CLEVELAND -- Who said this would be easy?

It never is with the Chicago Cubs, but there has always been something different about this team. They overcame all -- including a blown lead in Game 7 -- to capture their first World Series title in 108 years on Wednesday night, proving they can change the narrative of their franchise in one glorious season.

Perhaps no one epitomizes the transformation of the team more than the MVP of the past seven games, Ben Zobrist. He set the tone for the position players all season, then he went out and helped win Game 7 with a double to left in the 10th inning to propel the Cubs to a thrilling 8-7 win over the Cleveland Indians. It was a game and an ending for the ages.

"It was like a heavyweight fight, man," Zobrist said long after it was over. "Just blow for blow, everybody playing their heart out. The Indians never gave up either, and I can't believe we're finally standing, after 108 years, finally able to hoist the trophy."

They're hoisting it because players like Zobrist have brought something to the former Lovable Losers that they dearly needed: professionalism. He exudes it every time he prepares for a game and every time he steps to the plate. His attitude has rubbed off. The Cubs simply don't let bad moments get them down.

How many Cubs teams were unable to do just that over the years? Think of all those rough patches that snowballed into bigger things. How many of those teams had players like Zobrist on them?

The numbers tell some of the story as he went 10-for-28 (.357) in the series and was Chicago's most consistent player.

"He's just a different cat," manager Joe Maddon said. "Everybody would like to have one of those on their team. We're just very fortunate to have him. He just probably exemplifies exactly how we want to play the game."

And that's what allowed the Cubs to overcome their issues all postseason long. Staring at a potential Game 5 against the San Francisco Giants in the division series, they scored four runs in the ninth inning of Game 4 to finish them off. Trailing 2-1 in the National League Championship Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers -- and coming off back-to-back shutouts -- they stormed back to win three straight. Then came the World Series: Down 3-1 to the Indians, they never wavered. Well, almost never.

"There was one, five-second moment when we lost that third game and it was in Chicago and it was quiet in the clubhouse and [David] Ross said, 'No, don't do that, no. We've won three games in a row a lot this year. We're going to take this one pitch at a time."

Nothing screamed adversity more than Game 7, though. With an emotional Aroldis Chapman shedding tears after blowing a 6-3 lead, the Cubs regrouped during a rain delay. Things were said, the negativity was sent packing and the Cubs went to work on reliever Bryan Shaw. Kyle Schwarber singled, starting a rally. He hit .412 in the series, playing his first games in six months. He didn't give in to his injury, but he also didn't focus on the results -- just the process.

"What Kyle Schwarber did is something people should be talking about for a long time," general manager Jed Hoyer said.

After pinch runner Albert Almora moved up a base and Anthony Rizzo was walked intentionally, Zobrist approached the plate in the 10th. It was the same Zobrist we saw in spring training, brought in as a veteran in the infield to lead the team's young players. It was the same Zobrist who caught fire in May, then cooled off in June and July. He was the same guy throughout. On Wednesday, he wiggled his hands like he normally does and worked the at-bat as he always does. Then he sent a ball past third base for a double, breaking a 6-6 tie. The celebration wasn't far behind.

"What a professional at-bat," Hoyer said. "He's clutch. He has a slow heartbeat. He has a simple contact approach. … A year ago in the playoffs we struck out way too much. Tonight we put the ball in play and good things happen. That says a lot about the maturity of our team from 2015 to 2016."

Maddon added: "Who sets a better example of how to work an at-bat? And who sets a better example of just being a professional than he does?"

The answer is no one. It says a lot about the effect Zobrist has had on the team. Anytime they were challenged they stayed the course. It's the same way Zobrist approaches the day. The process will get you there, according to the two-time champion. Zobrist won the World Series last year as well. Maybe he knows what he's talking about.

"We knew we were going to hit some rough patches," he said. "To be a championship team you have to come back from moments like the bottom of the eighth. I don't know if there are many teams that I've ever been on that would be able to come back from that."

Winning road playoff games in extra innings is hard enough, but doing so after leading by three as late as the eighth inning seems improbable. Add the do-or-die nature of Game 7 of the World Series and it's tough to imagine the Cubs overcoming more. The Cubs recognized that and credited their calm in the face of a tornado for getting them through.

After the hoopla of winning started to die down, Zobrist -- ever the professional -- continued to answer questions long after his teammates had moved on. He led reporters to a corner of the locker room and tried to explain his philosophy: Results don't matter, the process does. Only then do good things happen.

"No one wants to think about anything being over," Zobrist said. "Anytime you put your mind on the results you lose something in the moment."

Maddon agrees with that philosophy. It's why he pushed the Cubs to trade for Zobrist last season, and then to sign him during the winter. It was money well spent as their attitudes are aligned as well as their outlooks. They don't let the negativity exist for long.

"Everybody's waiting for the other shoe to drop," Maddon said of the Cubs in the past. "And you've got to expect something good to happen as opposed to that."

Schwarber overcame his injury, Chapman got by his struggles and the Cubs dismissed 108 years of futility. It came down to doing the right thing over and over again since early in February when the Cubs reported for camp -- they let the results take care of themselves. That's Zobrist's way. That's the Cubs' way now. And they're champions because of it.

"I feel like I'm in a dream right now," Zobrist said.

He can't be the only one.