EAST MOLINE, IL (November 8, 2016) – November 2, 2016, is a day that 105-year-old Ray Styrlund will remember for the rest of his life. You don’t forget the Cubs winning the World Series.

Photo credit: Park Vista Retirement Living

The member of First Covenant Church wasn’t awake, however, when his team won the 10-inning nail-biter against the Cleveland Indians minutes before midnight. He fell asleep around 11:20 p.m. during the 17-minute rain delay, which came just after the Cubs blew a solid lead and let the Indians tie the game at 6-6.

“When Cleveland tied it, I thought, ‘Here we go again—another 100 years of waiting,’” Styrlund told the local newspaper.

When Styrlund, who lives at a local retirement community, awoke the next morning, he learned that the team formerly known as the “lovable losers” would forever be called the 2016 World Series champions. It was a new day.

Now Styrlund is able to relax, though not just because the Cubs finally won. He had become something of an international celebrity after MLB.com published a lengthy story about him before the series. Reporters from TV stations, newspapers, websites, and magazines were calling to interview him. The calls continued after the series, including a call from PEOPLE magazine.

The ever-affable Styrlund joked that he was worn out and needed to get an agent.

For a previous story on Styrlund, see “Can’t Wait.”