April 11, 2017 Daily Herald, Chicago Cubs' banner raising a moment to remember http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170410/sports/170419864/ Daily Herald, Rozner: Party at Wrigley only just beginning http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170410/sports/170419862/ Daily Herald, Imrem: Will Wrigley's famous atmosphere change? http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170410/sports/170419851/ Daily Herald, Constable: Banners rise, bullpens fall http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170410/news/170419857/ Cubs.com, Gold Cubs, Gold! W flies, now bring on rings http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/223531630/cubs-raise-banner-for-home-opener/ Cubs.com, Reign kings: Cubs party, walk off on Dodgers http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/223516152/cubs-walk-off-in-ninth-to-beat-dodgers/ Cubs.com, Puttin' on the Rizz: Cubs star caps epic night http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/223617716/anthony-rizzo-hits-walkoff-in-cubs-home-opener/ Cubs.com, Cubs relish homecoming, Wrigley environs http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/223517984/cubs-excited-to-be-back-at-wrigley-field/ Cubs.com, Ricketts has old-school devotion to Cubs http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/223502312/tom-ricketts-has-old-school-devotion-to-cubs/ Cubs.com, Cubs unveil Park at Wrigley before opener http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/223457000/park-at-wrigley-unveiled-before-home-opener/ ESPNChicago.com, Inside a Cubs banner raising 108 years -- and a rain delay -- in the making http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/43646/inside-the-cubs-banner-raising-ceremony ESPNChicago.com, Banner moment: Rain doesn't damper Cubs' World Series celebration http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/19130275/chicago-cubs-wait-rain-delay-lift-world-series-banner CSNChicago.com, Cubs Pull Out Walk-Off Win Over Dodgers On Festive Night At Wrigley http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-pull-out-walk-win-over-dodgers-festive-night-wrigley CSNChicago.com, Relocated Bullpens Create Different Atmosphere For Jon Lester, Cubs http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/relocated-bullpens-create-different-atmosphere-jon-lester-cubs CSNChicago.com, Cubs Thinking Bigger And Better After Raising World Series Banner http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-thinking-bigger-and-better-after-raising-world-series-banner CSNChicago.com, Kris Bryant’s Fast Track To Wrigley Field Legend: ‘I Could Have Never Really Dreamed Of Being Where I Am Right Now’ http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/kris-bryants-fast-track-wrigley-field-legend-i-could-have-never- really-dreamed-being CSNChicago.com, Joe Maddon Doesn't Believe In 'False Narrative' Of Too Much Celebrating http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/joe-maddon-doesnt-believe-false-narrative-too-much-celebrating Chicago Tribune, Cubs' wacky, busy 'day off': Kyle Schwarber, Anthony Rizzo and more http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-kyle-schwarber-anthony-rizzo-cubs-day-off-spt- 0412-20170411-story.html Chicago Tribune, Cubs' Anthony Rizzo gives himself a night to remember http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-anthony-rizzo-20170410-story.html Chicago Tribune, Anthony Rizzo's walk-off hit makes Cubs winners on celebratory night http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-dodgers-spt-0411-20170410-story.html Chicago Tribune, Cubs raise banner, expectations in a ballpark that will never be the same http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-cubs-banner-raising-world-series-haugh-spt-0411- 20170410-column.html Chicago Tribune, Theo Epstein doesn't see complacency as an issue for 2017 Cubs http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-theo-epstein-cubs-not-complacent-notes-spt-0411- 20170410-story.html Chicago Tribune, New plaza outside Wrigley Field envisioned as neighborhood's town square http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-wrigley-field-plaza-opens-spt-0411-20170410- story.html Chicago Tribune, Cubs curious about effects of new bullpens under bleachers http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-cubs---bullpen-switch-20170410-story.html Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs raise rare banner at Wrigley, embrace ‘more than baseball’ http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-raise-rare-banner-at-wrigley-embrace-more-than-baseball/ Chicago Sun-Times, Jason Heyward no longer thinking about swing as homestand opens http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/jason-heyward-no-longer-thinking-about-swing-as-homestand-opens/ Chicago Sun-Times, Monday night fete ball: Cubs have ’em dancing in the aisles http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/monday-night-fete-ball-cubs-have-em-dancing-in-the-aisles/amp/ -- Daily Herald Chicago Cubs' banner raising a moment to remember By Bruce Miles Nothing was going to dampen the spirits of Chicago Cubs fans Monday night. Not a steady rain that poured down during the early-evening hours and certainly not a wind that shifted from warm to chilly in an instant. This was the night the Cubs raised their championship banner, and what's a little waiting to Cubs fans? The ceremony got under way close to two hours late, and members of all levels of the organization had their take on what celebrating the 2016 World Series title meant and how the evening -- and the banner -- might unfurl. "I'm looking forward to seeing the looks on everyone's faces as that banner goes up, players and fans alike," said team President Theo Epstein. "They say all glory is fleeting, and it is. But the flag will fly forever, and that feeling of being part of something bigger than ourselves will last forever, too. To me, that's what it symbolizes." Four new flagpoles behind the center-field bleachers provided a hint that more than just the 2016 banner would be hoisted. Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg raised the banner for the 1907 world championship. Fergie Jenkins did the honor for 1908. Billy Williams raised the National League championship banner from 2016. Finally, Anthony Rizzo led his teammates as they put up the 2016 world-championship banner. Fireworks shot out from behind the videoboards, and the ceremony culminated with team owners Laura, Tom and Todd Ricketts throwing out ceremonial first pitches. The cheers were thunderous. "It's being part of something," said manager Joe Maddon. "It's being part of something bigger than you. That's the really impressive part about it. Of course winning a World Series and winning a World Series in Chicago with the Cubs for the first time in a long time and the fan base, the tradition, the city itself, the organization, it's just different." Pressed as to why it's different, Maddon explained it from the point of view of a relative newcome. He arrived on the scene in the off-season of 2014-15. "I've been to every ballpark in the big leagues now, and there are some really good ones," he said. "Great fan bases, wonderful traditions. But there is just something different about this place. Maybe it's just because the ballpark is in a neighborhood. It has something to do with it. I know Fenway is kind of like that, but not quite like this. "Maybe the long-term suffering of the group's not having won in so many years. There's an intellectualism about this place also that I think is different. There's a passion about it. It really runs the gamut of all the spectrums of groups that are following this team and the reasons why. I didn't know that. I did not know that before I got here." The players shared their experiences, too. World Series MVP Ben Zobrist won the 2015 championship with the Kansas City Royals, but doing it with the Cubs resonated differently. "Recently, I had a guy basically cry on my shoulder, an officer from the city here," he said, relating how he ran into the man in St. Louis. "To see how emotional it makes people and how much it means to them that we were able to win, I think all the stories people share about their families, that they've experienced the Cubs with their families over all the years, they've lost loved ones that didn't get a chance to see it, it just reminds them of their loved ones. Those are the stories that touch the heart the most." -- Daily Herald Rozner: Party at Wrigley only just beginning By Barry Rozner Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends. Ladies and gentlemen, attend or not, come in or don't, the party that began Nov. 2 has displayed not the slightest sign of slowing down. It continued in Wrigleyville Monday afternoon, or in some quarters Monday morning, and went all day, the masses well-oiled and well-deserving by game time, by then having witnessed the season of their dreams raised in brilliant colors above the bleachers in center field, a banner to fly as an eternal reminder of 2017. There was the unusual pomp and circumstance at a ballpark that has never known such a celebration, the standard arrangement for teams that have played this tune many times before. It's why you can't blame any Cubs fan that hasn't come down from the high of Game 7, as if Cleveland happened yesterday. The World Series victory may have taken place five months ago, but the parade won't end until rings are handed out Wednesday night in front of the Dodgers, whom the Cubs dispatched here at Wrigley Field in Game 6 when Kyle Hendricks bested Clayton Kershaw. And it's why you wouldn't blame the Cubs themselves if they wanted to be done with it all, if it was becoming something of a distraction more than a week into trying to defend their crown.