ERST LESEN! » sful period, when they

CLEVELAND -- Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant have been nearly inseparable since the day they became major league teammates in the spring of 2015, 20-somethings with power and talent to burn.Their lockers are practically on top of each other in the Chicago Cubs clubhouse. Their names are often squeezed one on top of the other in manager Joe Maddons lineup. Heck, they even have one of those catchy nicknames typically reserved for Hollywood power couples.And now Bryzzo has something else: a world title.The centerpieces of Theo Epsteins methodical, patient rebuild helped the Cubs shed 108 years of futility early Thursday with one final game of catch in the 10th inning of Game 7 of the World Series. When Bryant fielded the grounder by Clevelands Michael Martinez and fired it across the diamond to Rizzo at first base, the moment theyd talked about suddenly came to be.Cubs 8. Indians 7. Curse vanquished. Destiny fulfilled.And more may be on the way. Bryant is 24. Rizzo is 27. Shortstop Addison Russell is 22. Second baseman Javy Baez, 24. Catcher Willson Contreras, 24. All of them are under team control through at least 2021. More celebrations may lie ahead.I think were going to have more opportunities, general manager Jed Hoyer said. But the playoffs are really humbling ... To think that simply being the most talented team and having the best record, its still really hard to win. I think this playoff series showed that.Maybe, but it helps when your young core learns on the fly, a group personified by Rizzo -- the first major piece acquired by Epstein in 2012 -- and Bryant -- taken with the second overall pick in the 2013 draft.This is what you dream for, Bryant said. I mean, I made the last out of the World Series.Well, technically Rizzo made the final out. Something theyd talked about a week ahead of time.He said, `If I make the last out, Im keeping that ball because its worth a lot of money, Bryant said with a laugh.A memento Rizzo clutched tight as he and Bryant raced to hug each other as their teammates joyously poured onto the Progressive Field turf to put an exclamation point on a season when they finally turned Chicagos century-old tag of lovable losers into something far more refined: champions.This is unbelievable, Rizzo said. Its so exhausting. Looking back on it, this was our 210th game with spring training and playoffs and the season. We deserve this.Its an outcome that seemingly was never in doubt from the moment Bryant hit a solo home run in the fourth inning of Game 5, the one that kick-started a season-saving victory and served as the rocket fuel that propelled the franchise to heights not seen since 1908.The blast off Trevor Bauer tied the game. Rizzo then doubled and scored the go-ahead run. Chicago never trailed again. Not in a 9-3 laugher in Game 6. Not during the clincher, one that featured Bryant and Rizzo right in the middle of the rally that gave the Cubs an early four-run lead.There Rizzo was again in the 10th after the Indians had improbably tied it off closer Aroldis Chapman with a two-run home run in the seventh. The Indians chose to intentionally walk Rizzo to put runners on first and second with one out, setting up Ben Zobrist for the go-ahead RBI double. Rizzo then raced home for the deciding run on Miguel Monteros single to left.Bryant, the heavy favorite to win the NL MVP later this month, finished the Series hitting .267 with two home runs. Rizzo hit .360 with a homer and three doubles. And theyre just getting started.Theyre the heart of this team, said Zobrist, the Series MVP. What theyve done together in their time is pretty special. Fake Lakers Jerseys . Here are his mid-season NBA awards. MVP: (KEVIN DURANT-Thunder) - Has been sensational this season and more importantly, the most consistent player in the league. Considering that his team has been without star guard Russell Westbrook and with the free agent departure of sharpshooter Kevin Martin, hes had to carry the majority of the load to not only keep his team afloat but more importantly, at an elite level. Lakers Jerseys China . Traditional contenders Brazil, Greece and Turkey drew the other three spots to complete the 24-team field for this summers tournament in Spain, basketball governing body FIBA announced Saturday at its meeting in Barcelona. https://www.lakersjerseycheap.com/ .875,000, avoiding arbitration. Clippards deal Monday means all eight Nationals players who filed for arbitration wound up settling before a hearing. Custom Los Angeles Lakers Jerseys . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . Los Angeles Lakers Shirts . Jeff Green scored 13 points and Kris Humphries 12 for the Celtics, who nearly blew an 18-point, second-half lead. Sullingers 20-20 was the first by a Celtics player since Kevin Garnetts first game in Boston in 2007. Garnett was dealt -- along with Paul Pierce -- to Brooklyn during the off-season.Atletico Madrid have lost the fire in their belly and need to make better use of their summer signings, says Terry Gibson. Diego Simeones side were beaten by their local rivals Real in Saturdays Madrid derby - the final meeting at the Vicente Calderon Stadium - with a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick seeing them fall to a second successive league defeat. Sky Sports Spanish football expert Gibson believes Atletico have lost the motivation that propelled them to the La Liga title in the 2013/14 season and was critical of substitutions made by the manager. The fire in their belly has gone a bit, it really has, Gibson said on the La Liga Weekly podcast. First of all, I was really surprised to see Fernando Torres. That experiment has to stop. When you spend €32m on Kevin Gameiro whos been in pretty good form, he should be starting. La Liga Weekly podcast Jon Driscoll is joined by Terry Gibson to look back on the biggest talking points from La Liga I think the reason Torres played on Saturday was to give them a bit more power up front and Simeone believes that Torres still has the same big-game performances in him. He got the nod to be a six-foot centre forward who puts himself about, but it didnt work.I then thought it was a mistake when they were at their best to make two changes in the middle of that. I didnt think there was an awful lot between the two teams in the first - Real Madrid maybe just shaded it - and for the first ten minutes of the second half, it looked like the Atletico equaliser was only a matter of time and then Simeone made changes. Highlights of the Madrid derby between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid I can understand one, I cant criticise him and say that he shouldnt have played Torres, I felt like it was the right idea then too bring on Gameiro but to then take of Gabi, put Saul Niguez in midfield and Angel Correa on the right, who never got involved in the game at all after that, and then to concede the second goal with terrible defending - then thats when Atletico really deteriorated.ddddddddddddSimeone said post-match that he was disappointed, which is probably an understatement, in their reaction to going two goals behind with still so much time in the game to be played. He was disappointed with their attitude and from then on, Real Madrid controlled possession.I dont think 3-0 flattered them but I think the nature of the last 20, 25 minutes when it was easy for Real Madrid, the game was won. That made it look a lot worse for Atletico and there are a number of issues there. Sky Sports Black Friday sale Upgrade to Sky Sports now and get 12 months half price! Gibson also believes that Simeone should be looking to utilise more of his new talent on the bench to revitalise the side, and questions if Atletico should have pursued former striker Diego Costa in the summer. I look at the signings that they have made and some of them are good players, but he doesnt use enough of them, the Sky Sports pundit added. Gameiro was on the bench, weve all forgotten about Nico Gaitan who they paid 20-odd million Euros for and hes not getting a game.When I look back to the successful period, when they were winning the La Liga title, it was Diego Costa and Raul Garcia. Now you compare that with what they have at the moment, that aggression is missing. Atleti should have considered bringing Diego Costa back to the club, Gibson says Antoine Griezmann is a fantastically gifted player but I do wonder if they had saved the money from Sime Vrsaljko, Gameiro and Gaitan, they could have got Costa.Youre talking 60 or 70 million Euros there and Im pretty sure Chelsea might have listened then if that had been the figure offered, so perhaps the recruitment hasnt been the same and the team has changed.You see Garcia for Athletic Bilbao over the weekend and he was a real nuisance that [Atletico] dont have anymore. They dont score anymore goals from set-pieces, which made them successful, and they dont keep clean sheets anymore either.Upgrade to Sky Sports now and get 12 months half price. Hurry, offer ends December 4! Also See: Ronaldo hat-trick downs Atleti LISTEN: La Liga Weekly Podcast Atletico v Real combined XI Transfer Centre LIVE! ' ' '