CHICAGO -- When the Cubs stormed through October six years ago, the burdensome weight of expectations had not arrived yet for the ballclub. They were young, on the rise and shrugged off the so-called curses that tormented their fan base.
The Cubs arrived at the doorstep of the World Series and were denied entrance. It wouldn't be until the following year -- during Chicago's historic 2016 season -- that the feeling around the team started to shift.
"The vibe around the team starting in Spring Training 2016, was, 'OK, we know we're really good. We know we have a legitimate chance to make history,'" former Cubs executive Theo Epstein said.
Those words from Epstein came during an interview on "The Run" podcast, a 10-part series presented by Audacy and Major League Baseball. Hosts Matt Spiegel (670 AM The Score) and comedian Roy Wood Jr. take fans on a trip down memory lane through broadcast clips, interviews and conversations about the Cubs' run to World Series glory in 2016.
Spiegel has been a Chicago sports radio personality for more than a decade. Wood -- a correspondent for Comedy Central's the Daily Show -- adds a fan's perspective to the mix.
"Lifelong Cubs fan," Wood says in the podcast's first episode. "From Alabama, but I'm still a Cubs fan, because that's what came on cable. And my daddy knew Ernie Banks, and that was enough for me."
The podcast not only gives Cubs fans the chance to relive some memorable moments from that franchise-changing October five years ago, but also dives into the team's history and unearths some behind-the-scenes stories from those involved.
Spiegel and Wood chat with Epstein about his role in ending two historic droughts -- first with the Red Sox and then with the Cubs -- and how his front office team began the rebuilding process in Chicago.
"I always need to feel really connected to the mission and feel like it has meaning and resonance," Epstein said. "It was kind of obvious to me that the only place that you could possibly be lucky enough to have that feeling again would be in Chicago, and everything just kind of lined up."
Former Cubs manager Joe Maddon joins Spiegel and Wood to discuss how he wound up on the North Side, and dives into tales about Javier Báez, Jason Heyward, Aroldis Chapman's playoff usage and more.
The pair sat down with Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster, who recounts coming to Chicago after the ill-fated 2003 season and being convinced (at least temporarily) that the curse around the team was real.
Former catcher and current Cubs manager David Ross also joined the podcast to walk fans through the highs and lows of Game 7 of the World Series. Those include:
• Allowing two runs in on a wild pitch: "Let me tell you how good that felt," Ross said. "Yeah, the game's kind of like -- we're doing pretty darned good, and I get in the game and chaos ensues."
• Hitting a home run off Andrew Miller: "I'm like, 'Please, do not catch this ball.' I'm thinking I'm going to run right out the right field gate if he catches this ball. That's my how my career's going to end."
• Reacting to Rajai Davis' home run: "I just remember trying to shake that 'You've got to be kidding me', 'I can't believe that just happened' moment."
Other guests include comedian and Cubs fan Katie Rich, longtime sportswriter Tom Verducci, ESPN's Sarah Spain and more.
The podcast has three episodes dedicated to the World Series and it runs through the NL Championship Series against the Dodgers and breaks down the NL Division Series against the Giants. Maddon pointed to Game 4 of the NLDS as the one that "catapulted" Chicago to the Fall Classic.
"I can't believe people don't recognize it more strongly," Maddon said. "That was the game. That's the game that won the World Series for the Cubs."
Over the 10 episodes, Spiegel and Wood cover a lot of familiar ground, and some new territory. They also work in some fun personal stories, such as how Spiegel wound up on the team plane, or how Wood paid "$2,557.50" for a Game 7 bleacher seat while wearing his "rain-soaked bathrobe."
The hosting duo also chats with long-time Cubs radio voice Pat Hughes, who walks them through his famous call of the final Bryant-to-Rizzo out of Chicago's Game 7 victory. That segment alone makes the podcast a must-listen for Cubs fans.
"I'd just never made a call quite like that," Hughes said. "And one of the best sights of my whole life was seeing the umpire, Joe West, pump up the right arm, signaling, 'Out.' As soon as he said that: 'In time! And the Chicago Cubs win the World Series!'"