October 24, 2016 The Quincy Herald-Whig For Cubs fans, 'next year' has finally arrived Chicago Cubs fans can party like it's 1945. The Cubs, long baseball's lovable losers, ended a 71-year run without appearing in the World Series Saturday night by defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-0 to take the National League Championship Series, four games to two. With baseball's best record during the regular season, the Cubs appear poised to sweep aside the Curse of the Billy Goat, the specter of Steve Bartman deflecting a foul ball in 2003, and decades of disappointment and near-misses during the Hall of Fame careers of Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Ron Santo and Ryne Sandberg. Finally, no more waiting until next year. The Cubs last appeared in the Fall Classic in 1945, about a month after the end of World War II when many of the game's best players were still serving in the military.Read more on NewsOK.com