January 13, 2017

 CSNChicago.com, Anthony Rizzo Wants More For The Champion Cubs: ‘Success Is Very Addicting’ http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/anthony-rizzo-wants-more-world-series-champion-cubs-success- very-addicting

Tribune, Cubs' Anthony Rizzo hopes is a with rival Cardinals http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-anthony-rizzo-dexter-fowler-20170112- story.html

 Chicago Tribune, Did finding a lucky horseshoe help end days of Cubs coming close? http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-cubs-lucky-horseshoe-haugh-spt-0113-20170112- column.html

 Chicago Tribune, After convention bows, Cubs will be back preparing for 162-game grind http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-convention-final-series-bows-spt-0113- 20170112-story.html

 Chicago Tribune, Cubs strike long-term deal with Beam Suntory http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-cubs-beam-suntory-0113-biz-20170112-story.html

 Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs ‘perked’ up for 2017 in drive to win it all again http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-perked-up-for-2017-in-drive-to-win-it-all-again/

 Daily Herald, Rizzo now looking forward to what's ahead for http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170112/sports/170119550/

 Daily Herald, Cubs' visits children at Park Ridge hospital http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170112/news/170119583/

 Cubs.com, Rizzo relishing final flurry before work begins http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/213416306/anthony-rizzo-visits-kids-on-cubs-caravan/

 ESPNChicago.com, Anthony Rizzo on going to the White House: 'It's going to be amazing' http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/43192/anthony-rizzo-on-going-to-the-white-house-its- going-to-be-amazing

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CSNChicago.com Anthony Rizzo Wants More For The World Series Champion Cubs: ‘Success Is Very Addicting’ By Patrick Mooney

The Cubs kept telling themselves – and their fans and the media and all those business partners – they were on the greatest quest in professional sports.

So now what?

Anthony Rizzo's Instagram account shows the spoils of winning the franchise's first World Series title since 1908. There's a collage from his "Saturday Night Live" appearance with Bill Murray, Dexter Fowler and . There are pictures from 's splashy wedding in Las Vegas.

There are beach, sunset and yacht postcards from Thailand, Vietnam (where Rizzo went squid fishing) and the British Virgin Islands (where the All-Star bumped into Mayor Rahm Emanuel). On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Rizzo hopes to give the nation's 44th president his No. 44 jersey when the Cubs visit Barack Obama's White House.

But Rizzo has a simple answer for anyone wondering if the Cubs are sleeping off the hangover – or maybe not feeling quite as hungry – after enjoying their global victory tour.

"You want more," Rizzo said Thursday during a Cubs Caravan stop at Northwest Middle School, where he raised the World Series trophy in a gym filled with roaring students. "Success is very addicting."

Generations of fans will thank the 2016 team when Cubs Convention opens at the Sheraton Grand Chicago on Friday – or 32 days until pitchers and catchers report to – for an event that would still be jam-packed coming off a last-place finish.

That's when Rizzo predicted the 2015 Cubs would win a division title, backing it up, in essence, with 97 wins and a trip to the Championship Series. But there's no need to drum up confidence and make guarantees anymore.

The Cubs are now 's glamour team, a telegenic group with crossover appeal and social- media savvy. Built and shaped by baseball rock stars in the front office (Theo Epstein) and dugout (), the Cubs play with style, attitude and emotion. There's enough young blue-chip talent to make October baseball a reality at for years to come.

"You just want to keep going," Rizzo said. "All the perks that have come this year have been amazing. You see guys after they win championships go on a couple talk shows. We had probably 20 guys on different talk shows, doing everything, branching out. It's amazing for the game. It's good for baseball.

"When I work out now, it's: ‘Oh, how are you going to get that going?' Well, it's easy. I want to do it again. I think everyone else will have that mentality as well."

Rizzo is coming off a 32-homer, 109-RBI season where he won Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards and found the right balance between Maddon's ideals of staying loose and playing hard.

Rizzo took a broader view of his game and attacked the weaker parts without getting overloaded or overwhelmed by the history. He helped create the chill vibes in the clubhouse as these Cubs have clearly taken on elements of his personality.

"With the experience we've gained from getting swept by the Mets, to winning a Game 7 in the best World Series ever," Rizzo said, "I think anything that's thrown at us, we'll be able to handle.

"Especially with going into spring (training) last year with all the extra media and all the scrutiny, the way we were able to handle ourselves in the clubhouse and not worry about anything else was the biggest key."

Injuries, underperformance and a different chemistry could all derail the 2017 Cubs. But these core players get the benefit of the doubt after the way they burst onto the scene and shrugged off the century-plus championship drought.

Bryant won Rookie of the Year and MVP awards before turning 25 and getting married. and Javier Baez are going into their age-23 and age-24 seasons. , Willson Contreras and Jr. still haven't completed a full year in the big leagues yet.

The Cubs feel like the party in Wrigleyville is just beginning.

"We just got to keep going, keep sticking to the process, keep having fun," Rizzo said. "And know that – just like last year – we were the team to beat, and we're going to be the team to beat this year. So we got to go in there with the mentality of getting it on from the first day of spring until the last game."

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Chicago Tribune Cubs' Anthony Rizzo hopes Dexter Fowler is a hit with rival Cardinals By Mark Gonzales

Anthony Rizzo had a few words for Dexter Fowler at Kris Bryant’s wedding last weekend.

“I said it’s 2017, so I can’t talk to you anymore,” Rizzo said jokingly to his former teammate, who signed last month with the rival St. Louis Cardinals. “But it’s just a friendly rivalry. I want to see him do well. He’s a good friend. He’s a world champion of the Chicago Cubs for the rest of his life, no matter where he’s playing, no matter what jersey he’s wearing.”

Rizzo was delighted that Fowler, who returned last February to the Cubs on a one-year contract after not finding a multi-year deal to his liking, landed a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Cardinals.

“I think it’s amazing for Dexter,” Rizzo said. “With him going through the free agent process, and it didn’t work out in his favor this year. He goes through it again, and he gets what he deserves.

Unfortunately for us, he’s not with us because he’s such a great friend, a great teammate, a great player. But I told him I hope he gets five hits against us every time and we beat him every time. It’s the best outcome.”

Fowler told ESPN Chicago that he will attend the Cubs’ visit to the White House on Monday.

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Chicago Tribune Did finding a lucky horseshoe help end days of Cubs coming close? By David Haugh

A horseshoe that symbolizes the Cubs' good fortune of late, headed soon for a Wrigley Field display case, once covered the hoof of a mare named Queen Bess.

This was around 1916, back when the Cubs played at Weeghman Park and owner Charles Weeghman kept his horse in a stable beneath the third-base bleachers. Queen Bess's grazing skills came in handy in keeping the grounds sharp when she wasn't carrying Cubs equipment carts to the nearby train station. One day Bess kicked wildly and one of her shoes flew off, not to be found until years later by legendary groundskeeper Bobby Dorr, who was on the job from 1919 until his death in 1957.

Legend has it that Dorr, sometime in the late 1920s, took the horseshoe, pounded a nail in the wall of the one- story brick building William Wrigley Jr. let him live in rent free, and hung it upside-down for reasons only he knew. Nobody considered Dorr's wall ornament unlucky until times started getting tougher for the Cubs after they won the pennant in 1945.

"Then when the Cubs stopped winning, the joke became it was all Dorr's fault,'' Cubs historian Ed Hartig recalled. "I don't know if he ever bought into it, but members of his grounds crew never let him forget he hung the horseshoe upside-down.''

After blaming the upside-down horseshoe for getting in the way of the Cubs winning, the billy goat shared the onus for years. Then a black cat appeared in 1969. And Steve Bartman interfered in 2003. The Cubs traditionally led the league in symbols of doom and tales of woe.

But no more, not since the Cubs accidentally unearthed the old horseshoe Feb. 16, 2015, in the process of moving the structure at 1053 Waveland Ave., known as "Bobby Dorr's House," as part of the area renovation. Interestingly, more than one member of the organization has noted, some in hushed tones, how the team's luck began to change once the direction of the horseshoe did. The Cubs have won only 200 regular-season games and a World Series since putting horseshoe in its proper resting place almost two years ago.

How ironic that the Cubs finding the horseshoe ended the days of the team simply coming close.

"It is an absolute symbol of that,'' said Lydia Wahlke, the Cubs general counsel who also helps log team artifacts. "And I can assure you that where I have the horseshoe now, it's hanging right-side up.''

It's a fun way for some people to look at the recent success of a team with enough skilled young players to be good no matter how lucky, a harmless superstition in a sport full of them. If you buy into that kind of stuff, as surely many of the fans filing into the Sheraton Grand Chicago for this weekend's Cubs Convention do, then it's easy to trace when the lovable losers started resembling one of the luckiest teams in baseball.

The Cubs rediscovered the horseshoe the same winter an obscure clause in Joe Maddon's Rays contract, triggered by general Andrew Friedman's departure, made him available. The Cubs hiring Maddon paved the way for free-agent left-hander , the No. 1 target whose arrival established the North Side as a desirable destination for guys like and a year later. The debut of Kris Bryant followed in April 2015. Even Bryant being a Cub could be considered a lucky break — the Astros picked oft-injured pitcher Mark Appel first overall instead of the player who would become the National League's Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in his first two seasons.

Consider also how fate smiled on Kyle Schwarber, whose unfortunate knee injury at the beginning of last season didn't keep him from an incredible recovery in time for the World Series. And why was Schwarber available for four games as designated hitter instead of three? Because the American League won the All-Star Game, a big break for the Cubs. And does Dexter Fowler changing his mind at the 11th hour to sign a one-year deal with the Cubs qualify as lucky?

"The stars definitely started to align,'' Hartig said. "If you want to say it's the horseshoe, OK, I could see that.''

As they say, luck is where opportunity meets preparation but it never hurts to have reminders around to keep people believing — especially a team with a manager immersed in karma as much as Maddon is. Make no mistake; the Cubs take their trinkets seriously, establishing an archive program Wahlke heads aimed at building displays that help tell the story of Cubdom. The deeper the Cubs have gotten into the restoration of Wrigley, the more evidence has surfaced that enrich those stories. To hear team employees talk, the walls of the Cubs storage room speak even louder than the ones in the players' party room.

"We have an unofficial mandate: If you find something cool, find Lydia,'' Wahlke said. "Preserving our history is important.''

Lucky for the Cubs, the future looks even better.

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Chicago Tribune After convention bows, Cubs will be back preparing for 162-game grind By Mark Gonzales

Anthony Rizzo wasn't sure how to forecast the reception he and his teammates would receive at Friday night's opening ceremonies at Cubs Convention.

"I really can't see it any crazier than it was last year," said Rizzo, whose Cubs went from National League finalists to World Series champions in 2016 for the first time since 1908.

"But then again, I couldn't picture the parade being what it was."

Festivities are expected to be overwhelming during the three-day event at the Sheraton Grand Chicago.

"For us to finally do it and be part of that team is super special," Kyle Schwarber said.

But in slightly more than one month, the adulation will shift to the reality of preparing for defense of their crown with opponents eager to dethrone them.

"You want more," said Rizzo, who traveled to Thailand in the offseason and encountered Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel during a recent trip to the British Virgin Islands. "Success is very addicting. You just want to keep going. All the perks that have come this year have been amazing after we win. You see guys after they win championships go on a couple of talk shows."

Those shows included Live with Kelly, Jimmy Kimmel Live and Saturday Night Live, on which Rizzo appeared with David Ross and Dexter Fowler.

"When I work out now, (people ask), 'How are you going to get back going?' It's easy. I want to do it again. Everyone else will have that mentality as well.''

Rizzo enjoyed getting away as much as he could during the offseason, adding that "I'd be crushing myself being ready" if he had not taken vacations.

"I've been (working out) on the road, but not as hard as I would be if I was at home," Rizzo said. "The body needs a break, and why not have fun doing it?"

That fun won't last long, as Giants All-Star catcher can attest after winning three World Series.

"You're playing longer than anyone else, and the mental strain takes its toll on you," Posey said Monday. "And those (postseason) games are so intense you have to be ready really quickly to get back into 162 games that aren't going to be played with that high intensity level but still have a lot of high significance.

"Each game has a ton of significance, so you have to be ready every night."

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Chicago Tribune Cubs strike long-term deal with Beam Suntory By Greg Trotter

Move over Jack, Jim Beam is taking your spot at Wrigley Field.

The Chicago Cubs and spirits giant Beam Suntory announced a long-term sponsorship deal Thursday, making Beam the official spirits partner of the Cubs and Wrigley Field. The partnership is in the ballpark of seven figures annually and 10-plus years; Cubs and Beam executives declined to give more specific figures.

"This is a very significant move for us. This is really about two American icons teaming up," Beam Suntory CEO Matt Shattock said.

Fans can get their first taste at a new left field bar at Sloan Park, the Cubs' facility in Mesa, Ariz. At Wrigley this summer, they will notice the upper deck Jack Daniels Patio renamed a yet-to-be-determined Beam moniker, as well as new signs along the third base wall, behind home plate and on the video board, among a slew of other marketing efforts. A new Beam-branded private club for fans on the first base line — perhaps the crown jewel of the deal — will debut in summer 2019.

For Beam Suntory, which is in the process of moving all of its employees from suburban Deerfield to its new Chicago headquarters in the Merchandise Mart, the Cubs deal reflects the company's global strategy to directly engage with consumers in cities like Chicago, London and Sydney.

But it's also unique. The deal is "by far the largest" sports marketing deal for Beam in terms of duration and amount of investment, Shattock said.

For the Cubs, the partnership is yet another step in overhauling its sponsorship deals, part of a broader effort in recent years to improve the product both on and off the field. The roster of concession partners has been trimmed, even as the variety of food and drink options has expanded.

"From our perspective, it's consistent with our desire to have fewer and more-impactful partners. Always wanting to go deeper with one partner, this was the perfect opportunity for us to do just that," said Allen Hermeling, senior director of corporate partnerships for the Cubs.

Working with local vendors and corporations based in the Chicago area has also been part of this evolution, Hermeling said, noting Beam's Chicago headquarters, which opened last month.

And though baseball is more often associated with beer, hard liquor is increasingly finding a home in major league ballparks, a trend that reflects both the growth of the spirits industry and increasing consumer desire for more "premium" choices, said Hermeling, who previously worked for the and Washington Redskins.

"This new generation of consumers values choices," Hermeling said.

Beam Suntory brands such as Jim Beam, Maker's Mark, EFFEN Vodka and Hornitos tequila will be featured at Wrigley as part of the sponsorship.

Other facets of the arrangement also include:

•The new first base club, which likely will incorporate some Prohibition-era historical elements, Hermeling said. Details are scant at this point.

•The Hornitos Hacienda in the left field bleachers, which is part of a previous agreement between Beam and the Cubs. The feature will remain and include more Beam Suntory brands.

•Cubs-branded Maker's Mark, which is already in stores in the Chicago area. Next up: Cubs-branded Jim Beam this spring.

•New promotional events like Brunch at the Ballpark, which will feature mimosas and Bloody Marys at Sunday home games this season.

Such marketing deals generally don't boost sales right away but are considered longer-term investments to build and change perceptions about brands, said Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.

"This particular deal makes a lot of sense for Beam Suntory. ... Ultimately, this can help recruit people and lead to other partnerships in the city," Calkins said.

Beam Suntory's Shattock pointed to other recent efforts to connect with Chicagoans, such as covering the cost of 10,000 Uber rides during a Cubs World Series home game. Asked whether there might be a future sponsorship deal with the White Sox, he said the company was committed to the Cubs at this point.

Beam Suntory is a privately held subsidiary of Japan's Suntory Holdings. Suntory bought Beam in April 2014 for about $16 billion.

Might there someday be Japanese whisky poured at Wrigley Field?

"Never say never," Shattock said.

Beam Suntory will be the 11th legacy partner of the Cubs. The others are Advocate Health Care, American Airlines, Anheuser-Busch, ATI Physical Therapy, Nuveen, Sloan Valve Co., Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Toyota, Under Armour and Wintrust.

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Chicago Sun-Times Cubs ‘perked’ up for 2017 in drive to win it all again By Gordon Wittenmyer

For decades the Cubs learned the hard way that it took more than , Phil Cavarretta or – more than even or .

Could it be that fixing what ailed a punch-line franchise was more about Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and the cast of Saturday Night Live all along?

“Perks.” That’s what Cubs All-Star Anthony Rizzo called it Thursday on the eve of a Cubs Convention that threatens to break all previous density, insanity and sound barriers for the event.

“It’s amazing,” Rizzo said.

And barely two months after the Cubs beat Cleveland in a wild Game 7 for their first World Series championship in 108 years, Rizzo suggested the national accolades and worldwide recognition that followed – he was recognized by a fan while vacationing in Thailand – could be the previously unspoken key to that “foundation for sustained success.”

Make no mistake: The man who predicted a division title and playoff in 2015 after a last-place 2014 refused to predict an outcome for 2017.

But he called this team better than the 2016 version and sounded even more confident in the reason he fears no championship hangover or letdown.

“Where we’re at, you want more,” he said. “Success is very addicting.”

Not to mention the spoils that included guest appearances for many of the players and manager on about every TV talk show they desired – including Rizzo, Dexter Fowler and David Ross twerking and singing with Bill Murray on Saturday Night Live.

“You just want to keep it going,” Rizzo said. “All the perks that have come this year have been amazing after you win. You see guys [on other teams] after they win championships go on a couple talk shows. We had probably 20 guys on different talk shows, and Saturday Night Live – guys just doing everything and branching out.

“It’s amazing for baseball. It’s good for baseball. And you want more. When I work out now, it’s, `how are you going to get that going [again]?’ It’s easy. I want to do it again. I think everyone else will have that mentality as well.”

If Rizzo was impressed by the downtown parade in November and the perks that followed over the winter, wait until he gets a load of what might be the most unwieldy Cubs Convention in the 32-year history of professional sports’ oldest fan fest.

In the five years since the three-day event moved to the Sheraton Grand Chicago, this year’s convention sold out quickest.

And the demand was so high the Cubs for the first time have spread some of the event across the street to the Loews Chicago — almost half the activities at the second hotel.

“I really can’t see it any crazier than it was last year,” Rizzo said. “But then, again, I couldn’t picture the parade being the way it was. So we’ll see. You can only fit so many people in that room. But it’ll be fun.”

All the returning players from the World Series roster, plus the retired Ross, are expected to attend the festivities, which begin with Friday night’s opening ceremonies. As always, roster of former players includes an All-Star cast, including Hall of Famers , Fergie Jenkins and Sandberg, along with Randy Hundley, Kerry Wood, Ryan Dempster, , Steve Trout, Lee Smith, Ted Lilly, Jody Davis and Sarge Matthews.

A weekend of championship celebration continues Monday with a trip to the White House for a presidential reception.

But Rizzo’s already looking ahead. For the next one.

“Last year we were the team to beat, and we’re going to be the team to beat this year,” he said. “So we’ve got to go in there with the mentality of getting it on from the first day of spring until the last day.

“I think the experience we gained from getting swept by the Mets [in 2015] to playing in Game 7 in one of the best World Series ever [means] anything that’s thrown at us we’ll be able to handle.”

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Daily Herald Rizzo now looking forward to what's ahead for Chicago Cubs By Bruce Miles

The object of the game, of course, is to have a short off-season.

For the Chicago Cubs, they're getting close to ending the shortest off-season in franchise history in the wake of November's World Series victory over the .

Spring training is one month away, and the Cubs will cap the winter with this weekend's annual fan convention followed by a Monday visit to the White House to see President Barack Obama

First baseman Anthony Rizzo says he's ready.

"It's going to be amazing," Rizzo said Thursday at Northwest Side Middle School as the Cubs kicked off their annual caravan. "Every championship team gets to go to the White House and meet the president. We get to go on Monday and meet a president who's from Chicago, who is the 44th president. So hopefully I can somehow give him a jersey with 44 (Rizzo's uniform number) on it.

"It's going to be a lot of fun, and we look forward to it."

It has been a whirlwind for the Cubs, who rallied from a three-games-to-one deficit to win Game 7 of the World Series on Nov. 2. Since then, it's been a victory lap like none ever seen.

Still, Rizzo says the Cubs will be ready when pitchers and catchers report for spring training on Feb. 14.

"It's been a lot of fun," he said. "How much work we've put into this game, I think everyone who got to enjoy themselves, which pretty much everyone did, is a good thing, to get away from baseball, to go on tours, on vacations. I know all the guys are going to be ready to go."

The short off-season and the adulation the Cubs have received also has presented challenges. Again, Rizzo said they'll be ready.

"Honestly, it's just day by day," he said. "With the experience we've gained, getting swept by the Mets (in the 2015 NLCS) to playing in Game 7 of one of the best World Series ever, I think anything that's thrown at us we'll be able to handle, especially with going into spring last year, with all the extra media and all the scrutiny, the way we were able to handle ourselves in the clubhouse and not worry about anything else was the biggest key.

"I think with spring training everyone pretty much knows they're on a team and just be ready by April 2. Just be ready by then. Don't try to be Superman in spring training. Just ramp it up then."

Rizzo will be in the middle of a lineup that manager Joe Maddon is still formulating. On some days, it's possible that power-hitting catcher- Kyle Schwarber will lead off, followed by third baseman Kris Bryant and Rizzo.

Although Maddon took some heat for his pitching decisions in the World Series, Rizzo on Thursday stood by the skipper.

"We have a deep lineup," he said. "I think whatever he goes with, we go with. He's the one who makes the team what it is. He's the one who's come in and completely changed this culture, made us winning players, made us believe in ourselves. The clubhouse we have is not without Joe.

"I think where we're at, you want more. Success is addicting, so you just want to keep going. All the perks that have come this year have been amazing. You see guys after they win championships go on a couple of talk shows. We had probably 20 guys on different talk shows and 'Saturday Night Live,' guys doing everything, branching out. It's amazing.

"It's amazing for the game. It's good baseball. You want more."

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Daily Herald Cubs' Willson Contreras visits children at Park Ridge hospital By Doug T. Graham

Chicago Cubs Catcher Willson Contreras brightened the day for sick children at Advocate Children's Hospital in Park Ridge Thursday morning.

The member of the World Series championship team paid visits to kids and their parents, chatting with them, posing for pictures and signing Cubs hats for them.

Some kids were a bit intimidated at meeting the famous ballplayer.

But Rodolfo Vera of Schaumburg said his 12-year-old daughter, Alison Vera, was excited to meet with Contreras and, despite being shy, spoke to him for a few minutes in Spanish. Vera said it was his daughter's second week in the hospital and the visit was good for her.

The story was much the same a few rooms over when 9-year-old Juan Ortiz and his mother, Irma Santiago, who live in Carpentersville, got to meet the catcher. Contreras asked Juan if he'd like him to sign a Cubs hat, and Juan initially demurred before saying yes.

After the player and the photographers left, Juan picked up his new hat and held it close to his face, studying Contreras' signature.

The visit was part of Cubs Caravan, the team's annual community outreach tour.

"We had a few (children) hop out of bed with a big smile on their face knowing who they were going to meet today," Kelsey Mora of Advocate Children's Hospital said before Contreras arrived.

Contreras met with children in the intensive care unit and a general pediatric unit with major injuries, cancer and chronic illnesses.

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Cubs.com Rizzo relishing final flurry before work begins By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- Two years ago, Anthony Rizzo predicted the Cubs would win the National League Central. In 2015, they won the NL Wild Card Game and reached the NL Championship Series, but they topped that in 2016 by winning the World Series, which ended the franchise's 108-year drought. So, did Rizzo have a new prediction to make on Thursday?

"I predict that pitchers and catchers wil report the 14th [of February]," Rizzo said.

Rizzo, 27, made his statement at Northwest Middle School, where he joined teammates Willson Contreras, Rob Zastryzny, Jeimer Candelario, Felix Pena, and Jose Rosario to help with some painting as part of the Cubs Caravan. Rizzo showed off the World Series trophy to the 500 students as well, and then talked to the kids about the importance of doing well in school and making the right decisions.

"The sky's the limit for everyone," Rizzo said.

The Cubs reached the zenith by winning the championship, and they will celebrate with their fans at the sold-out Cubs Convention, which gets underway Friday. On Monday, the players and staff will visit the White House and meet President Barack Obama, who invited the Cubs immediately after they won the Series.

"It's going to be amazing," Rizzo said of Monday's trip. "Every championship team gets to go to the White House and meet the president, and we get to go on Monday and meet a president who's from Chicago. He's the 44th president, so hopefully I can give him a jersey with [No.] 44 on it. It's going to be a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to it."

Even though Obama is a White Sox fan, Rizzo is hoping the president has a soft spot in his heart for the Cubs because of how long it's been since they won a World Series.

It's been a crazy offseason for Rizzo, who enjoyed the perks -- appearing on "Saturday Night Live" and then taking a break to travel to Thailand, Vietnam and the British Virgin Islands, where he ran into Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel. After the White House trip, Rizzo will return home to "learn how to play baseball again," and then it'll be time for Spring Training.

"With the experience we've gained from getting swept by the Mets [in the 2015 NLCS] to playing in Game 7 in one of the best World Series ever, I think anything that's thrown at us we'll be able to handle, especially after going into spring last year with all the extra media and all the scrutiny," Rizzo said. "The way we were able to handle ourselves in the clubhouse and not worry about anything else was the biggest key, and I think that will be the biggest key this year."

The roster hasn't changed much, with the exception of the loss of Dexter Fowler, who signed a five-year contract with the Cardinals. Rizzo saw Fowler at Kris Bryant's wedding in Las Vegas last Saturday.

"I said, 'It's 2017, so I can't talk to you anymore,'" Rizzo said, laughing. "I want to see him do well all the time. He's a good friend. He's a world champion for the Chicago Cubs forever, for the rest of his life, no matter where he's playing or what jersey he's wearing."

Winning the World Series has made Rizzo hungry for more.

"Success is very addicting," he said. "You want to keep going. ... When I work out now, it's, 'How are you going to get back there?' I want to do it again."

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ESPNChicago.com Anthony Rizzo on going to the White House: 'It's going to be amazing' By Jesse Rogers

CHICAGO – Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo joined teammates at Northwest Middle School in Chicago on Thursday afternoon as part of the Cubs' caravan leading up to the annual fan convention this weekend. Rizzo spoke with reporters for the first time in 2017, reflecting on the year and offseason that was, and looking ahead as well.

How is the offseason after winning the championship?

"A lot of perks. It’s been amazing. ... It’s good to get away from the game. The body needs a break."

You traveled a lot this offseason. Were you recognized as a Cub in some crazy places?

"A few times in Thailand. The British Virgin Islands. Actually ran into Mayor Rahm [Emanuel]. Was a coincidence. It was awesome. I needed that time away. Now start gearing everything towards next year."

What are your thoughts on going to the White House on Monday?

"It’s going to be amazing. As a kid [I watched] every championship team go to the White House and meet the president. We get to go on Monday and meet the president, who’s from Chicago and is the 44th president so hopefully I can give him a jersey with 44 on it."

The president is a White Sox fan. Does he get some grief about that?

"I think ... Sox fans have a little spot for the N[orth] Side in their hearts just because how long it’s taken to get to where we did."

Are you looking forward to competing against Dexter Fowler, who’s with the Cardinals?

"I told him I hope he gets five hits off us every time and we beat him every time. ... I saw him at Kris [Bryant]'s wedding and said it’s 2017, 'I can’t talk to you anymore.' It’s a friendly rivalry. I want to see him do well all the time. He’s a good friend."

What do you think the biggest challenge of repeating will be? Battling fatigue after two long seasons?

"It’s just day-by-day. I think the experience we gained by getting swept by the Mets to playing in Game 7 of the best World Series ever, I think anything that’s thrown at us we’ll be able to handle, especially with going into spring last year. With the extra scrutiny and media, the way we were able to handle ourselves in the clubhouse and not worry about anything else was the biggest key."

Do you have a big prediction for this year?

"Yeah. Pitchers and catchers report on the 13th or 14th."

What do you think of the new additions?

"Wade Davis is huge for us. With bullpens the way they are, he’s a shutdown closer. Jon Jay is a winner. He knows how to play. He’s a gamer too. ... We got a lot better."

Have you asked David Ross to come back?

[joking] "I don’t want him to come back. I’ll be the first one to tell you, I’m excited for him. He’s going to enjoy his time with his family. He’s one of my favorite teammates and best friend."

Joe Maddon made out his first lineup and had Kyle Schwarber leading off, followed by Bryant and then you.

"We have a deep lineup; whatever he [Maddon] goes with, we go with. He’s the one that makes this team what it is. He’s come in and completely changed the culture. The clubhouse we have is not without Joe."

What’s next after the convention and the White House?

"Go home to , start hitting, learn how to play baseball again. Then head to spring training a little early."

Can you give us a joke? (Asked hours before Rizzo’s charity laugh-off event.)

"The Cubs won the World Series in 2016. That’s a good joke, right?"

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