Ben Zobrist, the veteran who knocked in the go-ahead run in Game 7, has earned World Series MVP honors.
The Chicago Cubs outfielder was handed the impressive hardware early Thursday morning after helping the Cubs win their first title since 1908. It's Zobrist's second straight World Series, the first coming last season with the Kansas City Royals - and that was the Royals' first championship win since 1985.
"It's a team game and I can't believe I get the opportunity to hold this trophy," he told reporters postgame.
The 35-year-old joined the Cubs as a free agent this offseason, signing a four-year, $56-million deal that reunited him with Joe Maddon, who managed Zobrist for seven years in Tampa Bay.
"Ben is a winning baseball player,'' Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. ''His offense, his defense, his baserunning. He's been one of the more valuable players in the game for a long time."
Zobrist finished the postseason hitting .250/.319/.359 with five RBIs and five doubles. In 147 regular-season games, he hit .272/.386/.446 with 18 home runs and 76 RBIs.
