erie the first lead, Brandon DeFazio tied it with his 17th goal at 14:17 with help from O’Reilly and Patrick Kennedy, and the Comets took the lead on Jeremy Welsh’s goal at 13:38 of the third. Kellan Lain and Alex Friesen assisted on that one.

Schumacher scored on the power play shortly after that, and then the teams headed to the overtime.

Joacim Eriksson made 19 saves for the Comets. Sami Aittokallio made 29 stops for Lake Erie.

After tonight’s (Friday’s) game, the Comets get a night off before traveling to play the Phantoms in Glens Falls at 5 p.m. Sunday, then return to the Utica Memorial Auditorium for games with Rochester Wednesday, Toronto Friday and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Saturday to finish the regular season.

Read more about the Comets victory.

In other news

Rob Esche knows Trevor Linden a bit.

They played against each other in their National Hockey League days, although the Utica Comets president and former goalie can’t recall if Linden, who collected 375 goals in a 22-year career, ever put the puck past him.

“I can’t remember,” Esche said. “I’m sure he did.”

Esche also is sure Linden’s appointment as president of the Vancouver Canucks Wednesday morning is a good thing for the Comets, Vancouver’s American Hockey League affiliate. Linden, among British Columbia’s most popular athletes, past or present, was named to the position a day after the Canucks fired general manager Mike Gillis. Vancouver, coached by John Tortorella – briefly a member of the Mohawk Valley Stars during training camp in 1983 – bowed out of playoff contention earlier in the week.

“It’s an exciting time to be in the Vancouver organization,” Esche said. “It’s been terrific working with them all season long.”

Read more about the new Vancouver president

2013-14 AHL All-Star Team

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Van Sweringen Brothers, Nickel Plate and Other Ohio Railroads WebSite

 Pictured above is the Cleveland Union Terminal

Early in the 20th Century, two brothers from rural Ohio built a railroad empire when railroads were more critical to American transportation. Their achievements were first real estate, secondly in skyscraper construction, and finally in railroad consolidations. Oris P. and Mantis J. Van Sweringen were bachelors who had no hobby but work.

In 1916, the New York Central sold them the New York, Chicago & St. Louis (commonly known as the Nickel Plate). This road did not do well with passenger traffic but had a rich freight business. They hired John J. Bernet as the president to run it. By 1922 they had absorbed the Lake Erie & Western and the Toledo, St. Louis & Western (Clover Leaf Route).

Next, they gained control of the Chesapeake & Ohio and Hocking Valley (the Hocking Valley gave C&O a long haul route from the Ohio Valley to the Great Lakes). These fed coal tonnage to Nickel Plate which served industrial centers such as Lackawanna, Cleveland, Lorain, Toledo, Gary and Chicago. By 1927, the Van Sweringens had 26% of the Erie, 33% of Pere Marquette and 17% of Wheeling & Lake Erie.

In 1926 the Interstate Commerce Commission did not allow the brothers to merge their holdings. They then shifted their consolidation scheme to C&O to satisfy minority shareowners. This didn’t work either.

The coming of the Great Depression in 1929 nullified whatever unification plans the “Vans” had. They died in 1936 and 1937 after their empire collapsed.
Central to the Van Sweringen empire was the Nickel Plate Railroad. Find out why the Nickel Plate was built.
See a great Nickel Plate map and discover the role of the Nickel Plate in various “Alphabet Routes”. An important Nickel Plate connection was the Buffalo Creek Railroad

Cleveland was important to the Vans. We have some Cleveland railroad maps a story of what’s left of Cleveland Union Terminal. You can also see the New York Central Cleveland Division in 1925 . We talk about Cleveland’s current regional transit system too.

Read about Ohio in 1998 and about Ohio railroad stations. Find out about the Maumee River Bridge and Interstate trails.
Between 1926 and 1930, the system saw development of new high-horsepower locomotives. The most famous of these was the 2-8-4 Berkshire. These were used by Erie and Nickel Plate. Later, T-1 2-10-4’s were developed on the C&O based on the 2-8-4’s.