CLEVELAND - Theo Epstein blasting Bill Murray in the face with champagne may be the lasting image from the Cubs' clubhouse celebration after winning the World Series.
In part because Bill F---ing Murray never stopped believing.
The legendary comic has endured through thick and thin as a Cubs fan and on the day they finally reached the ultimate glory, Murray was there to celebrate.
Squinting through his champagne-drenched eyes in the Cubs clubhouse at Progressive Field, Murray bounced around the room, celebrating with Epstein and Cubs players and even acting as a reporter for FOX sports, interviewing Epstein and Dexter Fowler, among others.
"It's wonderful," Murray said. "It's fantastic. You believe in something that actually comes true. It's beautiful. You believe in something that was true and beautiful and the whole city, all its fans, they're sort of validated. Their dream came true.
"It's OK. Dreams come true. People believed in it."
Did Murray ever imagine this would actually happen?
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"Oh God yes," he said. "I've been imagining this for a long time. I didn't think it woudl happen in Cleveland, but I thought it would happen. I thought it would happen at Wrigley Field.
"Just being at Wrigley Field and seeing all that excitement this week and the last few weeks. It's dreamy. It's really pretty cool."
Murray also paid props to Miguel Montero, who drove home the Cubs' eight run in the top of the 10th inning in the early hours of Thursday morning in Game 7.
"Miguel's grand slam home run and there he was again with the bases loaded again tonight," Murray said. "It's like - why do they mess with that guy? He's a BAD dude."
Murray - who was born in Evanston - has been at Wrigley all October and sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" at Game 4 of the World Series at Wrigley last weekend.
He felt the special bond Chicago had with this Cubs team.
"There's a crazy energy about the whole city," Murray said. "I mean, when the lions outside the Art Institute are wearing Cub hats instead of Bear helmets, you know something special is happening.
"You know there's some sort of magic happening in the city. This was it. This is a long time coming. It's really great."
Murray called Cubs manager Joe Maddon the perfect guy for the job and joked maybe the Cubs would play the White Sox in the World Series next year.
As for the way in which the Cubs clinched, Murray figured it just had to be.
An extra inning affair in Game 7 of the World Series with a rain delay mixed in?
"You know, whenever you pass from one atmosphere to another, there's a lot of energy," Murray said. "It takes a lot of energy to blast a rocket ship up into space. It takes a lot of energy to blast yourself to the World Series.
"And there's a forcefield you gotta pass through and the Indians put it up. They did it."
Of course, Murray, being a man of the people, also had a message for Cubs fans moving forward:
"The great thing about it is they became such great losers," Murray said. "Good sports, good losers. I just hope we're good winners. I hope we're just as good sports as winners as when we didn't win."
More on the World Series victory
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--Finally: The Cubs are World Series champs
--The wait –and the weight- is over: Cubs fans celebrate World Series title
--Barack Obama congratulates Cubs World Series championship
--Famous Cubs fans celebrate World Series title on Twitter
--Ben Zobrist becomes first Cub ever to win World Series MVP
--Numbers game: statistical oddities of the Cubs World Series title
--Jed Hoyer: Rain delay was ‘divine intervention’ for Cubs
--Fans give Cubs a taste of home in Cleveland
--Ben Zobrist delivers exactly what the Cubs expected with massive World Series
--‘Dreams come true’: Bill Murray reacts to Cubs winning the World Series
--Big surprise: Kyle Schwarber plays hero again for Cubs in World Series Game 7
- Ryne Sandberg: World Series ‘made it able for me to live in the present