Theo Epstein says FOX once tried to push the end of the 2016 World Series to the next night
The Cubs’ Game 7 win over the Cleveland Indians already lives in baseball memory as one of the wildest nights ever played. A rain delay interrupted a 6-6 tie in the 10th inning, and when the game finally resumed, Chicago finished the job: Ben Zobrist ripped a double down the left field line, Miguel Montero added an insurance run, and Mike Montgomery got the final out on a groundball to third baseman Kris Bryant. The Cubs had their first World Series title since 1908.
But according to former Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein, the night nearly took an even stranger turn.
On the Lovable Reunion podcast, Epstein said that during the 17-minute rain delay he sat in a meeting with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti, and a group of meteorologists to figure out how long the weather might keep affecting the game. In that meeting, Epstein remembered Manfred taking a call with an executive at FOX Sports, and the network apparently floated the idea of stopping Game 7 and finishing it the next night in primetime.
“They were asking about the rain, and they said we can suspend this game right now and pick it up tomorrow night in primetime," Epstein said. "It’s going to be worth like 25 million more viewers. And he [Manfred] was like, ‘As tempting as that is, we can’t f*cking do that … this is World Series, Game 7.'”
That idea would have meant pausing a tied World Series finale in extra innings and coming back a day later. Instead, the game kept moving toward its finish, with all the chaos already packed into one night: the leadoff homer, Jon Lester coming out of the bullpen for the first time in his career, Rajai Davis’ game-tying blast, and then the extra innings that decided it.
Epstein’s account makes the delay feel even more surreal. A 17-minute weather break was one thing. Stretching the final inning of the World Series into the next evening would have been something else entirely.
In Other News...
White Sox May Have One Last Hope In That Curtis Mead Trade
The Curtis Mead deal looked like a small spring-training move at the time, the kind of roster shuffle that barely registers once camp breaks. Chicago had designated Mead for assignment after 2026 spring training and sent him to Washington, getting catcher Boston Smith and a 2025 draft pick back in return, a package that was easy to overlook when the transaction was announced.
Mead has since turned into a real hitter for the Nationals, which only sharpens the question of what the White Sox actually got out of the swap. The answer may still be developing in the minors, where Smith has emerged as one of the more interesting names in the system and given Chicago at least one reason to believe the trade could age better than it first appeared. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Minor League Update Puts Pitching Prospect Return In Focus
The Charlotte Knights came up short again Tuesday, falling 3-2 to Durham in a game that left the White Sox system with a familiar mix of missed chances and a pitching return worth watching. Charlotte was outhit but could not cash in enough of its opportunities, while Shane Murphy handled the start and gave the club a chance to stay close.
The bigger note for Chicago was Hagen Smith making his first appearance back from the injured list, a development the organization has been tracking closely. His return is the kind of checkpoint that matters more than the final score in a minor league box, especially with the White Sox still sorting out how their pitching prospects fit into the bigger picture. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Finally Had A Feel Good Win Then Teel Left
For a White Sox team that has spent much of the season searching for any kind of lift, Tuesdays win over Texas at least offered a little of everything they have been missing. Andrew Benintendi delivered the biggest swing, a bases-clearing double in the fifth that flipped the game and gave Chicago a cushion it could protect, while the bullpen kept the Rangers from mounting much of a push the rest of the way.
The mood around the game changed, though, when Kyle Teel left early for Texas after a non-contact injury at home plate. The White Sox will take the victory and the work from their relievers, but the final image from a much-needed feel-good night was a reminder that even on a good day, there is still plenty that can go sideways. [Read more 🡒]