... Hey Chicago what do say? Cubs are going to win TODAY!!

The familiar refrain around Wrigleyville — and the baseball world at large — is 108 years. But for the first time in a long, long time there’s a new element to go along with the whispered stories of the Curse of the Billygoat.

That element is hope. Hope that this year will be the first time since 1908 that the Cubs will win the World Series.

There’s plenty of reason for Cubs fans to be this optimistic. In the five brief years that Theo Epstein, the man in charge of building the Red Sox team that broke the Curse of the Bambino, has been in Chicago, he’s completely remade the roster, which is now the best in baseball.

For all of Epstein’s shrewd trades — such as acquiring Anthony Rizzo from the Padres for Andrew Cashner — the biggest move he made was hiring Joe Maddon as manager. Maddon has the right temperament to keep a young team lose through the grind of the playoffs, but also enough baseball smarts to make bold and risky decisions that usually pay off at the end of the game.

The evidence of both Epstein’s and Maddon’s genius can be seen in the Cubs’ four-game victory in the NLDS against the Giants. Maddon’s faith in young players like Javier Baez and Wilson Contreras paid off as they came up with big hits, and when it was almost all said and done, it was Epstein’s biggest in-season acquisition, high-profile closer Aroldis Chapman, who was on the mound to shut the door on the Giants’ season.

Of course, there is still plenty of work to be done for the Cubs. Cautious Cubs fans will still say there’s plenty of time for the curse to reappear in a Steve Bartman-type incident. After all, it’s not an exaggeration to say all that Cubs fans know losing, sometimes in heart-breaking fashion. Based on the way the team has played on the field, not even any supernatural occurrences could be enough to slow down the Cubs.

The Cubs’ rotation boasts three potential Cy Young candidates in Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks. Their fourth starter, John Lackey, has been clutch in postseason games throughout his career, despite a bit of a rough outing in Game 4 of the NLDS this season. When the starter’s job is done, it’s been the bullpen, topped off with Chapman in the ninth, that has been finishing the games off for the Cubs.

What makes the Cubs even scarier is that their offense can still find another gear. Potential MVP Kris Bryant and Javier Baez were the only two regulars who had much success at the plate against the Giants. If it weren’t for them and a couple of big home runs hit by Cubs pitchers, Chicago’s season might already be over. However, if guys like Rizzo, Ben Zobrist or Dexter Fowler find their regular-season swing, Chicago could cruise through the rest of the playoffs.

Not even a 108-year-old curse could be enough to stop the Cubs from winning the World Series at this point!