For the first time since 1945, the Chicago Cubs are finally heading to the World Series. That year of 1945 — 71 years ago — was when a disgruntled fan, not allowed into the baseball stadium with his billy goat, supposedly placed a curse on the team. He was asked to leave Wrigley Field.

“I never thought I’d see it,” 49-year-old Brian Dusza, who also was at Wrigley Field for Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship Series, told the Associated Press over the weekend. “I can’t even describe what I’m feeling.”

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It was quite the scene in Chicago Saturday night as players hugged each other on the field and fans poured out into the streets, both in celebration and disbelief after the Cubs beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 of the National League series.

Some lifelong fans, however, stayed in their seats for awhile after the game — reflecting on the many heartbreaking and hopeful seasons leading up to this moment. Among those fans was Ed Koenig of Darien, who lost his father in May. “I haven’t been to a game this season without him and when my friend won a lottery for these tickets, I thought, ‘How am I going to go without my dad?'” Koenig said, according to the AP.

But his friend convinced him to go.

“These fans have been amazing since the time I got here,” Cubs All-Star first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. “We got four more big ones to go, but we’re going to enjoy this.”

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The Cubs will face the Cleveland Indians in Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday. While the Cubs haven’t won a World Series since 1908 — the Indians have gone a long time, too, since victory: They haven’t won a World Series since 1948 — the second-longest current championship drought in baseball. No matter who wins, it’ll be a historical match-up.