Titles by Chicago Tribune

It has been called the last great American sports story, a quest that has spanned more than a century and captivated millions of fans. In 2016, the Chicago Cubs were at last baseball's champions, breaking the Curse of the Billy Goat and shedding the label of "lovable losers" once and for all. Led by manager Joe Maddon and built around rising stars Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo, the Cubs brought the Fall Classic back to the ivy-covered confines of Wrigley Field for the first time since 1945 and won the franchise's first championship since 1908 in unforgettable fashion. Re-live the Cubs' magical postseason run with Won for the Ages. This photo-packed collection of memories, stories and player profiles produced by the staff of the Chicago Tribune is the perfect look back at the sweet '16 season.

The Chicago Blackhawks' 2015 postseason run culminated in the team's third Stanley Cup since 2010, the sixth championship in the Original Six franchise's history. The road to hoisting the Cup was the bumpiest of Chicago's three titles under head coach Joel Quenneville. The Blackhawks finished third in the NHL's Central Division following a season in which key players, including Patrick Kane and Corey Crawford, missed time due to injury. But the Hawks stormed past Nashville, Minnesota and Anaheim to set up a Stanley Cup Final matchup against a young, fast Tampa Bay Lightning team. With new heroes emerging throughout the postseason, the Blackhawks battled through a tough, six-game first round series against Nashville before sweeping the Minnesota Wild to reach the Western Conference Final. In an epic series that featured three overtime contests, the Blackhawks overcame a 3-2 deficit to defeat the Ducks in seven games to advance to the Stanley Cup Final. Packed with one of a kind analysis and stunning photography from the Chicago Tribune, Hawks Dynasty takes fans through the Blackhawks' journey, from the crushing loss to the Los Angeles Kings in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals in 2014 through the final seconds against Tampa Bay. This commemorative edition also includes profiles of Kane, Crawford, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, Brandon Saad and Scott Darling.

A tribute to Ernie Banks, regarded by some as one of the greatest baseball players of all timeChicago will never forget Ernie Banks's ever-present smile and trademark, "Let's play two." The Cubs' beloved #14 passed away on January 23, 2015 at the age of 83. The Chicago Cubs' first African American player was an 11-time All-Star and two-time National League Most Valuable Player. He finished with 512 home runs and had 1,636 RBIs, earning induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977. In this tribute to the legendary Cub that features nearly 100 images, Triumph Books partners with the Chicago Tribune to celebrate Banks's Chicago legacy and all that he meant to baseball fans in the city.

Obama: An Essential Guide to the Democratic Nominee goes beyond the headlines to provide, objectively, an examination of his life, his leadership abilities, and an issue-by-issue comparison with challenger John McCain.Tribune Company's Pulitzer Prize–winning Washington News Bureau uses their DC insider reporting to provide this definitive review of the crucial criteria that a voter or interested citizen needs to make an informed decision for the 2008 election. There are exclusive candidate interviews, full-color photos throughout, and a chart comparing each candidate's position on all the key issues of importance to voters.

Tribune Company's Pulitzer Prize–winning Washington News Bureau uses their DC insider reporting to provide this definitive review of the crucial criteria that a voter or interested citizen needs to make an informed decision for the 2008 election. McCain: An Essential Guide to the Republican Nominee goes beyond the headlines to provide, objectively, an examination of his life, his leadership abilities, and an issue-by-issue comparison with challenger Barack Obama. There are exclusive candidate interviews, full-color photos throughout, and a chart comparing each candidate's position on all the key issues of importance to voters.

So close. Nearly there. Cubs fans everywhere know the heartbreak of the word "almost" but the exhiliration that comes with seeing decades of dream nearly come true. Capture the excitement through the award-winning photos and words of the Chicago Tribune staff along the way to the year that nearly was.