Watch: Jubilant Cubs fans salute Harambe after clinching NL Central

As they rejoiced outside Wrigley Field early Friday morning, celebrating their team's first National League Central title since 2008, fans on the North Side of Chicago paid a posthumous tribute to the Cubs' true MVP: Harambe.

It's entirely possible, of course, that Harambe - the 17-year-old gorilla who's spawned roughly a zillion memes since being famously gunned down at the Cincinnati Zoo - may not have contributed as much on-field value in 2016 as say, Kris Bryant or Anthony Rizzo, but the question needs to be asked: Didn't he, though?

As such, Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein may have been remiss in omitting Harambe while discussing his club's readiness for October.

"We're proud of what we've done in the season so far," Epstein told MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. "In October, you can't make the same type of proclamations. (In the postseason) it's about rising to the challenge and momentum, and playing your best in the biggest spots and getting your breaks. It's a combination of talent, skill and timing, and there is truly no other group I'd rather go into October with. We're set up to fight those battles."