January 16, 2017

Cubs.com, Must-see DC: Cubs visit White House today http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/213572950/cubs-looking-forward-to-white-house-event/

Cubs.com, Exorcise regimen: Demons purged, Cubs eye repeat http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/213571206/cubs-turn-focus-to-title-defense-in-2017/

Cubs.com, Cubs allow '16 top pick Hatch to ease into pro ball http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/213573424/cubs-allow-thomas-hatch-to-ease-into-pro-ball/

Cubs.com, Hall of Famer Williams to join Cubs at White House event http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/213531168/billy-williams-to-go-to-cubs-white-house-gala/

Cubs.com, Cubs get grilled by young fans at Convention http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/213536104/young-cubs-fans-grill-players-at-convention/

Cubs.com, 7th Heaven? Champs relive stressful WS clincher http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/213531788/cubs-fans-remember-world-series-game-7/

Cubs.com, Zobrist: After missing trip in '16, DC visit is 'huge' http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/213536126/ben-zobrist-excited-for-white-house-visit/

Cubs.com, Cubs replacing 'print-at-home' tickets with Ballpark app http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/213542258/cubs-replace-print-at-home-tickets-with-app/

Cubs.com, Addison Avenue: No roadblock too big for Cubs' SS http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/213531186/addison-russell-centered-by-family-home-life/

Cubs.com, Cubs Convention: Champs of a lifetime! http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/213509354/players-fans-fired-up-at-cubs-convention/

Cubs.com, Ross, Dempster supply laughs at Convention http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/213523434/ross-dempster-supply-laughs-at-convention/

Cubs.com, Cubs avoid arbitration with 3 players http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/213467390/cubs-jake-arrieta-avoid-arbitration/

Cubs.com, Ross named special assistant to baseball ops http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/213479512/cubs-hire-david-ross-in-front-office-role/

Cubs.com, Just try wiping the smile off Bryant's face http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/213509356/kris-bryant-cant-stop-smiling-why-should-he/

Cubs.com, Heyward aims to recapture swing from 2012 http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/213512878/cubs-jason-heyward-working-on-swing/

ESPNChicago.com, Jason Heyward on White House visit: 'This is the ultimate time' http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/18482741/chicago-cubs-excited-visit-president-barack-obama-mlk-day

ESPNChicago.com, Watch out, NL pitchers: Cubs' Kris Bryant wants more http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/43224/watch-out-nl-pitchers-chicago-cubs-kris-bryant-wants-more

ESPNChicago.com, Stardom is just the start for Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/43216/stardom-is-just-the-start-for-cubs-pitcher-kyle-hendricks

ESPNChicago.com, Cubs' Jason Heyward working overtime to recapture his swing http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/43200/search-for-old-swing-trims-offseason-for-cubs-jason-heyward

ESPNChicago.com, Cubs' Kyle Schwarber wants to stay sharp as backup catcher http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/18469222/kyle-schwarber-wants-stay-chicago-cubs-catchers-mix

CSNChicago.com, A Surreal Offseason Puts World Champion Cubs In The White House Spotlight http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/surreal-offseason-puts-world-champion-cubs-white-house-spotlight

CSNChicago.com, Cubs Benched Jorge Soler Several Times In 2016 For Lack Of Hustle http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-benched-jorge-soler-several-times-2016-lack-hustle

CSNChicago.com, This Is The Thanks Joe Maddon Gets For Cubs Winning The World Series? http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/thanks-joe-maddon-gets-cubs-winning-world-series

CSNChicago.com, Cubs Pushing To Host 2020 All-Star Game At Wrigley Field http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-pushing-host-2020-all-star-game-wrigley-field

CSNChicago.com, Ben Zobrist Knows Cubs Need To Make Room For Javy Baez In Everyday Lineup http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/ben-zobrist-knows-cubs-need-make-room-javy-baez-everyday-lineup

CSNChicago.com, Jake Arrieta Makes $15 Million-Plus Deal With Cubs And Knows Free Agency Is Coming http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/jake-arrieta-makes-15-million-plus-deal-cubs-and-knows-free-agency-coming

CSNChicago.com, Why Tyson Ross Chose Rangers Over Cubs http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/why-tyson-ross-chose-rangers-over-cubs

CSNChicago.com, Jake Arrieta Explains Post-Election Tweet And Why He Will Miss White House Trip With Cubs http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/jake-arrieta-explains-post-election-tweet-and-why-he-will-miss-white-house-trip-cubs

Chicago Tribune, Laura Ricketts' pleas to President Obama led to Monday's White House visit http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-white-house-laura-ricketts-sullivan-spt-0116-20170115-column.html

Chicago Tribune, Resting veterans will open door for Cubs prospects this spring http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-veterans-rest-prospects-play-bits-spt-0116-20170115-story.html

Chicago Tribune, New-look Wrigley Field not lost on old Cub Lee Smith http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-wrigley-field-renovations-cubs-spt-0116-20170115-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs go back to 2012 in effort to revive Jason Heyward's swing http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-fixing-jason-heyward-cubs-spt-0115-20170114-story.html#nt=oft03a-1gp3

Chicago Tribune, Cubs hope to host MLB All-Star Game in 2020 http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-2020-mlb-all-star-game-20170114-story.html#nt=related-content

Chicago Tribune, Cubs expect to add quality depth in 2017 draft http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-depth-draft-20170115-story.html#nt=related-content

Chicago Tribune, Cubs introduce preventive measures to block counterfeit tickets http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-address-counterfeit-tickets-bits-spt-0115-20170114-story.html#nt=related-content

Chicago Tribune, Cubs' popularity off the field parallels success on the field http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-popularity-parallels-success-20170114-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs to select 20 fans for World Series ring ceremony http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-world-series-ring-ceremony-20170114-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs' tense World Series win eased by 2017 prospects http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-world-series-20170114-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs rise to Joe Maddon's defense over controversial World Series decisions http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-joe-maddon-defense-sullivan-cubs-spt-0115-20170114-column.html

Chicago Tribune, Theo Epstein pays tribute to late Cubs scout Stan Zielinski http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-stan-zielinski-20170114-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs to hoist title flag, present championship rings during first two home games http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-flag-rings-20170114-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs fans gush appreciation for World Series title at annual convention http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-exuberant-fans-cubs-convention-spt-0114-20170113-story.html

Chicago Tribune, David Ross set for new role as special assistant with Cubs http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-david-ross-special-assistant-20170113-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Jake Arrieta, Cubs settle on 1-year, $15.6375 million contract http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-jake-arrieta-contract-20170113-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs' Addison Russell still absorbing and enjoying World Series title http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-addison-russell-cubs-convention-spt-0114-20170113-story.html

Chicago Sun-Times, Time for Javy Baez to be the Cubs’ full-time second baseman http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/time-for-javy-baez-to-be-the-cubs-full-time-second-baseman/

Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs to be honored by Obama at the White House today http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/chicago-cubs-honored-by-obama-at-the-white-house-today-1205-ct/

Chicago Sun-Times, The rest of the story behind Theo’s Plan and making Cubs history http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/theo-epsteins-path-to-a-title-was-even-tougher-than-he-expected/

Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs excited to visit White House on Monday http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-excited-to-visit-white-house-on-monday/

Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs push for 2020 All-Star Game to showcase renovated Wrigley http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-push-for-2020-all-star-game-to-showcase-renovated-wrigley/

Chicago Sun-Times, Epstein says Maddon managed Game 7 ‘different’ than usual http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/epstein-says-maddon-managed-game-7-different-than-usual/

Chicago Sun-Times, CubsCon: Bye bye, bullpens; hello, title banners, ring ceremonies http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubscon-bye-bye-bullpens-hello-title-banners-ring-ceremonies/

Chicago Sun-Times, ‘Pro-U.S.’ Arrieta: Post-election tweet not partisan—or bigoted http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/pro-u-s-arrieta-post-election-tweet-not-partisan-or-bigoted/

Chicago Sun-Times, Last dance for Arrieta and Cubs as free agency looms? http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/last-dance-for-arrieta-and-cubs-as-free-agency-looms/

Daily Herald, Memorable moments, quotes from Chicago Cubs Convention http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170115/sports/170119235/

Daily Herald, Maddon talks Game 7 strategy again http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170114/sports/170119268/

Daily Herald, Fans to help present Chicago Cubs' championship rings http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170114/sports/170119273/

Daily Herald, Cubs, fans share the love at opening night of convention http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170113/sports/170119360/

Daily Herald, Cubs, Arrieta settle on 1-year, $15 million deal http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170113/sports/170119397/

Daily Herald, Rozner: Cubs will soon say goodbye to 2016 http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170114/sports/170119284/

-- Cubs.com Must-see DC: Cubs visit White House today By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- The Cubs are going to the nation's capital on Monday to meet President Barack Obama and celebrate the 2016 World Series championship, and everyone on the travel party is eagerly looking forward to the trip. "It's exciting," said Jason McLeod, director of scouting and player development, who will accompany the team. "I [feel] giddy to get invited."

After their get together with the President in the East Room of the White House, which will be broadcast live on MLB Network and streamed on MLB.com and Facebook Live at 1 p.m. ET, the Cubs are expected to visit patients at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington, D.C., before returning to Chicago. "It's a special thing to get to do," McLeod said. "It's a great honor. I think to top it off, by visiting some injured military personnel [it] will make it that much more special." This will actually be the second time in franchise history that the Cubs will be formally greeted by a sitting U.S. President. According to baseball historian Ed Hartig, team president Albert Spalding made arrangements for a postseason world tour in 1888 for his White Stockings -- now known as the Cubs -- plus a team of baseball All-Stars. Spalding was hoping to get a formal proclamation from President Grover Cleveland endorsing the tour, which had stops scheduled for Australia, Ceylon, Egypt, Italy, France, England, Scotland and Ireland. Illinois congressman Frank Lawler suggested Spalding have the team meet with President Cleveland to personally ask for the endorsement, and they did so on Oct. 8, 1888. The players gathered in the East Room, just like the 2016 World Series champions will do. However, Spalding's team had to wait because Cleveland was attending the swearing in of new Supreme Court Justice Melvin Fuller. Cleveland eventually joined the team in the East Room and shook each player's hand. Captain/manager Cap Anson then presented a letter which the team wanted the President to sign, proclaiming the greatness of the White Stockings and the traveling All-Stars. Hartig said Anson apparently was speechless in front of the President, but after some nudging by his teammates, he completed his address. Cleveland told Anson he'd have to take the matter under advisement, but added the well-dressed ballplayers were "the best representatives of the national game to the Australian people." After the meeting, the White Stockings headed to the ballpark to play the old Washington Nationals. Cleveland did not give the teams his endorsement, but that didn't stop Spalding -- and the teams completed their tour. Some other Cubs-related presidential notes: • Ronald Reagan was a Cubs fan as a youth and, after graduating from Eureka College, he moved to Iowa where he worked at a couple of radio stations -- eventually joining WHO in Des Moines as a sports reporter. He did radio re-creations of Cubs games in the 1930s, using wire/telegraph accounts and in-studio props for sound effects. Hartig said the wire accounts were basic and might list a double off the left-field wall by Woody English as "double English." It would be up to Reagan to ad-lib the detail, while an engineer simulated the crack of the bat and crowd noises. There often were technical difficulties, so Reagan would say batters were fouling off pitches or managers were calling meetings at the mound -- while the reality was that the batter had grounded out. WHO radio sent Reagan to Catalina Island to cover the team during Spring Training a few times. In 1937, he arranged a trip to Hollywood for a screen test, which was successful -- resulting in a seven-year contract with Warner Bros. and ending his radio-broadcasting career. In 1952, Reagan starred with Doris Day in "The Winning Team," which was the story of former Cubs pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander. Several cast members with Cubs ties served as ballplayers in the movie -- including Peanuts Lowery, George Metkovich, Irv Noren, Hank Sauer and Gene Mauch. As President, Reagan attended the Cubs-Pirates game at Wrigley Field on Sept. 30, 1988. Wearing a Cubs jacket, he threw out two first pitches, then sat in for an inning and a half in the WGN-TV booth along with Harry Caray and Steve Stone. • Besides Reagan, four other sitting U.S. Presidents have attended either a Cubs regular season or playoff game (covering eight games).

President William H. Taft attended three games: May 29, 1909 (Cubs at Pittsburgh); Sept. 16, 1909, (Giants at Cubs); and May 2, 1910 (Cubs at Pittsburgh). President Herbert Hoover attended the Cubs at Philadelphia A's World Series game on Oct. 14, 1929. President Bill Clinton attended a Brewers-Cubs game on June 30, 1999. President George W. Bush attended a Cubs game at Cincinnati on April 3, 2006, as well as the Cubs' game at the modern-day Washington Nationals on July 5, 2007. • Did you know: Charles P. Taft, the chief financial backer of the Cubs from mid-season 1905 through January '16, was the half-brother of President William Howard Taft. -- Cubs.com Exorcise regimen: Demons purged, Cubs eye repeat By Phil Rogers CHICAGO -- Tom Ricketts couldn't help himself. In his comments welcoming fans to the Cubs Convention, Ricketts made it clear just how things have changed for his franchise. "We're looking forward to 2017," Ricketts said. "I think that anyone who knows Cubs history knows that when the Cubs win a World Series, they always win again the next year." Well, they did in 1908 after winning in '07, anyway. It's hard to imagine that Frank Chance's team could have felt much better about its chance to defend its championship than the current Cubs do. Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant & Co. will celebrate Game 7 of the World Series a few more times -- including during a visit to the White House on Monday -- but they have already started looking forward to being together again in Arizona, trying to build on the legacy they've begun. "Hopefully we'll be the team to beat," Bryant said. "We certainly feel that way. We're going to go with it and play our hearts out." While leadoff man Dexter Fowler has left to join the Cardinals, this is largely the same team that fought its way through the Indians, Dodgers and Giants in 2016 after losing to the Mets in the '15 National League Championship Series. Wade Davis replaces Aroldis Chapman as the closer, but the starting rotation and lineup are pretty much back and healthy. That includes Kyle Schwarber, who played only two regular-season games last year. Few teams in the Major Leagues can match the Cubs for continuity. Rizzo, Bryant, Schwarber, Addison Russell, Ben Zobrist, Javier Baez, Jason Heyward, Willson Contreras, Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks are all under contract or the Cubs' control through 2019, and most of that group through 2021. "The beauty of having this great young core of players is there will be some offseasons when we have some heavy lifting, filling in pieces, but these are our guys," general manager Jed Hoyer said. "We're going forward with these guys. They're really good, really talented, and I think fans are going to see the same guys year after year. That's the beauty of the core guys we have." The Cubs know they have a chance to approach the kind of run that the Yankees put together from 1996-2001, when they won four championships and went to the World Series five times. Chicago has won five of six

postseason rounds the last two seasons, beginning with the dramatic NL Wild Card Game against Pittsburgh in 2015. "You gain through some inner confidence a default belief that you and your teammates know how to win," said Theo Epstein, the Cubs' president of baseball operations. "Through hard times you just have the faith in getting back to what got you there, knowing that you're good enough not only to compete, but to win and to win the whole thing. That kind of confidence is hard to create. That's why you see teams kind of gradually do better and better and better the more times they're in the postseason." The Giants had won 11 consecutive postseason series or rounds before the Cubs knocked them off in the NL Division Series this past October, rallying in the ninth inning of Game 4 to avoid facing Johnny Cueto in a decisive Game 5. They rallied from being down two games to one in the NL Championship Series against the Dodgers and three games to one to the Indians in the World Series. Safe to say they've exorcised the demons from the franchise's past. "Now we're just a really good baseball team," Hoyer said to CSN Chicago. "We're not a team that has a curse or issues winning. Now we're a world champion, and we move forward. Next year when a game is close in the playoffs, no one will be concerned about what's going to happen, nobody is going to worry about something bizarre happening. … We've been through this. We've won. I think [fans] now are going to expect to win. Look at the Red Sox. Now people expect to win. That's where the Cubs are going to be. People expect to win." Manager Joe Maddon has helped build a cohesiveness and strength in his players. They seem excited about the chance to build off last year's 103-win season. "It's [about] topping last year," Russell said. "Last year was a great year. [But] I think we had a lot of ups and downs. This year I feel like we can perfect that a little bit, so it's more of a stable thing, whether you're looking at individual-wise or team-wise. We have the type of core to do that. We're comfortable with each other. It's an open clubhouse. We welcome guys that are new in the clubhouse. We're excited about Jon Jay, excited about [Wade] Davis, anybody who is part of the Cubs family." Bryant says it will be business as usual when the Cubs get to Mesa, Ariz. "We've had that target on our backs, and we're not going to change anything," he said. "We've learned a lot along the way -- 2017 will be nothing different.'' The Cubs won six more games in 2016 than they did in '15. They believe they can continue that progression in '17, repeating as NL Central champs and winning more than 103 games. While Bryant is coming off an MVP season, he believes he can be better. He knows his team can continue to improve. "For me, personally, it's easy," Bryant said. "I know that I did well. I performed fine. I just want to continue to build off that, be the best player I can be. Part of that is you have to forget what's happened in the past, good or bad. I think we have the right group here that guys will just be able to realize how special it was but to realize how much better it would be to sustain that success and do it again next year. I think we're hungrier than ever. We'd love to be that team that goes back to back. I think we all have the right mindset." Epstein's Red Sox teams won the World Series twice but didn't do it in back-to-back seasons. Only the Yankees (1998-2000) and Blue Jays (1992-93) have successfully defended World Series victories since a run of powerhouses in the 1970s (A's, Reds and Yankees). "The primary reason why it's hard to repeat is ... it's really hard to win the World Series," Epstein said. "In any given year, if you're any old team you might have a 3 percent chance. If you're the best, you might have a 10-12 percent chance. It's just hard to do."

But Epstein knows other factors work against sustained success, and not just the increased workload on pitchers navigating the long postseason. "There are things that get in the way," he said. "When you win, you get pulled in a lot of different directions. There can be a tendency, no matter the character [of a team], to start thinking about yourself a little bit. We have to work really hard, we all do, to avoid any type of organizational arrogance, any sense of entitlement." It's the right thing to say, of course. But as Epstein talks, it's clear he believes that the Cubs have assembled the right players and created the right culture to handle their success. "You really understand that of all the great things that happened last year, [the best] is that we all got to be part of something bigger than ourselves," he said. "It's really important to opt back into that mindset, to buy back into being a team player, in a team-centric organization. Let players buy back in, be unselfish and try to do it all over again. … I don't worry about our group, but some teams after winning it, other things get in the way of that bond." Go ahead, turn the page. The Cubs are ready to see what comes next. -- Cubs.com Cubs allow '16 top pick Hatch to ease into pro ball By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Thomas Hatch, who was the Cubs' first selection in last June's Draft, didn't pitch in a Minor League game for the team after he was picked, but he did get exposed to life in the big leagues and the postseason. Hatch, who was taken in the third round (No. 104 overall) out of Oklahoma State, attended instructional league in Mesa, Ariz., and then joined Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach to watch the Pelicans' playoff run. The right-hander did not pitch in 2015 because of a sprained ulnar collateral ligament that didn't require surgery, and then led Oklahoma State to the College World Series in 2016, logging significant innings. "When we looked at the injury history he had and the amount of innings he threw in 2016, we thought it was really irresponsible to try to push him," said Cubs director of amateur scouting Matt Dorey during a seminar on the Minor Leagues on Sunday at the Cubs Convention. By being in Arizona and working out with the young Cubs in instructional league, Hatch was able to get acclimated to professional baseball. "It's a really tough transition for these guys," Dorey said. "This was great for Tom, because he could go down to Arizona and relax and build his own routine. "I would say he's a pretty advanced college right-hander with a combination of stuff and strikes," Dorey said. Hatch was named Big 12 Pitcher of the Year last season after posting a 7-2 record and 2.16 ERA in 16 starts, striking out 102. Jaron Madison, director of player development, said they have yet to determine where Hatch will open the 2017 Minor League season. The right-hander is ranked 14th on MLBPipeline.com's list of the Cubs' top 30 prospects. • Speaking of pitching, the Cubs are excited about the progress of right-hander Dylan Cease, who was a sixth-round pick in 2014 and is ranked third on the top 30 prospects list. Cease was one of three high school pitchers the Cubs chose that year, following lefties Justin Steele and Carson Sands, who were taken in the fourth and fifth rounds, and are ranked Nos. 23 and 24 on MLBPipeline.com's list. "He's absolutely one of the more exciting prospects we have in our organization," Jason McLeod, director of scouting and player development, said of Cease, 21, who started 12 games last year at Class A Short Season Eugene, striking out 66 over 44 2/3 innings.

Cease's fastball has been clocked at 100 mph, McLeod said, and he has a power curveball as well. The right-hander is still developing a third pitch, but McLeod noted Cease has "a special arm" and he's unlike any pitcher they've had in the organization since Theo Epstein took over as president of baseball operations. As for the other two, McLeod said Steele is very athletic, but didn't have a good year on paper in 2016, while Sands has not progressed in terms of arm speed. "The stuff is there [with Sands] and he's a great athlete -- he just didn't have a good year," McLeod said. Both Sands and Steele pitched at Class A South Bend. Sands, 21, appeared in 21 games (14 starts) and posted a 5.91 ERA, while Steele, 21, had a 5.00 ERA in 19 starts. Other pitching prospects to keep an eye on include right-handers Oscar De La Cruz (No. 7), Trevor Clifton (No. 8), Jose Albertos (No. 9), Pierce Johnson (No. 17) and Ryan Williams (No. 18). • McLeod was asked about how the organization deals with players who don't hustle out of the batter's box, and he mentioned that Cubs manager Joe Maddon's motto is "Respect 90." Maddon removed Jorge Soler from a couple games during the 2016 season for not hustling, McLeod said. "Every single person, in whatever realm of life you're in, whatever occupation you're in, you can control your best effort," McLeod said. The Cubs have painted "Respect 90" on all of their Minor League fields to emphasize that message. • Eddy Julio Martinez is someone to watch in the Cubs' organization. The right-handed-hitting outfielder from Cuba signed with the Cubs late in 2015 and is ranked No. 13 on the top 30 prospects list. Madison said Martinez has all the tools and is very versatile. The 21-year-old just needs to learn more about how pitchers are trying to approach him. "He's an exciting player to watch, and I think you'll know his name real soon," Madison said. Last year, in his first season in the U.S., Martinez batted .254 in 126 games for South Bend, hitting 10 home runs, 24 doubles and driving in 67 runs. -- Cubs.com Hall of Famer Williams to join Cubs at White House event By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Hall of Famer Billy Williams was to attend a breakfast on Monday to celebrate Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s holiday and listen to Ernest Gibson, who was to talk about his experiences with the civil rights movement. But Williams had to cancel. He'll join the Cubs at the White House on Monday instead to celebrate the team's historic World Series championship. "Going to see [President] Obama, who is the first black president, and celebrating Martin Luther King's birthday -- it'll be perfect for me," Williams said. Obama invited the Cubs to the White House after they won the World Series and had hoped the team could get there before he left office. "It's like history," Cubs bullpen coach Lester Strode said. "This whole year has been history -- the Cubs winning the World Series, and now we have an opportunity to visit Obama in the White House, and we're visiting him on Martin Luther King's holiday. It's chilling, it's bone chilling to have all these experiences all at once." Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward went to the White House when he was a rookie in 2009, but admitted this trip will be different.

"This is obviously the ultimate time to go to the White House as an athlete, to meet the President after winning a ring," Heyward said. "It's pretty cool and I think it's kind of a unique situation where we have the opportunity to maybe see two presidents in the same year if it works out that way. For Obama to be the one we get to see, obviously him being from Chicago, I feel like it's a unique opportunity." The Cubs may get another invite after President-elect Donald Trump takes office. They're happy about this one and the timing. "For me, being an African American, there's something about it," Heyward said. "For my teammates who are from Venezuela, there's something about it for them, too -- and guys who are from Alabama and Mississippi, there's something about it for them, as well. Yeah, for me, who I am, who I was born to be, yeah, there's something special about it. There's a lot of significance for a lot of different reasons." Strode watched Obama's farewell address, which the President delivered from Chicago last Tuesday, and was moved. "When you start listening to him talk and you're watching him, you can't leave the TV," Strode said. "He's so good at expressing himself, and I guess what really captures you is that he's so true to heart. He's telling you exactly how he feels and about people in general. "It's going to be great to meet this man and shake his hand. This is really real -- he's our nation's first black president. Everything that's going on with me and the Cubs, it's just a wonderful experience." Gibson worked with King to plan the Selma march, the 1963 March on Washington, and the Montgomery and Birmingham campaigns. He had called Williams, 78, and invited him to attend his speech on Monday at the College of DuPage, but understood when the Hall of Famer said he was going to Washington D.C. This will be Williams' seventh trip to the White House. He was also there when teammate Ernie Banks received the Presidential Medal of Honor in 2013. "I was excited to hear [Gibson] speak because he lived it," Williams said. "But I couldn't miss going to Washington. Seeing the first black president and celebrating Martin Luther King and celebrating the World Series -- I've gone to see the statue [of King] in Washington and it's huge, it's magnificent. These are exciting times." -- Cubs.com Cubs get grilled by young fans at Convention By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Kids ask the darnedest things, like who's your favorite superhero, or whether you have superstitions, or how it feels to be World Series champions. Pint-sized interrogators had the chance to ask Kyle Schwarber, Albert Almora Jr., Javier Baez and Willson Contreras about a variety of topics during a "Kids Only" question and answer session on Saturday at the Cubs Convention. Who taught them the most about baseball? All credited their parents. Said Almora Jr.: "To call my dad after winning the World Series was the best feeling." Any superstitions? The players have special handshakes they do in the dugout before a game. Skittles won over M&M's, and chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream was the most popular among the four. Six-year-old Ryne wanted to know what Kris Bryant's favorite scary movie was. Bryant wasn't part of the panel, but Schwarber called his teammate and put him on speaker phone so everyone could hear his answer.

"I don't watch scary movies," Bryant said. "I'm too much of a wimp to watch scary movies." Bryant is a fan of "Frozen." Someone asked Contreras how difficult it was to catch Aroldis Chapman's 105-mph fastballs, and the young catcher called it "fun." An 8-year-old girl wanted to know if they had any advice for her as she pursued her dream of playing in the Majors. "You can do whatever you want in life," Almora Jr. said. "Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do it," Schwarber said. A young Wisconsin-based Cubs fan asked the players for their favorite defensive play by a teammate, and Schwarber picked all of Baez's plays. Schwarber's remarkable comeback in the World Series after tearing two ligaments in his left knee in the third regular-season game was noted by one young fan. He asked if the slugger would skip the 2017 regular season and wait for the World Series again. Schwarber laughed before saying he hoped to play more. By the way, Schwarber picked Superman as his favorite superhero "because he's made of steel," and then he gave young Benjamin, who asked the question, a high five. What's their favorite pitch? That's easy -- fastball. "If you throw it, we crush it," Baez said. Josh asked the players if they would sing "Happy Birthday" to his mother to celebrate her 40th, and they did, joined by the crowd in the packed ballroom at the Sheraton Grand Chicago. The Cubs players confessed they weren't allowed to take the World Series trophy home, and all of them avoided picking a favorite teammate to avoid hurting anyone's feelings. "We're a big family. We're brothers," Almora Jr. said. Ryan of Vernon Hills, Ill., wanted to know how it felt to be World Series champions? "It's the best feeling in the world," Schwarber said. "It's what we dreamed of as little kids. Hopefully, we can keep it going." And that got the biggest cheer. -- Cubs.com 7th Heaven? Champs relive stressful WS clincher By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said he "died three times in Game 7." General manager Jed Hoyer would've preferred a 15-0 win instead of the nail-biter that resulted in the Cubs' first World Series championship since 1908. Cubs owner Laura Ricketts said she felt like throwing up most of the night and had to calm her 10-year-old nephew, who was crying. A few days after the game, Cubs owner Tom Ricketts said he had a nightmare that the team lost to the Indians. His wife blamed it on "postseason stress disorder."

Game 7 of the World Series was more than two months ago, but Cubs fans discovered on Saturday they weren't the only ones who were nervous as it unfolded at Progressive Field in Cleveland. Epstein, Hoyer and others shared some of their feelings during seminars on the second day of the Cubs Convention, held at the Sheraton Grand Chicago. Tom Ricketts noted that players who made a mistake during postseason games had a chance to redeem themselves during the playoffs. "It was almost like Hollywood wrote the whole script," Ricketts said. Even though the Cubs trailed 3-1 in the best of seven series, Ricketts said he was confident the Cubs would win the championship after they won Game 5 at Wrigley Field. However, a fan did question Epstein on manager Joe Maddon's decision to pull Game 7 starter Kyle Hendricks after 4 2/3 innings. Epstein said Maddon had a game plan regarding how he was going to use his pitching, and that once starter Jon Lester was warming up in the bullpen, they needed to get the lefty in the game. During a seminar with Maddon and his coaching staff, another fan asked about the Hendricks decision as well. "There's no Game 8," Maddon said. "You can't play like it's June or July. You don't always have Jon Lester in the bullpen." After Hendricks was lifted, Lester pitched three innings in relief, followed by Aroldis Chapman, who gave up the game-tying runs. Pitching coach Chris Bosio was asked if they knew Chapman wasn't feeling 100 percent warming up for Game 7. "I couldn't have been more impresed with an individual," Bosio said. "Nobody felt worse than he did [about what happened in Game 7]. ... But there's no way we could've done it without him." The Cubs eventually did win, 8-7, in 10 innings, thanks to Ben Zobrist's tie-breaking RBI double and an insurance RBI by Miguel Montero. The Nov. 4 parade in Chicago also had an impact on Bosio, who said he tried to make eye contact with everyone as their motorcade traveled through Chicago. He felt lots of "emotion, passion and relief." "It's something I'll never forget and cherish the rest of my life," Bosio said. Cubs fans will get to celebrate the team's first World Series title in 108 years again as they raise a championship banner at the home opener on April 10 against the Dodgers at Wrigley Field. Some fans also will be invited to be part of the ring ceremony, which will be April 12, also against the Dodgers. -- Cubs.com Zobrist: After missing trip in '16, DC visit is 'huge' By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- When the 2015 World Series champion Royals went to the White House last July at the invitation of President Barack Obama, Ben Zobrist wasn't able to go because he was busy with his new team, the Cubs. On Monday, Zobrist will get his chance. Zobrist will be part of the Cubs contingent headed to the White House on Monday as Obama celebrates the 2016 World Series champs. "It's huge," Zobrist said Saturday about being able to go. "I've never been to the White House before and neither has my wife. It's a huge honor to get to meet the President. I'm just excited to step foot in [the White House], you know what I mean? It's such a historical building and the significance to our country and everything -- it's incredible to feel that doing something athletically can get you the opportunity to do that."

Zobrist knew he'd likely miss the chance last year with the Royals. "I also was hoping to do it with the Cubs anyways and that I'd get a chance to do it with them," Zobrist said. • Apparently, Cubs fans weren't the only ones who asked when Kyle Schwarber would return from his knee injury last season. Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said Saturday that owner Laura Ricketts asked nearly every day if there was a chance Schwarber could come back after tearing two ligaments in his left knee in the third regular-season game. To his credit, Schwarber did his rehab in Chicago, stayed involved with the team by watching video and going over scouting reports and even helped out during the MLB Draft by analyzing prospects. There were never any discussions about Schwarber playing in the postseason until he was examined in Dallas during the National League Championship Series. General manager Jed Hoyer guessed that Schwarber called Epstein about 10 seconds after leaving the doctor's office with the news that he could be the designated hitter in the World Series. What's even more amazing is that Schwarber contributed, including a leadoff single in the 10th inning of Game 7 of the World Series. He finished 7-for-17 with two RBIs in five games. "What he did is the stuff of legends," Hoyer said. "It's superhuman." • Epstein noted that three of the Cubs' recent first-round Draft picks -- Schwarber, Kris Bryant and Albert Almora Jr. -- all contributed in the 10th inning of Game 7 of the World Series. "Our scouting department is the rock of our organization," Epstein said. Which is why it was so devastating to lose amateur scout Stan Zielinski, who died last week. "He had a tremendous eye for talent," Epstein said, calling Zielinski the most beloved of the area scouts. Prospects would line up to talk to him "like he was the pope," Epstein said. • A fan from Milwaukee told Epstein that the Cubs winning the World Series was the greatest day of his life, which apparently upset the man's wife, since he placed the championship over their wedding and birth of their children. Epstein had a suggestion, and told the man that next time, he should renew his vows immediately after the Cubs win the World Series so he can call it the greatest day and not tick off his spouse. "I know -- I made that mistake," Epstein said, laughing. -- Cubs.com Cubs replacing 'print-at-home' tickets with Ballpark app By Cash Kruth CHICAGO -- Print-at-home tickets will become a thing of the past beginning in 2017 as the Cubs move to the MLB.com Ballpark app in hopes of eliminating fraudulent tickets altogether. That announcement came Saturday afternoon on the second day of Cubs Convention at the Sheraton Grand Chicago hotel during the business-operations update. The ongoing Wrigley Field renovations, the possibility of hosting the All-Star Game and in-market streaming also were discussed. "We certainly saw a lot of instances in the postseason where the value of our tickets became so tremendous that there's incentive for people to commit fraud to capitalize on the value of tickets," senior vice president of sales and

marketing Colin Faulkner said. "We're going to eliminate the print-at-home tickets. We think the Ballpark app is a great solution." Hard and commemorative tickets will be available for season-ticket holders and those who wish to pick up tickets at Will Call. The Cubs' World Series run once again shortened the offseason and time for renovations at Wrigley Field. Vice president of Wrigley Field restoration and expansion Carl Rice said most of the construction, which includes additional women's restrooms, structural improvements in right field and continued seat replacement, will be ready by Opening Day. Concession improvements near Gate F behind home plate, however, will not be completed until May or June. The biggest on-field change will be the moving of bullpen locations from down the foul lines to underneath the bleachers, which will alleviate safety concerns. Other issues discussed during the session included: • In-market streaming, which president of baseball operations Crane Kenney said he's "cautiously optimistic" will come to fruition for 2017. "[Comcast and MLB] seem to have reached an agreement," Kenney said. "We're the ones pushing hard for it because our fans want it, and if you look at most markets, you have in-market streaming." • Wrigley Field hasn't hosted an All-Star Game since 1990, but Kenney said the club and the city of Chicago have had dialogue with the Commissioner's Office about the game coming to the North Side. "We should get the All-Star Game," Kenney said. "In 2020 our building's complete, and what a great way to celebrate the completion, to host the All-Star Game. It'd be great for the city. The city wants it, we want it, but we've got to convince [Commissioner Rob] Manfred that we've earned it." Kenney cited security as the main issue that needed to be addressed before being awarded the Midsummer Classic. • The Cubs continue to have conversations with TV rights holders about starting their own network in 2020 after their current deal runs out. Kenney said the club has been active in talks but added, "I wouldn't say something's going to happen by Opening Day, but I'd say the pace of conversations are going to pick up." • Heads up, promotional giveaway lovers: There will be no replica ring giveaway. There will be a replica Commissioner's Trophy giveaway, as well as several bobbleheads representing plays made during the postseason. The full promotional giveaway schedule has not been announced. -- Cubs.com Addison Avenue: No roadblock too big for Cubs' SS By Phil Rogers CHICAGO -- Addison Russell is a private man in a public game. He handles attention; he doesn't seek it. While Russell thrives in the spotlight, he's a self-proclaimed "hometown guy" who is most at peace when he's in Pensacola, Fla., in the nest he's built for himself and his growing family. The second of three shortstops selected in the 2012 Draft -- before Corey Seager, after Carlos Correa -- he used a big chunk of his signing bonus from the Oakland Athletics to buy a house for him and his mother. Then he splurged on a Shih Tzu-poodle mix puppy to roam the place when he was off playing baseball.

While the 22-year-old has been building his reputation as one of the best young players in the Major Leagues, he's also been building a family. He shares the home he bought four years ago with his wife, Melisa, and their two children, a son who is 1 and an infant daughter. It was there, one day in early December, about a month after the Cubs' World Series parade, that the wonders of his life caught up to him. He was laying on his mom's bed, he said, when his dog Oakley wandered over and started licking his face. "That's when tears just started pouring out," Russell said to a group of reporters at Cubs Convention. "My mom was like, 'I can't believe you did this, baby.' We've talked before, before that moment. It just hit me really hard there. There was a loss of words. Emotions that were way too powerful for me." Can you blame him? Among the 25 players in uniform for the World Series, none have come further in the last three years than Russell. He was in Double-A with the A's in July 2014, having just missed two months with a strained hamstring. He dreamed that one day Jed Lowrie's job in Oakland would be his, and no doubt dreamed about being on a championship team. Then Billy Beane pushed his chips into the middle of the table to get Jon Lester, Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel in two trades, including one that made Russell a Cub. His timing couldn't have been better. Nor Russell's performance upon arrival. He would need only 61 more Minor League games before Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein would deem him ready to join Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro in the Chicago infield. His sure hands and gracefulness up the middle would establish him as a guy who can be for a Cub powerhouse what Derek Jeter was for the Yankees. Everyone has noticed, which has taken a little time to get accustomed to. "Normally there's not that much attention drawn toward me [at home]," Russell said. "But it's different now. I'd just go to the mall. Maybe I'd go to the nail salon with my wife. It just seems there's attention everywhere. It's definitely different. I enjoy it. My wife enjoys it. We have fun with it." Pat Hughes, the Cubs' radio voice, handled the introduction of players to a ballroom packed with adoring fans on Friday night. He called Russell a "future Gold Glove winner" and "[maybe] a future MVP" of the National League. That's high praise, for sure. But it's right on the money. Russell's defensive excellence was a major feature of the team that survived three difficult postseason series to win the Cubs' first championship since 1908. The Giants' Brandon Crawford has won the NL Gold Glove Award at shortstop the last two seasons, but Russell provided stiff competition. Here were the Defensive Runs Saved metrics last season: Crawford, +19; Russell, +19; Andrelton Simmons, +18; Francisco Lindor, +17, and no one else better than +10. While Russell was Joe Maddon's No. 9 hitter for most of his rookie season, he worked his way up to fifth last season, right behind the ultra-productive trio of Bryant, Rizzo and Ben Zobrist. He went through extended slumps that left his batting average at only .238 by the end of the regular season, but he hit 21 home runs and drove in 95 runs, only one fewer RBI than Correa. Russell has shown amazing mental toughness. In the NL Wild Card Game against the Pirates two seasons ago, he botched a screaming ground ball from Andrew McCutchen that was hit right at him. Then he started a double play two pitches later on a ball that Starling Marte hit even harder.

Russell opened the postseason in a 1-for-24 slump through seven games, raising some question about whether he belonged in the lineup against Julio Urias for Game 4 of the NL Championship Series, with the Cubs trailing 2-1. He blasted a fourth-inning homer off Urias, breaking up a scoreless game, and would go 12-for-40 to finish the postseason with three homers and a team-high 13 RBIs, including nine in the World Series. No wonder he's on the radar for A-listers like Eddie George, the former Ohio State and NFL superstar who is now an actor, activist and self-proclaimed renaissance man. Russell told reporters that George had sent him an autographed Tennessee Titans helmet before the 2016 season, wishing him luck, but it was still a shock to hear from him after the World Series. "Congrats, champ," said one text. Another invited him to get together, which he still hasn't found time to do. "I go home and get a text saying, 'Hey, this is Eddie George. How you doing?'" Russell said. "I'm like, 'I'm good.' I couldn't text back. I waited four days because I was thinking of what to say. He said, 'If you have the time, let's chill.' There's hardly any time because everything's happening so quick. Just to come into contact with people like that, makes me smile. It definitely gets me in the mood of getting better. That's the goal. Getting better." Safe to say Russell is looking forward to meeting President Barack Obama on Monday at the White House. "We're excited," Russell said. "I know probably about three people I'd get star-struck by, and he's one of them." When the trip to Washington, D.C., is over, Russell will hurry home to Pensacola. He'll bask himself in the warmth of his family and continue to turn the page, working toward the upcoming season. He's as excited about that as meeting Obama or hanging with George. "The body's ready," Russell said. "My body took as much rest as it needed. I'm happy to get back training. I've been hitting on the field the last two weeks. Everything feels good. I'm seeing the ball well. It's just about trying to get better." As far as Russell has come, it's going to be fun to see where he can go. -- Cubs.com Cubs Convention: Champs of a lifetime! By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- The buzz at the Cubs Convention on Friday seemed louder and livelier than in years past, as fans were eager to celebrate the World Series championship, the first for the franchise in 108 years. "Anyone who knows Cubs history knows that when they win a World Series, they always win the next year," Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said to a packed ballroom at the Sheraton Grand Chicago for the opening ceremonies. He's right. The Cubs did win back-to-back championships in 1907 and '08, and the players all said they were eager to do it again. "Everyone knows how difficult it is to repeat with the short offseason and everything going on, and everything that comes along with a championship," Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta said. "For me, it makes me a little hungrier to do it again. We've been there. We accomplished what we did and I want to do it again, and I know the mindset is probably similar for the guys on the team. "Once you get a taste of that, you don't want to lose at all," he said. "You want to play the last game of the season. Joe [Maddon] talks about that a lot, and we did it last year and we'd love to do it again."

Maddon was greeted by a standing ovation and chants of "Thank you, Joe" when he was introduced during the ceremonies. The players were then introduced in sync with their walkup music at Wrigley Field and recently retired catcher David Ross carried the trophy on stage. It was a lively start to the three-day fan fest, which will extend into Monday when the players and staff visit President Obama at the White House. "It's an honor to get an invite from the president, or the guy that's leaving the White House, especially a high-profile guy like Obama, who's consistently in the community, has charities and does all these wonderful things for the USA," shortstop Addison Russell said. "We're excited. I know there's probably about three people I would get starstruck by and he's probably one of them." Players such as Dexter Fowler, who signed with the Cardinals this offseason, are expected to attend the White House event, as well as Hall of Famer Billy Williams. Arrieta will not go because of family matters -- his son was scheduled for surgery to take care of a dental problem Monday. He was headed home early from the convention. "People have opinions of me, but it's nothing about who is our president and who is not," Arrieta said. "It's just we have things to take care of ... We have a lot going on. So I won't be going to that [visit]." Outfielder Jason Heyward was looking forward to the trip to Washington, D.C. "This is obviously the ultimate time to go to the White House as an athlete, to meet the president after winning a ring," Heyward said. "It's pretty cool and I think it's kind of a unique situation where we have the opportunity to maybe see two presidents in the same year if it works out that way. For Obama to be the one we get to see, obviously him being from Chicago, I feel like it's a unique opportunity." For now, the players will celebrate the championship with their fans at the three-day lovefest, which will include a seminar on Saturday to update the renovations at Wrigley Field, autograph sessions and a chance to pose with the World Series trophy. When Ricketts took the stage on Friday, he was greeted by chants of "Thank you, Tom," but he made a point of thanking the fans. "This will be the best convention of all time," Ricketts said of the event, now in its 32nd year. "The reason I know this will be the best Cubs Convention of all time? Spoiler alert -- we won the World Series." The Cubs players wouldn't mind having another shortened offseason in 2017. "Last year, we came into Spring Training picked to win the World Series," Heyward said. "I don't know any other expectation you can have that's going to beat that one. Expect to win and we go win it, come back from [being down 3-1 in the Series], those are all unbelievable things and tough things to do. It's kind of a similar situation again -- you're the world champs until someone beats you. "We don't really have to change our mindset," Heyward said. "There's been expectations, there's been a lot of fun, there's been a lot of challenges, and we just kind of embrace that and have fun with it." -- Cubs.com Ross, Dempster supply laughs at Convention By Cash Kruth CHICAGO -- The bender that Theo Epstein and the rest of the Cubs organization and fans went on following the 2016 World Series championship hasn't stopped, and it continued on Friday night on the first day of Cubs Convention at the Sheraton Grand Hotel during "Late Night With Ryan Dempster." The third annual late night-themed talk show hosted by Dempster, a former Cub and current special advisor, featured Dempster's wit, creative video commercials and interviews with players still basking in their World Series glory.

David Ross, who it was announced earlier in the day had accepted a role with the club as a special advisor, said the storybook ending to his career and season-long farewell left him with no choice but to retire. "Yeah, I was like, maybe I'll come back, talking to [general manager Jed Hoyer] about a qualifying offer," Ross said. "Then they have to go win me the World Series and carry me off the field on their shoulders and I'm like, 'There goes $17.2 [million].'" Ross and the rest of the Cubs have received an outpouring of well wishes and thanks from fans since winning the championship. Joked Ross: "I've played the humble card, and I'm sick of it. You're welcome." In fact, Ross handed out the following "You're Welcome" notes on stage: • "You're welcome, Jon Lester, for making sure no one steals second base, even though you can't throw to first." • "You're welcome, Joe Maddon, for baby-sitting the team so you had time to come up with these T-shirt ideas." • "You're welcome, Anthony Rizzo, for being your baseball dad and for tipping that ball to you in Game 5 of the World Series so it looked like you made a great play." • "You're welcome, Theo Epstein, for coming to Chicago instead of San Diego, therefore making sure you get into the Hall of Fame." • "You're welcome, Jason Heyward, for not ordering room service in my free suite." • "You're welcome, Chicago, for breaking a 108-year curse. No more goats, black cats. Oh, yeah, and for the giant ring you're about to get." Hoyer and Epstein, who worked together for years in Boston, played a version of "The Newlywed Game." Epstein went 1-for-3 on questions about Hoyer, with the lone correct answer coming when he named Hoyer's worst boss -- Epstein. Hoyer went 3-for-3 on Epstein. "You don't know me at all," Hoyer said. Maddon, who coined "embrace the target" for the 2016 team's motto, also revealed the motto for this year's team: Uncomfortable. "I think the message to the boys this year is, I want them to be uncomfortable," Maddon said. "Just like last year, embrace the target. The more comfortable we get ... If you think we're really hot, it's not going to happen again. We have to be uncomfortable knowing that folks are going to come after us even harder than they did last year." -- Cubs.com Cubs avoid arbitration with 3 players By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- While the Cubs celebrated their World Series championship Friday at their annual winter fan fest, the team reached contract agreements with three of their four arbitration eligible players, including Jake Arrieta, Hector Rondon and Justin Grimm. Pedro Strop, 31, however, did not reach a settlement and the two sides exchanged figures. Strop's agent asked for $6 million, while the team countered at $4.6 million.

Strop tore the left meniscus in his knee in early August and returned Sept. 23. He compiled a 2.85 ERA over 47 1/3 innings in 54 games. The right-hander will be a free agent after the 2017 season. Arrieta, 30, avoided arbitration and signed a one-year deal for $15.6375 million. The 2015 National League Cy Young Award winner, Arrieta is coming off another solid season in which he went 18-8 with a 3.10 ERA, including his second career no-hitter in April, against the Reds. "I wanted to get it out of the way," Arrieta said Friday at the Cubs Convention. "It's a good deal. I didn't want anything to linger. Get it out of the way and move on, and enjoy this for a couple days and get on to Arizona and start playing again." Arrieta's increase is the second highest ever for third-year eligible starting pitcher, behind Max Scherzer, who received an $8.8 million raise after his Cy Young Award-winning season three years ago. Arrieta, who made $10.7 million in 2016, will be a free agent after this season, but did not pursue a long-term deal at this time. "For me, there's no hard feelings toward anybody," Arrieta said. "It's a business. The team has to do what's in its best interests and that's completely understandable from my perspective. I get it. I respect Theo [Epstein] and Jed [Hoyer] and the rest of the front office. You'd be a fool not to, based on what they've done and where this organization is. To be a part of what we've been able to accomplish over the last couple years is remarkable. It'd be great to stay here, but we'll take it one day at a time and go from there." Cubs president of baseball operations Epstein said he was happy to have Arrieta's contract resolved now. "When it's a big spread [between figures], sometimes people think it's adversarial, where it's just really more procedural," Epstein said. "I'm glad we're able to come to terms, and focus on getting ready for the season." Could the Cubs negotiate a contract extension for Arrieta? "We won't make it a public matter, but I'm sure happy he's a Cub," Epstein said. "There's certainly a chance he could be here beyond next year. We don't have any ongoing talks or anything specific scheduled but I'm sure it will come up at some point." Rondon settled at $5.8 million, while Grimm avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $1.825 million deal. Rondon went 14-for-18 in save situations in the first half, posting a 1.72 ERA, but lost his job as the closer once the Cubs acquired Aroldis Chapman in July. Rondon, 28, was sidelined with a strained right triceps from mid-August to early September, and finished with a career-low 51 innings. He was paid $4.2 million last year. Grimm, 28, had a 5.34 ERA before the All-Star break, then regrouped and finished with a 2.42 ERA in 28 games in the second half. He was paid $1.275 million in 2016. -- Cubs.com Ross named special assistant to baseball ops By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- David Ross is returning to the Cubs, but in a front-office role. The popular catcher, who retired last season after helping the Cubs win the 2016 World Series, will serve as a special assistant to baseball operations. On Friday night, he carried the World Series trophy on stage for the opening ceremonies of the Cubs Convention. "I don't even know what I'm doing," Ross said of his new job. "It's going to be a learning process for me, just getting to see what's behind the curtain really. I feel like there's a hall-of-fame front office and a relationship with

guys who I have a bond with. They offered to help me grow in my baseball knowledge and try to learn different aspects of what goes on in the organization. I'm really going to be listening. My ears are open." Ross, 39, will contribute to all elements within the club's baseball operations department, including Major League operations, player development, pro scouting and work within the front office. He'll also assist in evaluating amateur players leading up to the Draft. Ross played 15 seasons in the Majors, his last two with the Cubs, and won two championships. The former seventh-round pick by the Dodgers was a .229 career hitter with 106 home runs and 314 RBIs. -- Cubs.com Just try wiping the smile off Bryant's face By Phil Rogers CHICAGO -- Kris Bryant is still smiling, and why not? His team just won the World Series. He was named the National League's Most Valuable Player. And, on top of all that, he married his longtime sweetheart last weekend. A lot to smile about, right? Bryant could have been anywhere in the world this weekend, alone with his wife, Jessica. But there was only one place he wanted to be -- in Chicago for Cubs Convention, at a downtown hotel crammed beyond fire marshal standards with crazy, out-of-their-mind-with-delight Cub fans. "This is my honeymoon,'' Bryant said on Friday night, laughing. "[Jessica] loves it. This is like our home. It's a lot of fun here. We're taking the honeymoon next offseason, hopefully after another World Series run.'' That's confidence speaking, not arrogance. But how can Bryant not be confident? He's on one of the greatest rolls Major League Baseball has ever seen at the start of a player's career. Baseball's not easy. But, like Mike Trout, Jose Altuve and Mookie Betts, he can certainly make it look simple. And Bryant's just getting started. He hit .275 with 26 home runs and 99 RBIs to win Rookie of the Year in 2015. He raised his batting average to .292 and hit 39 homers in the regular season in '16, driving in 102 runs (while scoring 121). No hitter has ever begun his career as productively -- and as dramatically -- as Bryant. He compiled 13.6 WAR between his Rookie of the Year season and Most Valuable Player season, outdoing even Frank Robinson (13.4) and Ted Williams (13.0). The contemporary equivalent is Albert Pujols (12.1), but Bryant has experienced postseason success that would elude Pujols until his age-26 season. Luckily for the Cubs, Bryant's appetite is far from quenched. He's been plotting ways to get better for 2017 since shortly after the dramatic Game 7 victory over the Indians. "I want to get back to hitting the ball to right field,'' said Bryant, who turned 25 earlier this month. "In the Minor Leagues, that's where most of my power was -- to right-center.'' Bryant was criticized at times in 2016 for being pull-happy. He did hit more balls to left field than he had as a rookie but says he was merely turning on balls when pitchers made mistakes trying to pound him inside. He won't be surprised if pitchers try a different approach this year.

"I've done a lot of research this offseason, seeing where I'm pitched to,'' Bryant said. "I'm pitched inside so often. I pulled the ball really well this past year. I'm sure guys are going to start pitching me a little different. Maybe go back to the other side of the plate. That's what they did in the Minor Leagues. A lot of guys threw the ball away, and I want to get back to what I did in the Minor Leagues.'' Bryant plans to hit his family's backyard batting cage hard with his father, Mike, before reporting to Spring Training next month. "There's a lot of time left to work on things,'' he said. But the offseason has been a whirlwind. "It almost feels like there is no offseason,'' Bryant said. "Been on the move constantly, a lot going on. Guess that's the result of doing well. It's definitely been busy, a lot of highlights.'' He'll make time for another one Monday, when the Cubs visit the White House at President Obama's invitation. "Obviously, we're honored,'' Bryant said. "We're obviously excited about it. When we played the Nationals [last] year, some of us got a tour. We'll get the A-plus tour this time. Huge honor. We're all very excited.'' While Bryant hasn't had much down time since the World Series, he's had time to reflect on what 2016 meant. More than anything else, winning the MVP or being a part of the first Cubs team to win he World Series since 1908, the thing he thinks about is the greatness of Game 7. "I occasionally find myself sitting on the couch at home, not thinking about the year but just the last game, how unbelievable that was,'' Bryant said. "It's one of the best baseball games probably ever played. I feel so honored to be part of that and have those memories I can take for the rest of my career.'' One of the trademark moments from Game 7 was Bryant's expression when Cleveland's Michael Martinez hit a slow roller toward him for the game's final out. Even then, with the weight of the 108-year drought on his shoulders, Bryant had a smile on his face. How could he smile at a time like that? "I've been asked that so many times,'' Bryant said. "I don't remember feeling that I was smiling. I sort of make that stupid face that I do. I'm signing these baseball cards in the offseason [looking at photos of me], and I'm like, 'I can never get a good action shot.' It's so terrible. But I'm going to go with, 'Yes, I was smiling; I did it on purpose, and I'm glad I didn't throw it away.' Let's go with that story.'' Then he laughed. And smiled again. -- Cubs.com Heyward aims to recapture swing from 2012 By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Jason Heyward is thinking, and hoping to hit, like it's 2012. The outfielder has become a gym rat at the Cubs' complex in Mesa, Ariz., this offseason, reworking his swing after a disappointing first year in Chicago in which he batted .230 with seven homers and 49 RBIs. Heyward played Gold Glove defense in right field to help the Cubs win 103 games, and his speech to his teammates during the rain delay in Game 7 of the World Series inspired the team to an 8-7 victory and the championship. The focus now is to get Heyward's offense back to where he used to be. "You get to a point where you just can't find yourself, and you have to take a step back, take a breather, and you take the offseason and assess what went wrong and figure out, where were you good? Where was Jason Heyward the best at?" Cubs hitting coach John Mallee said. "He's one of the best guys in baseball and we just lost it for a hair. You take him back to where he was good."

The 2012 season was Heyward's third in the big leagues, and he batted .269, but set career highs in home runs (27) and RBIs (82). That also was Heyward's target year. "That's what I wanted to do [was find my approach in '12] and that's what I wanted to go back to," Heyward said Friday before the opening ceremony at the Cubs Convention. "[Mallee] and [assistant hitting coach Eric Hinske] were on the same page. It was pretty easy on that. "I told them at the beginning, 'I'm all ears, I'm open to whatever we have to do to try, whether to get me comfortable, whatever it is. Talk to me, let me know what you've got and I'll try my best to do it and we'll go from there,'" Heyward said. "Sometimes you have to start over. I've done it before. It's not an easy thing. It's been a great process because we all have the same goal. We're trying to do it the same way and that makes it easier." It's a lot easier for Heyward to make the adjustments on a back field in Mesa now than in the late innings of a close game in July. "During the season, when you're trying to perform, as a human being you're going to go back to what you know," Mallee said. "During the season, it's so hard to [change] because you're trying to get a hit." The Cubs aren't asking Heyward to add a leg kick or teach him to pull the ball more, just find the swing pattern he had when he was successful. "The end game is getting him back to driving the baseball like he's capable of doing," Mallee said. "He's so committed to it. He's really making the adjustments." Heyward moved to Arizona this offseason, and has worked primarily with Hinske, who also lives there. "The good thing about Eric and his relationship, is that they played together [in Atlanta]," Mallee said. "When [Heyward] needs to bounce something off someone ... you've got somebody who's been in the trenches with you and who's stood in the box." So far, so good. "It's going well, I'm having fun," Heyward said. "It's one of the most fun offseasons I've had in a while. I know I'm going to be somewhere for a long time, knowing I'll see familiar faces. I get to be a gym rat and hang out at the complex." -- ESPNChicago.com Jason Heyward on White House visit: 'This is the ultimate time' By Jesse Rogers WASHINGTON -- The Chicago Cubs say their trip to the White House comes at an opportune time and holds more significance than that of a typical World Series champion's visit. Monday is the beginning of the last week of Chicago native Barack Obama's administration -- and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. "This is the ultimate time to go to the White House as an athlete, to meet the president after winning a ring," Cubs right fielder Jason Heyward said at this weekend's Cubs winter fan convention. "For me, being an African-American, there's something (special) about it. And for my teammates who are from Venezuela, there's something about it, guys from Alabama or Mississippi (or wherever), there's something about it for them. Yes, there's a lot of significance for a lot of different reasons."

Dexter Fowler, Heyward's good friend, agrees. Fowler said via text that "he had to see (President) Obama" before he left office. After the Cubs won the World Series, Fowler signed as a free agent with the Cardinals. The Cubs could have waited and visited in June when they play the Nationals. But after Obama's invitation soon after their World Series win in November, the Cubs scrambled to make it happen before he left office. "When you get invited to go to the White House, you say 'yes,'" team owner Tom Ricketts said last week. "We're excited. It's a plus that President Obama is a Chicagoan -- although he's a Sox fan." The Cubs are hopeful to "convert" Obama, as several players put it. "It's an honor to get an invite from the president, especially a high-profile guy like Obama," shortstop Addison Russell said. "We're excited. There's probably about three people I would be starstruck by, and he's one of them." Second baseman Ben Zobrist added: "I've never been to the White House before. I'm excited to step foot into it. It's such a historical building. It's incredible to think just doing something athletically can give you the opportunity to do that." Zobrist was part of a World Series-winning team in 2015 as a member of the Kansas City Royals. But he wasn't able to join his former teammates because they went to the White House midseason while Zobrist was playing for the Cubs. By going on Monday, several former Cubs players, including Fowler, will be able to attend. "I've talked to a couple of people that have gotten to go there and see it, and they said seeing the whole production is cool," pitcher Kyle Hendricks said. "Just how many people are working on the grounds there. It's an awesome opportunity to see the White House, and I'm glad a lot of our team from last season can make it." There will be some absences, such as pitcher Jake Arrieta, but no one is claiming to be skipping the visit for political reasons. Some had conflicts considering the last-minute scheduling of the ceremony. But for those who are going, it's another reminder that the Cubs won the World Series for the first time in 108 years. "I'm just going to try and not get arrested," reliever Justin Grimm joked. "It's cool. How many times do you get to go see the president, right?" More than one player expressed an interest in seeing Obama and the next president. It would mean achieving a rare feat in baseball -- repeating as champions. The Cubs have a shot; they're favorites to win the World Series again. "It's pretty cool," Heyward said. "We have a unique situation to see two presidents in the same year if it works out the same way." -- ESPNChicago.com Watch out, NL pitchers: Cubs' Kris Bryant wants more By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- The word "satisfied" and the Chicago Cubs simply don’t belong in the same sentence, not after they broke the longest championship drought in pro sports history and not after an offseason of talk shows and free meals. No one embodies that spirit more than reigning National League MVP Kris Bryant. He made it clear on Day 2 of the Cubs' fan convention that he wants more. “The moment you are satisfied then you suck,” Bryant said Saturday before going on stage with his fellow infielders to answer questions from fans. “I hate being average or mediocre. I don’t want to settle or be complacent. I like moving around the field. I like improving. I like running the bases. I want more. I want more home runs.”

He does all those things really well right now, but Bryant wouldn’t be Bryant -- or the MVP -- if he took it easy just because he has had some success. In fact, the 25-year-old has had such a singular focus on baseball, he feels his recent marriage and all the endorsement deals he’s getting are actually a good distraction for him. It can’t all be about baseball. “I love doing that stuff,” Bryant said. “I’m sure there will be a point where I say ‘no’ more, but it keeps me sane. So much in the game makes you crazy.” So if he’s not satisfied, what can a player who hit .292 with 39 home runs, 102 RBIs and 121 runs scored last season do better? “My dad says hit to the right side,” Bryant said. “I argue with him: ‘What if they’re pitching me inside? Then what?’” Can’t the younger Bryant just say, "‘Hey, Dad, I won the MVP’”? “I have thrown that at him, but I still feel the same as before,” Bryant said with a laugh. “I mean, I won the award, and I’ll get it next weekend [in New York], but it doesn’t change anything. I’m doing the same stuff.” That includes taking a lot of swings at fastballs, sliders and changeups this winter. That last pitch -- the most difficult pitch to improve on in the offseason -- happens to be the one Bryant has struggled with. He hit just .139 off changeups in 2016, ranking him 142nd out of 146 qualified hitters. The league average off changeups was .239, according to ESPN Stats & Information. “You can’t really practice the changeup unless it’s live [batting practice], maybe,” Bryant explained. “But it’s a tough one to practice. You just need to see more of them in games. The guys that have really good changeups, you may not hit those, at least from the righties. “My philosophy is just hit the other pitches before you get a changeup.” Bryant’s goal last season was to cut down on his strikeouts. He reduced his total by 45 from 2015 to 2016 and wouldn’t mind one day getting to a 1-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, a nearly unheard-of figure for a slugger in today’s game. “That would be ideal, but that’s hard to do,” said Bryant, who had 154 strikeouts to 75 walks in 2016, a 2-to-1 ratio. “If I wanted to, I think I could do it. If I set my mind to it.” That, more than anything, is what makes Bryant scary and more than likely to improve his numbers off changeups. Every season of his amateur and professional career he has eliminated weaknesses and created new strengths. He grudgingly agrees with his hitting-coach father that, yes, he would like to go to right field more often when given the opportunity. In fact, he made a goal of doing that in September to prepare for the playoffs and had success. “I did it a lot in the minors, so it’s just part of the process,” Bryant said. “If they jam me, I’ll still pull it.” Balancing baseball and life has come easily so far for Bryant, but there’s plenty of hard work behind the awards and laid-back demeanor. As good as he is, he knows there’s more to life than baseball. That might not have always been the case, but Bryant feels the balance will help him be better. “It keeps me grounded in that it’s not baseball all the time,” he said. “There needs to be something to shake it up a little bit, so I don’t go crazy.” -- ESPNChicago.com Stardom is just the start for Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks By Jesse Rogers

CHICAGO -- If Chicago Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks wasn’t the top individual story for the organization in 2016, then he’s right there alongside Kris Bryant and Jon Lester for the honors. The difference is Hendricks wasn’t a first-round pick nor perennial All-Star, let alone a household name coming into last year. He worked himself into a star with a regular season and playoff performance as good as any. “I couldn’t walk anywhere,” Hendricks recalled about the days after winning the World Series. “From the moment I stepped out of my apartment, down any street, they’re coming up to you. They just come up to say, ‘Thank you.’” "They" are Cubs fans, who also showered Hendricks with adulation during the team’s fan convention on Saturday. Appearing on a panel with fellow pitchers Carl Edwards, Mike Montgomery and newcomer Wade Davis, Hendricks was the man in the spotlight. While one fan was asking him a question, another was taking a picture with him. Hendricks didn’t know whom to address first. Later, without Hendricks in the room, another fan told the four Cubs All-Star infielders that Hendricks was the nicest player on the team. The room couldn’t get enough of him. “It’s great,” Hendricks said. “It’s not what we play the game for, but you realize what it means to everyone. This is great.” Hendricks burst onto the national scene in 2016 as his ERA just seemed to keep dropping all season. By mid-September it was apparent he was going to win the major league ERA title (2.13) and be in the hunt for the National League Cy Young Award. In fact, being a finalist for the award might have been the strangest part of Hendricks’ season -- and that includes winning the World Series. He's used to team goals, but individual accomplishments are new. It hit him as he appeared on MLB Network with the other two finalists, waiting for the winner to be announced. “That was really surreal because you dream the team goals and that’s all you’re thinking about all year and all [Cubs manager] Joe [Maddon] is preaching, but all of a sudden I blink my eyes and I’m sitting there,” Hendricks said. “You have to pinch yourself.” Considering the quiet competitor that Hendricks is, it's not surprising that he quickly turned the page on 2016 and within “a week or two” was thinking about 2017. How does he repeat his success? “You can’t hear about repeating or anything like that,” Hendricks said. “Just focus on the day-to-day tasks.” That’s Hendricks-speak right there. Win the day and the months and year will take care of themselves. His opponents will have something to say about whether Hendricks can repeat his success, though. Pitching coach Chris Bosio believes they’ll take a similar approach to Hendricks as they did to Jake Arrieta after his monster 2015 season. “We saw teams have a much less aggressive approach,” Bosio said. “With Kyle, I would imagine they may do the same thing and run his pitch counts up higher. We are one of the most efficient pitching staffs in baseball. It’s no secret what teams will try to do.” And this is where it gets interesting for Hendricks, an ultra-thinker on the mound. Now that Hendricks has a catalog of information to rely on, he’ll be able to play along with what the opposition is attempting to do. He’ll use his bread-and-butter fastball and changeup, but look for more curveballs to keep hitters thinking. “That’s what makes it fun,” Hendricks said. “As a competitor, that’s the fun part. The best hitters in the game are trying to figure you out. That’s why you can’t have set expectations or goals. It’s always changing. It’s a cat-and-mouse game and its always evolving.” Hendricks has begun his throwing program, but Bosio and the Cubs are mindful of the innings jump he has made during the past couple of seasons. Because this is a World Baseball Classic year with a longer spring training, they’ll take things slow with the righty as well as the other Cubs starters. “Less volume early,” Bosio said.

Like a true coach, Bosio wants more from Hendricks, though it has little to do with what’s coming out of his hand. “Holding runners on, fielding his position better, things like that,” he stated. “I want him getting better in all aspects of the game all the time. [Former pitcher and coach] Pete Vuckovich once told me, ‘If you don’t try to improve, you’re dead inside.’ That’s your goal; that’s your drive.” That shouldn’t be a problem for Hendricks or the still-hungry Cubs. As has been said and written many times, the Cubs don't want 2016 to be the end of anything, but rather the start. And for Hendricks it will always be remembered as the year he became a star. “It was great,” he reiterated. “But all the guys are talking about backstage is next year.” -- ESPNChicago.com Cubs' Jason Heyward working overtime to recapture his swing By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- A Gold Glove and World Series victory weren’t enough for Chicago Cubs right fielder Jason Heyward, so he dispensed with the normal time off after a long season and got right back to work with one thing in mind: fixing his swing. “It’s easier said than done trying to do it in season,” Heyward said Friday on Day 1 of the Cubs' annual fan convention. “The offseason allows you to slow things down and focus on all the little things.” And focus he has. Under the watchful eye of former teammate and now coach Eric Hinske and with frequent visits from Cubs hitting coach John Mallee, Heyward is simply trying to recapture what he once had. The goal is to find his stroke from 2012, when he put up a career-high 27 home runs with the Atlanta Braves. “He’s trying to mirror the swing he had then,” Mallee said of the 27-year-old Heyward. “Right now the path is not the same it was then. It’s not making a change. It’s getting him back to who he was.” Mallee says it takes about three weeks to “redo” a swing, so attempting it while Heyward was on his way to a .230 batting average in 2016 was out of the question. With time, desire and a plan, the hope is that the lefty-hitting Heyward can find his old swing by April. So what was good in 2012 that wasn’t in 2016? “The hitting position he got into,” Mallee said. “He was in a better position to strike the ball. In 2016 that got away from him a little bit. Bat angle, launch angle, sequence of his swing.” Video of Heyward taking swings in Arizona, where he moved to this winter, shows his hands farther from his body and the bat straighter up and down. In Mallee’s estimation, he’s ready to hit much more quickly than he was during last season. “He needs to hear it, feel it and then see it,” Mallee said. After each session, Heyward and Hinske will look at video and continue to tinker until it feels just right. There’s no pressure now; the real test will come when spring training games begin in late February. That’s when Heyward should really feel if the swing is right again. Everyone agrees whatever was happening in 2016 wasn’t working. “At some point you try so hard you get to the point where you can’t breathe,” Mallee said. Heyward’s work ethic and attitude are above reproach. He got as loud an ovation as anyone during opening ceremonies Friday night, as his play in the field never suffered despite the offensive struggles during his first season with the Cubs. And then there was the rain-delay meeting he held during Game 7 of the World Series -- a game-changer. The only thing missing last season was that swing.

“He’s working [more] diligently -- end of November, early December -- than most players do because he wants to get back to the swing that he had, and that takes repetition,” Mallee said. And a commitment. No one doubts Heyward has it. Will the work pay off? He and the coaches are leaving no stone unturned. “When it’s time to get back to it, you get back to it,” Heyward said. “Work hard, work smart.” -- ESPNChicago.com Cubs' Kyle Schwarber wants to stay sharp as backup catcher By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- Don't tell Chicago Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber he can't catch, but ultimately he knows his position is mostly in the outfield where he'll return to action in 2017 after recovering from a serious knee injury last season. "I'm not stupid," Schwarber said on ESPN 1000 in Chicago on Friday. "We have a really good catcher up here. We have Willson (Contreras) and we have Miggy (Miguel Montero). I can contribute in a different way. I don't have to be the guy that throws out runners. But I can guide a pitcher through the game." The Cubs and Schwarber have yet to sit down and plan out his spring, but the 23-year-old has every intention of reporting with pitchers and catchers next month when the Cubs open camp as World Series champions. "I haven't gotten it in detail yet but I want to catch bullpens," Schwarber said. "But I have to see what they (the front office) say." Defense aside, earlier this week manager Joe Maddon wrote down a 2017 lineup for the first time penciling in Schwarber at the top replacing the departed Dexter Fowler. "The fastest lead-off hitter in the league, baby," Schwarber joked. "It's the first spot in the order but after that it doesn't matter." Maddon's lineup would mean Schwarber, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo would hit back-to-back-to-back in the first inning of every game. "That stinks to be the other pitcher," Schwarber said with a smile. "That's tough. You have the MVP and then the runner-up who always gets votes every year." Schwarber will undoubtedly be a popular attraction at this weekend's annual fan convention where the Cubs will display the World Series trophy for the first time in the convention's existence. Of course, their championship drought went back much further than that until Schwarber and his teammates ended it with a win in Game 7 of the World Series against the Cleveland Indians in November. Schwarber returned for the series in dramatic fashion after being written off due to two knee tears which occurred in the first week of the regular season. Schwarber went 7 for 17 with three walks after being cleared to hit just days earlier. And he started the 10th inning, Game 7 rally with a single which helped the Cubs to victory. "For me to work my butt off to have the opportunity to come back and make it happen, you can't put any words to it," Schwarber said. "I told myself if I sucked really bad I was just going to fake a knee injury. Luckily I didn't suck and we ended up winning the World Series. "The competitor in me, even if it was 50 percent chance of getting injured, I think I would have played."

His return and success only enhanced his already legendary status in Chicago considering he became the franchise's all-time postseason home run leader when he hit five the previous season. Then came the injury and surprise return and success in the World Series where he raised his postseason OPS to a whopping 1.178. Now Schwarber wants to prove he can play adequate left field and continue to develop as a catcher. "Until Theo Epstein tells me I'm only a DH and I'm going to be traded or whatever, I'm a left fielder and a catcher and I'm going to keep doing it," Schwarber declared. Schwarber takes offense when people claim he can't play catcher or at least average defense. He recalled a pre-draft interview with Epstein where he thought the team wouldn't draft him after he cursed during the interview. "It f---ing pisses me off when people say I can't catch," Schwarber recalls telling Epstein in the meeting. "People that don't know me can't say I can't catch. That's what I take personally." Schwarber has heard the criticism of his outfield play as well, especially after struggling in the field against the New York Mets during the 2015 playoffs. Then came his knee injury which occurred after colliding with Fowler in the outfield in April. Many were saying he shouldn't be out there. "I know I can get better in the outfield," Schwarber stated. "That will be my focus in spring training." Schwarber wasn't cleared to play the field in the World Series but he says he's ready to go now as he continues to strengthen his knee in conditioning drills. He'll start hitting again after the convention and trip to the White House on Monday where President Obama will honor the Cubs for their first championship in 108 years. Schwarber was a big reason why the Cubs won their final games as he recalled the moment when his doctor told him he could participate in the World Series. It won't be one he forgets any time soon. "He brought it up to me," Schwarber said. " 'You have something special going on here. I don't want to hold you back from that.' I hopped out of my chair like a little school girl." Then he called Epstein, picked up a bat, took some swings and was activated all within a few days. The rest is history as Schwarber's hard work paid off in the form of a championship. "The best quote I hear in the playoffs goes to our strength coach Tim Buss," Schwarber said. "If the Chicago Cubs are going to do this we are going to have to fight, scratch, claw. We might die once, but we are going to come back and win it. No one is going to roll over for this." -- CSNChicago.com A Surreal Offseason Puts World Champion Cubs In The White House Spotlight By Patrick Mooney Three days before Election Day, Alec Baldwin walked into a dressing room on the eighth floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza to meet the Cubs in New York. Dressed in a full Donald Trump costume – but still talking in his normal voice – Baldwin chatted with Anthony Rizzo, Dexter Fowler and David Ross while they rehearsed with Bill Murray before "Saturday Night Live." That scene sums up the surreal nature of two seismic events colliding, the joyous victory tour that saw Kris Bryant appear on the "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" set with a goat and a bitter presidential election that pitted sides of the Ricketts family against each other. President Barack Obama called Cubs manager Joe Maddon from Air Force One after the team ended the 108-year drought in early November, winning the franchise's first World Series title since the Theodore Roosevelt

administration. Obama amplified the message he posted on Twitter: "Want to come to the White House before I leave?" This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will happen on Monday after about two months of scheduling and discussions, with chairman Tom Ricketts downplaying the idea that the Cubs might have stalled for his brothers Todd (Trump's pick for deputy commerce secretary) and Pete (Nebraska's Republican governor). This is part of the family business. Laura – their sister and another Cubs board member – has clout in Democratic circles as a superdelegate/fundraiser for Hillary Clinton. The patriarch is Joe, the billionaire TD Ameritrade founder who's heavily involved in right-wing politics. "There's no big conspiracy here," said team president Theo Epstein, who attended Obama's farewell address at McCormick Place last week. "Tom is a very reasonable guy. And in the end, the president invited us, and then they followed up with a real invitation. Once there was a real invitation, we figured out if we could make it work. We could, and we were happy to go." Cubs Convention – where last year Todd made headlines by describing New York Mets fans as "really, really obnoxious" and dismissing All-Star pitcher Matt Harvey as a wannabe "tough guy" – would be the only logical offseason staging ground. Todd did not participate in this weekend's ownership Q&A session with fans at the Sheraton Grand Chicago. The Cubs will also be in Washington this summer for a four-game series at Nationals Park, not far from Todd's nominated Cabinet position. Epstein paused four seconds after hearing the question: Would you have gone to the White House in June? "Uh…" Epstein said. "Yeah, if the whole team was going, I probably would have gone. "I'm not going to tell you what I would have been wearing. But I would have gone." Epstein campaigned for John Kerry in New Hampshire after the Boston Red Sox won the 2004 World Series and then shook hands with George W. Bush during that White House visit. Epstein missed the ceremonial trip with Boston's 2007 World Series team because his young son had been hospitalized and recovering from an illness at the time: "People took it as a protest, but it wasn't." Jake Arrieta doesn't want to be misinterpreted, either. The Cy Young Award winner explained his anticipated absence on Monday has nothing to do with his post-election "#beatit" tweet. Arrieta – who is dealing with family medical issues back home in Texas – said his "#illhelpyoupack" message wasn't an explicit endorsement of Trump's agenda. Arrieta said he didn't vote and aimed the tweet at Hollywood celebrities who talked about leaving the country if Trump won. "People view us as athletes as being Republican and only caring about lower taxes, which isn't the case," Arrieta said. "If paying higher taxes is going to benefit the majority of society, I'm fine with that. "It's tough when people start talking politics. But I'll be open and honest: I just want somebody to lead our country and do a good job. Whether it's Obama – whether it's Trump or Hillary – I just want to see somebody do a good job for the benefit of everybody." Fowler will be there on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to meet the nation's first African-American president and reconnect with his old teammates after signing a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cubs had waited so long for this – winning their last National League pennant two years before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947 – that Fowler became the franchise's first African-American player in the World Series.

"I'm most happy for our players," Epstein said. "It's just a really special part of winning the World Series. You feel like you've finally made it. You're in the most precious building in the country, really, and you get to strut around as world champs and meet the president. "It doesn't get any better than that. It's very fitting that we're seeing a Chicagoan, and in his last week in office makes it even more special." Maddon met Obama while managing the 2009 American League All-Star team at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, where the president wore a White Sox jacket while throwing out the first pitch. Maddon already went to the White House for a ceremony honoring the 2002 Anaheim Angels. Maddon and his wife, Jaye, also attended a small group dinner Bush's staff organized during the final days of his presidency in January 2009. "No matter your politics, you get invited to the White House, you go," said Jason McLeod, the senior vice president of scouting and player development. "I'm like giddy to be able to get invited on the trip." The Cubs are also expected to tour the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland. Rizzo hopes to present the nation's 44th president with his No. 44 jersey. It will be a day in the life of the 2016 Cubs. "It's going to be amazing," Rizzo said. "I think everyone except the true diehard White Sox fans have a little spot for the North Side in their hearts, just because of how long it's taken to get to where we've been." -- CSNChicago.com Cubs Benched Jorge Soler Several Times In 2016 For Lack Of Hustle By Tony Andracki When the Cubs traded Jorge Soler to the Kansas City Royals for elite closer Wade Davis, it was easy for the Chicago fanbase to understand why. After all, everybody saw the importance of relief pitching throughout the course of the 2016 postseason and there simply wouldn't be enough playing time to go around in a crowded Cubs outfield in 2017. But Jason McLeod gave the fans a little peek behind the curtain Sunday in the final session of Cubs Convention 2017. McLeod — the senior vice president of player development and amateur scouting — answered a fan's question about players not hustling by revealing the Cubs benched Soler several times in 2016 for a lack of hustle. "Coaches get on guys all the time. There are a few times throughout the year where a player will get pulled out of the game," McLeod said. "This is not trying to harp on 'Georgie' at all, but he got yanked a couple of times last year for not hustling out to the outfield, for not running down the line." McLeod said Cubs bench coach Davey Martinez and third base coach Gary Jones had discussions with Soler after such incidents and manager Joe Maddon handled it in his own way, too. "I don't know if Joe [has conversations with players like that] so much, but Joe makes the decision" McLeod said. "And Joe's style is not gonna go up and blow somebody up, especially in the dugout, on TV. But yeah, those conversations do take place." Soler was a major talking point after not hustling out of the box during the Cubs' 1-0 loss to the Cleveland Indians in Game 3 of the World Series.

Soler hit a slicing fly ball down the right field line that Indians outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall misplayed. Soler still finished with a triple (and was subsequently stranded on third base), but some fans were frustrated he didn't score on the play with an inside-the-park home run. Maddon emphatically backed Soler in discussions with the media, saying there's no way Soler would've scored on the play. Soler wasn't in the starting lineup for Game 4 of the World Series, but Maddon pointed to Jason Heyward's defense in right field as the reason for that, not Soler's baserunning. Soler has also struggled to stay healthy throughout his career, dealing with myriad leg injuries since signing with the Cubs in June 2012 as an international free agent. He has averaged only 87 games per year (between both the majors and minors) in his four full seasons of professional baseball and the 108 games he appeared in in 2016 was a new high mark despite missing essentially two months with a hamstring issue. But baserunning is a huge point of contention for Maddon, the coaching staff and the Cubs front office. "One of Joe's biggest mottos is 'Respect 90,'" McLeod said, referencing Maddon's slogan that is also the name of his foundation. "We have that spray-painted on all our minor-league deals in spring training. We can't do it during the regular season, but it is a constant conversation. "It's constant in the player development plan. Every single person in whatever realm of life that you're in, whatever occupation you're in, you can control your effort and you can give your best effort and that's what that's all about. "Unfortunately, the reality is, especially when you're watching major-league games, a lot of guys don't do that. The other unfortunate reality is you're not gonna yank your best player out of the game with the stakes that are being played for at the major-league level. "... I can assure you in the minor leagues, we pull guys out all the time. If they're dogging it down the line, I don't care who it is, they're out of the game. So that's being addressed. And it goes back to a culture thing: Taking pride, 'The Cubs Way,' all these things that we talk about." -- CSNChicago.com This Is The Thanks Joe Maddon Gets For Cubs Winning The World Series? By Patrick Mooney Amid all the euphoria surrounding the franchise's first World Series title in more than a century, the first question from the audience to Theo Epstein and a panel of Cubs executives on Saturday morning involved why Joe Maddon pulled Kyle Hendricks with two outs in the fifth inning of Game 7. In the next Q&A session inside the same massive hotel ballroom, another fan raved about Maddon's style, how he had envisioned him as the perfect personality to manage this team: "That being said, now Game 7…" "There's always a big but in the room," Maddon said into the microphone. Another fan at the Sheraton Grand Chicago wondered: "If (Aroldis) Chapman was here, would you ask him to do one hour of autographs last night, two hours today and three hours tomorrow?" Welcome to Cubs Convention. "He's definitely in shape – he's in good enough shape to do something like that," Maddon said. "This is the best-conditioned baseball player I've ever been around."

To be clear, this didn't sum up the overall mood at a fanfest that could produce giddy vibes and this-is-the-year optimism coming off a last-place season. It's just fascinating that this is the thanks Maddon gets after doing what no Cubs manager had done since 1908. "Listen, honestly, I love the second-guessing," Maddon said. "I grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania. I hung out at Bellhops bar all the time. And if you don't have these kinds of conversations – that's a big part of why our game is so popular and is as great as it is." Could you imagine Bill Belichick or Gregg Popovich sitting up on stage at an event like this for 60 minutes – and patiently explaining their decision-making yet again – after the New England Patriots won the Super Bowl or the San Antonio Spurs won an NBA title? Maddon welcomed Chapman to Chicago after a 30-game suspension under Major League Baseball's domestic-violence policy and a controversial midseason trade from the New York Yankees. Maddon went along with the closer's one-clean-inning-at-a-time preferences during the regular season before having him throw 97 pitches combined in Games 5, 6 and 7 against the Cleveland Indians. Chapman repaid Maddon by telling New York reporters – on the conference call to officially announce his five-year, $86 million contract with the Yankees last month – that the manager misused him in the playoffs. "We do kind of manage along with Joe in the stands," said Epstein, who felt like he died about three different times during Game 7. "I'll be the first to say I don't always agree with everything, but he's always got a reason for everything. "Before the game, he had a real strong feeling. The way he saw it going was Hendricks for five or so, (Jon) Lester for a couple and then Chapman, which is different because Joe usually really makes sure he watches the game. "He likes to anticipate all different scenarios before the game, but he's really big on watching the game and seeing how the game's going and managing the game that he sees – not the game that he thought he had anticipated. "We forget that Kyle had some hard-hit balls in the second, third inning and he had to get Lester up early. A big part of that decision…was that once he got Lester up he couldn't wait too long to then get him in the game. "From the scouts' section, it looked to me probably like it looked to you at home – Hendricks was rolling and probably could have gone seven or something. But there are other things a manager has to consider – like the fact that he already had Lester up – that you don't necessarily think about at home. "The bottom line is that I'm usually a process-based person – not outcome-based – but when you win the World Series, I love being outcome-based." There's no telling how this rebuilding project would have turned out if the Cubs hadn't lucked into Maddon using an escape clause in his contract and leaving the Tampa Bay Rays after the 2014 season. But the Cubs absolutely needed the force of Maddon's personality to win 200 games and five playoff rounds across the last two years. It's his faith in young talent, embrace of data, the ability to charm, distract and defuse the media and an overall "When It Happens" confidence that he projected to the entire organization. "Listen, the great part about the game is everyone manages along with the manager and second-guesses," Epstein said. "Everyone GMs along with the GM and second-guesses. It's their right. But ultimately to do a great job and win – that kind of speaks for itself – so he's got the ultimate defense. "No one's perfect, right? I've messed a lot of things up. Our players mess up from time to time. A manager's not going to get everything right. Or at least certainly he's not going to make decisions that please everyone all the time. "But in a great organization, people pick each other up to get to a point where you can win."

-- CSNChicago.com Cubs Pushing To Host 2020 All-Star Game At Wrigley Field By Patrick Mooney The Cubs are lobbying Major League Baseball to host the All-Star Game, targeting 2020 as the ideal time to showcase a fully renovated Wrigley Field. If that All-Star question seems to come up at Cubs Convention on an almost annual basis, there are reasons to think it's becoming less of a hypothetical: The pace of construction and progress with the $600 million Wrigleyville development combined with Commissioner Rob Manfred's leadership style and sense of urgency to grow the game. Still buzzing from their champagne-fueled celebrations, the Cubs have been working with City Hall on their sales pitch to a commissioner's office that no longer believes in simply alternating the marquee event between the American and National leagues each year, hoping to make it more like the bidding for a Super Bowl. "I'm optimistic," business operations president Crane Kenney said Saturday at the downtown Sheraton Grand hotel. "No question, Chicago would be an incredible venue. We saw it during the World Series and the playoffs. We saw it with the TV ratings that were generated. "We think an All-Star Game here would be hugely popular and do great things for our city and great television ratings for the league." The Cubs need Mayor Rahm Emanuel – who delivered the NFL draft the last two years after a long run at New York's Radio City Music Hall – to help with an economic message and an increased security plan around an urban neighborhood ballpark that hasn't hosted the Midsummer Classic since 1990. "We should get the All-Star Game," Kenney said. "In 2020, our building's complete, and what (better) way to celebrate the completion of our building than host the All-Star Game? "If you think about the economic impact of the World Series, the All-Star Game is another World Series, right? So the city wants it. We want it. But we got to convince Manfred that we've earned it. It's a little bit of politics. He has a very open mind to Wrigley getting the All-Star Game at some point. "We're working closely with the city. We've got a great partnership with Mayor Emanuel, and he understands the value of this team in this market. He would like to see nothing more than an All-Star Game." One potential roadblock: After striking out on other proposals, the Ricketts family used private mechanisms to bankroll the Wrigleyville project at a time when All-Star Games have been used as bargaining chips in public negotiations in cities like Miami and Washington. Marlins Park (2017) and Nationals Park (2018) will make it four straight All-Star Games for NL stadiums. "We still think we're deserving," Kenney said. "There's a reality to the All-Star Game, though. The All-Star Game gets held based on the commissioner's discretion and typically awarded to cities that have supported the clubs through public financing. "So if you just look at the slate of cities that are going to get it – from the last couple years going forward – they are generally cities that have new ballparks that were financed with some city support. That obviously didn't happen here. "It is a little bit of a hurdle for the league to suggest you should reward the city of Chicago – and us with an All-Star Game – when we didn't get the kind of support the other cities got."

-- CSNChicago.com Ben Zobrist Knows Cubs Need To Make Room For Javy Baez In Everyday Lineup By Tony Andracki As Javy Baez emerged from the Cubs dugout on the third-base side of Wrigley Field, he was also bursting onto the national baseball scene. Baez had just driven a Johnny Cueto pitch into the basket down the left-field line to break a scoreless tie in Game 1 of the National League Division Series and celebrated accordingly with the raucous Wrigley crowd. It was the biggest hit of his young career and the moment he put the baseball world on notice. Baez broke out in a big way during the Cubs' miraculous World Series run, making dazzling plays almost every night and even taking home NLCS co-MVP honors. "[October] really helped me a lot," Baez said. "It's basically where I made my name — in the postseason. I feel good about it, and obviously ready to do it again." Baez started every postseason game at second base, bumping veteran Ben Zobrist to left field. So when the Cubs reconvene in Arizona for spring training ahead of the 2017 season, one of the biggest questions will be: How does manager Joe Maddon get Baez in the lineup on a regular basis? Zobrist understands what's coming. "Since Javy really came into his own last year at the end of the year, my guess is you gotta get him in there more," Zobrist said on the "All-Star Infield" panel of Cubs Convention at the Sheraton Grand Chicago. "At the beginning of the season, he wasn't in there much, which is why I wasn't moving around much. I'll probably be moving around more as we get into it more this year." Zobrist — who turns 36 in May — began his big-league career as a do-it-all utility man for Maddon's Tampa Bay Rays, but when the Cubs signed the battle-tested veteran at the 2015 Winter Meetings, they envisioned him playing a majority of time at second base, hoping that sticking to one position would help keep him fresh. With Baez's eye-popping baseball instincts, the lightning-quick tags and overall athleticism at second base, Zobrist knows what it means for him, even if he hasn't talked to Maddon yet. "Over the years, he knows I have to be ready for anything and I know that," Zobrist said. "So over the years, he's like, 'Yeah, Zo knows.' "I just don't want to play catcher," he joked. "That's not in the cards for me." Baez had a similar answer when asked about his position for 2017. "I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be moving around again, like everybody," Baez said. At this time last year, Baez was fielding questions about his work in center field in winter ball. Now, post-breakout, he knows that he's ready for a bigger role. (Not that confidence was ever an issue for a former first-round pick with the MLB logo tattooed on his neck.) "Yeah, for sure. I'm 100 percent an everyday player," Baez said. "I don't mind [moving around] but obviously I wanna have my own position and just stay there some day."

In a Saturday morning panel at Cubs Convention, Theo Epstein's front office was asked a question about where the lineup stood after Dexter Fowler's surprise signing last spring and how many quality options Maddon had at his disposal. "We were all thinking, 'That's Joe's problem,'" GM Jed Hoyer joked. Of course, Kyle Schwarber went and wrecked his knee in the third game of the season, lessening the everyday lineup complications. There's no guarantee everybody is going to be healthy or produce at optimal levels in 2017. Still, an abundance of high-level position players is a good problem to have. Especially for a team that has eyes on playing into November for the second year in a row. "It enables us to get more off days and give guys breathers at times," Zobrist said of the depth. "I think it will be good for us." -- CSNChicago.com Jake Arrieta Makes $15 Million-Plus Deal With Cubs And Knows Free Agency Is Coming By Patrick Mooney Cubs Convention might be the beginning of the end for Jake Arrieta in Chicago. As generations of fans swarmed into a downtown hotel to relive the 2016 highlights and see the World Series trophy, the business side of the game didn't shut down. Arrieta knows the score after agreeing to a one-year, $15.6375 million contract that avoided an arbitration hearing before Friday's filing deadline and moved the Scott Boras client even closer to testing the open market. "The timeline is kind of coming to an end, as far as leading up to free agency," Arrieta said at the Sheraton Grand Chicago. "I'm going to enjoy every moment of it. If something happens where an extension is possible, then we'll address that when it happens. But as of now, we got one more season as a Cub, and I'm really happy about that." Arrieta has exceeded all expectations since that franchise-altering trade with the Baltimore Orioles, the Cubs giving him the time and the space to rediscover his natural talent and blossom from an inconsistent Triple-A guy into an All-Star pitcher. "I'll always feel a part of this organization for the rest of my life," Arrieta said, "because I came over here in '13 and turned my career around, won a Cy Young, threw a couple no-hitters, won a World Series. So that's going to be hard to top wherever I go, if I leave. "I'll feel a part of this city and the organization for a long time." Before an Opening Night performance that set the tone for the 2016 season – Arrieta allowed two hits across seven innings in a 9-0 win at Angel Stadium of Anaheim – Boras said: "Every Cy Young Award winner I know got a seven-year contract." Arrieta – who will turn 31 in spring training – also noted that he beat the $15.525 million Boras client Max Scherzer got in his final year in the arbitration system before landing a $210 million megadeal with the Washington Nationals. "As a player, you're told where you're going to play your whole career until free agency," Arrieta said. "So that's a nice aspect of it – to be able to decide for once where you want to go. But this is a pretty good place to play. There are some great cities out there, some good teams. But I'm not worried about that now.

"I'm trying to be a good teammate and perform to the best of my ability for these guys for another season. And then we'll go from there." -- CSNChicago.com Why Tyson Ross Chose Rangers Over Cubs By Patrick Mooney As much as the defending champs need immediate insurance for the rotation – and long-term pitching solutions – Tyson Ross won't be this year's Cubs Convention surprise. The Cubs don't need gimmicks or distractions anymore – like a new mascot or Wrigley Field renderings – when they have the World Series trophy at the Sheraton Grand Chicago. The Cubs made it a difficult decision for Ross but ultimately finished second to the Texas Rangers, sources said Friday, offering a similar one-year, $6 million structure plus bonuses. But the Cubs couldn't match the proximity and access to TMI Sports Medicine, a well-regarded facility in Arlington, as Ross recovers from surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome. "We go after lots of players,” team president Theo Epstein said. "But I think he made a decision that he sees in his best interest to come back from his injury and put himself in a position to pitch again. We wish him well." Ross – who hasn’t pitched since making a 2016 Opening Day start for the San Diego Padres – methodically sorted through his options after getting non-tendered in early December. It would have been a gamble, but after playing through October and into early November, the Cubs saw Ross as a potential sixth starter, someone with top-of-the-rotation stuff when healthy. "We were 1-for-2 on Rosses today," Epstein said, referring to hiring David "Grandpa Rossy" as a special assistant to baseball operations. -- CSNChicago.com Jake Arrieta Explains Post-Election Tweet And Why He Will Miss White House Trip With Cubs By Patrick Mooney The Cubs will visit the White House without one of their most recognizable players. But Jake Arrieta insisted he's not making another political statement by declining President Barack Obama's invitation to the World Series champs. Arrieta revealed that he's dealing with family medical issues back home in Texas. His mother-in-law, Debbie, recently underwent brain surgery while his young son, Cooper, is scheduled for a dental procedure on Monday, when the Cubs will be honored in the Oval Office. "I won't be on that trip," Arrieta said Friday as Cubs Convention opened at the Sheraton Grand Chicago. "I would like to. But I've got some other things I got to handle." The day after a surreal, polarizing and stunning campaign ended, Arrieta posted a message on his Twitter account that has since been retweeted 27,000-plus times and liked more than 56,000 times: "Time for Hollywood to pony up and head for the border #illhelpyoupack #beatit." Donald Trump has shown that Twitter outbursts, dog-whistle politics and a long track record of misogyny and xenophobic rhetoric won't necessarily stop you from winning the Electoral College vote. So Arrieta – an All-Star pitcher and Cy Young Award winner – shouldn't be worried about too much backlash from Cubs fans.

Arrieta – who's among the most thoughtful, eloquent and independent players in the clubhouse – said he didn't vote in this presidential election. "People can interpret a tweet however they want," Arrieta said. "But I was simply calling out people that said they were going to leave the country if Trump was elected. It's not a pro-Trump tweet. It's not an anti-Hillary tweet. I don't care who the president is – I want whoever's president to do a good job. "For people to decipher a tweet the way they want, they're allowed to do that. But my tweet was pretty simple and I thought was straightforward. "People can believe I'm politically this way or that way. That's not the case. It's pretty simple, my political stance. I don't consider myself a Democrat or a Republican. I want a president who's going to do a good job. That's where I stand." Arrieta was bothered by the reaction from ESPN analyst Keith Law, who responded over Twitter on Nov. 9: "candidates & politics aside, this reads to me as an anti-Semitic comment (and I'm not Jewish)." "People were saying that I want people deported or I'm an anti-Semite," Arrieta said. "Why would I not like Jewish people, first of all? That doesn't make sense. Like Keith Law – I can't wait until I see him in person. "I have Puerto Rican blood in me – and to think that I would want to deport people is just absurd." Arrieta has nearly 390,000 followers on Twitter, a strong personality that enjoys the interaction on social media and the megaphone that comes with being on the Cubs team that ended the 108-year drought. "It's hard to convey a message in 140 characters," Arrieta said. "I thought I did a pretty good job. Other people didn't. But I feel like my stance is pretty open and honest and it's not to put anybody down. "I was simply calling out people who have a tremendous platform of millions of followers that said they were going to leave the country if Trump was elected. I was basically calling their bluff. If you don't want to live here…then beat it. "I'm pretty pro-United States, as I think everybody in this country should be, if you want to stay here. And if not, then I'm sure there's somewhere else they can go." -- Chicago Tribune Laura Ricketts' pleas to President Obama led to Monday's White House visit By Paul Sullivan It was a bipartisan effort by the Ricketts siblings that led to Monday's White House celebration of the Cubs, who just managed to beat the clock before President Barack Obama's moving day. So while Pennsylvania Avenue is fenced off in preparation for President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony Friday, the World Series champions will be ushered inside Monday afternoon for the final sports celebration of the Obama era, joining the Blackhawks as the only Chicago teams to be feted by Obama during his eight years in the White House. Cubs co-owner Laura Ricketts, a prominent fundraiser for Hillary Clinton in her failed presidential bid, was the key to getting the deal done after Obama called Cubs manager Joe Maddon and invited the team after they beat the Indians in Game 7 of the World Series. "It's no surprise that I support President Obama," Ricketts said. "But he invited us right away and I think everyone wanted to make it work. It was just a matter of getting the guys together after a very long season, and finding a

time when we can get all the guys together, and a time when the president was available. He's very busy trying to wrap up his term and get out of office. "I just sent a couple of emails saying, 'Please make this work. We'd love to do it. We really appreciate the invite. Really, can we make it work?' " It didn't look possible when the players scattered around the world after the Cubs' victory parade. But Cubs traveling secretary Vijay Tekchandani kept them apprised of the possible plans during the offseason, and things finally fell into place in December, when Monday's date was agreed upon as the best chance. "We suggested the 16th would work, or around the convention, since all the players are here," Ricketts said. "There were a lot of moving parts. They wanted to relax, and it was a long, stressful, exhausting haul for them. They deserved time to relax, and to pull them all back together after they had just dispersed, that would be kind of tough. "So it really kind of had to work around (the Cubs Convention) because they were all coming here anyway." The champions flew to Washington on Sunday night, and Maddon, the players and other personnel will either fly back to Chicago afterward on a team charter or fly directly to their homes from D.C. "It's going to be awesome," pitcher Kyle Hendricks said. "The first African-American president, just to be able to visit him and get a picture. … Just to see the White House in general is a really special honor. I've talked to some people that have been able to visit, and they told me it's just unbelievable. Just to be able to see the scene, see what it's all about, it's a really special opportunity for us." President Theo Epstein will be making his second trip to the White House after missing the visit by the 2007 champion Red Sox. Epstein said it was misinterpreted by some in Boston as a protest, though family issues prevented him from going. Jake Arrieta said he will miss Monday's festivities for family reasons as well, but most everyone else will be on hand. "Tom (Ricketts) summed it best with that one quick liner — 'No matter your politics, you get invited to the White House, you go,'" Cubs vice president Jason McLeod said. "I'm giddy to be able to get invited. … All the players are super excited. It will be a lot of fun and meaningful. I think we're going to Walter Reed (Hospital) after. That will be so moving." Epstein said some 2016 players no longer with the Cubs, including Dexter Fowler and Aroldis Chapman, have confirmed they'll be joining the team for one last hurrah. Obama, of course, is a well-known White Sox fan, and made news when he joined Twitter in 2013 and began following the accounts of the Sox, Bears, Hawks and Bulls. The exclusion of the Cubs was glaring. But Obama later began following the Cubs account, and when I sent an email to the White House about his allegiances before the 2015 playoffs, he responded: "With the Sox out, I'll be rooting for the Cubs to win the Series. They're due. They've got great young players, and I'm a Maddon fan. That's an official statement." Obama has also feted the 1985 Bears at the White House, along with the Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks. Regardless of Obama's preference, Ricketts said this is a perfect way for him to go out. "It'll be his last (team celebration)," she said. "He's from Chicago, even though I know he's a Sox fan. But his wife, Michelle, I know is a huge Cubs fan. I just felt like it'll be appropriate." Some Cubs players heard rumors the team could go back again in June when they play the Nationals and be feted by Trump. But one management source said that's unlikely, and one visit per year is enough. "I don't know," Ricketts said of the possibility. "It's up to the president-elect. I don't know if he's a big baseball fan, or a Cubs fan. Maybe they'll be invited back, but who knows if he'll even be in town when we're in town.

"You never know what's going to happen. But this is the official visit." -- Chicago Tribune Resting veterans will open door for Cubs prospects this spring By Mark Gonzales Monday's visit to the White House will put an exclamation point on the Cubs' World Series celebration. The focus then will shift back to baseball and spring training, but don't expect the players who put in an extra month of work to end the Cubs' World Series drought to embark on a vigorous four-week conditioning program to prepare for Mesa, Ariz. "You can't go full bore into it," said Ben Zobrist, who is coming off his second consecutive World Series title. "Everyone is taking their time and not pushing it too hard. In years past, I really would have been trying to push it at this point in mid-January. "Because we played so late, we're easing into that workout period. Right now we have four weeks where we can get after it, and we will. But we needed to get some rest and hit the holidays like everyone does, and then gradually get into that same mindset, that grinder attitude." With spring training starting a week earlier because of the World Baseball Classic, manager Joe Maddon's priority is the health of his returning players. It could mean that starting pitchers like Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks and John Lackey could have their spring debuts delayed until at least the second week of exhibition games. At the same time, Maddon and his staff will get an extended look at players added to the 40-man roster for the first time and/or those who could help the major-league team at some point in 2017. "You'll probably see our 25-man roster getting more rest than in typical years," Jason McLeod, the Cubs' senior vice president of player development, said Sunday after the last question-and-answer session at Cubs Convention. McLeod mentioned outfielder Jacob Hannemann and third baseman Jeimer Candelario as two players "it will be great for." "Candelario will be playing a lot more than he normally would," McLeod said. "Candy can spell Kris (Bryant) a lot, especially with all the hard fields in Arizona. Hopefully we're playing late (in October) again, and Joe will have that consideration when he divvies the playing time." Candelario, who is targeted for his second consecutive season at Triple-A Iowa, impressed Maddon by hitting .350 last spring. Catcher Willson Contreras showed talent last spring that helped earn him a midseason promotion and give the Cubs a lift at catcher. "It's good for us because we get to see young kids, and good for the guys that actually participated in the World Series, that they get to rest a little bit," coach Dave Martinez said. Behind closed doors: McLeod revealed that since-traded outfielder Jorge Soler was pulled from a couple of games in 2016 because of a lack of hustle. "Joe makes the decision," McLeod said. "Joe's style is he's not going to blow someone up, especially in the dugout. But those conversations do take place." Minor-league musings: Despite speculation about his long-range future, Dylan Cease will remain a starter for 2017 probably at Class A South Bend. Cease, who underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after being drafted in the sixth

round of the 2014 draft, has had his fastball clocked as high as 100 mph with a sharp curve. "He's unlike anyone we've had in the system since we've been here in terms of pure stuff," McLeod said of Cease, who struck out 66 in 45 innings at short-season Eugene in 2016. ... Ian Happ, the Cubs' No. 2 prospect, according to Baseball America, will remain at second base but will get occasion work in the outfield, according to Jaron Madison, the Cubs' director of player development. -- Chicago Tribune New-look Wrigley Field not lost on old Cub Lee Smith By Paul Skrbina Lee Smith spent many a summer afternoon in foul territory beyond the third-base line at Wrigley Field during his eight seasons with the Cubs. The franchise's all-time saves leader also made a lot of friends there while killing time in the bullpen, which, beginning this season, will be relocated under the left-field bleachers as part of the Project 1060 renovation at the historic park. There was a man named Jack, whom Smith said had a job with a bubble gum trading card company. The two and others from that section of seats near the bullpen often would play pickup basketball after day games. "I still see him to this day," said Smith, a seven-time All-Star who retired in 1998 with 478 saves, at the time the most in baseball history. "There were a lot of guys I used to talk to during the game. I don't think (the Cubs) would have liked it too much if they knew after every game I'd go out to dadgum Lake Shore and Irving Park to play basketball." The seven-time All-Star, who is in his final year on the Hall of Fame ballot, said it will be strange to see the bullpens moved (the visitors bullpen will be located under the right-field bleachers) and replaced with more seats. "So they're going to give the pitchers a lot less foul territory to work with?" he asked. "OK." But the Cubs' appetite for reconstruction, for the most part, is good by Smith. The plan also includes a new entrance gate on the west side of the park to help ease congestion getting into the park; new seats in the terrace reserve section behind home plate; improved food and beverage options; additional elevators throughout the park. An office building next to the park that will include retail space also is expected to be completed by opening day, , but fans hoping for more parking will be out of luck. A seven-story hotel, which also will feature the return of McDonald's, is scheduled to open in 2018 across the street from the park where 7-Eleven used to be. A VIP club located under the seats behind home plate also is scheduled to open next year, with three more clubs — one each along the first- and third-base lines, as well as one in the upper deck, planned for future phases of the $750 million project, which should be finished in time for the 2020 season. "I think changes they've done have been great," Smith said. "Hopefully they won't do too many changes where it won't look like Wrigley Field anymore." Crane Kenney, Cubs president of business operations, said he understands the bullpen move will be unpopular but said the reason behind it is player safety. The A's, Giants and Rays will be the only teams in baseball with bullpens along the foul lines. "We know it's a century-long tradition," Kenney said. "We're making this move with the best interests of our players."

The Cubs' run to the World Series title pushed reconstruction behind schedule, a problem Kenney said the team welcomes. But he added that this year's objectives should be completed by the home opener April 10. Cubs reliever Carl Edwards Jr. said as of Friday he hadn't been to Wrigley since the deconstruction began right after the World Series. He briefly visited what will be his new home under the bleachers during the series but hasn't given it much thought beyond that. "It's not my call," Edwards said. "It will keep us warm when it's cold." -- Chicago Tribune Cubs go back to 2012 in effort to revive Jason Heyward's swing By Mark Gonzales The Cubs have gone back in time this winter to help Jason Heyward rediscover the power that made him one of the game's most formidable prospects. Cubs fans remember Heyward's first major-league at-bat — a home run off Carlos Zambrano in 2010. But a more convincing sample size occurred in 2012, when Heyward hit a career-high 27 home runs at age 23 that clearly overshadowed a .269 batting average and a career-high 82 RBIs. Thanks to videotapes of that season and assistant hitting coach Eric Hinske's careful observations, the Cubs believe Heyward can rekindle the power and quickly distance himself from his disastrous 2016 season. "It's not exactly making a change," hitting coach John Mallee emphasized Friday at the Cubs Convention at the Sheraton Grand Chicago. "It's just getting him back to what he was. "Those are all natural moves for him and all moves he has done in the past. It's not adding a leg kick or teaching him to pull the ball more. It's getting back to the swing patterns he had when he had success." The alterations include a lowering of Heyward's hands, with the bat vertical and not wrapped around his head. Those modifications, according to a veteran major-league scout, could increase Heyward's batting average 20 to 30 points. "He has cut down about 8 to 10 inches on his swing," the scout noted after watching videotape Darnell McDonald placed on Instagram. McDonald is the coordinator of the Cubs' mental skills program, and he watched Heyward's workouts in late November at the team's minor-league complex in Mesa, Ariz. "This should help him get to the ball quicker and hit the ball with more authority," McDonald said. That's an encouraging prospect for Cubs fans and Heyward, who batted a career-low .230 with only 35 extra-base hits — including a career-low seven home runs — in 530 at-bats. Heyward's batting average on balls in play was only .266 — a considerable dip from his .319 mark in 2012 with the Braves. The Cubs are encouraged that Heyward, who signed an eight-year, $184 million contract before last season, moved to Arizona to take advantage of their facilities and devote much of his offseason to polishing his swing under the supervision of Hinske, a teammate of Heyward in 2012, and Mallee. "It's a huge help," Heyward said of Hinske's knowledge of his swing.

"I'm just trying to get back to doing things simple the right way. Be in a good position to hit all the time. And it's easier said than done when you're trying to do it in the season, working in the cage and not in the game when you're trying to compete and help the team win. "The offseason allows you to slow things down and do that. You just make sure you take time to focus on all the little things." Without the pressure of needing to produce in the postseason, Heyward has taken advantage of the offseason to work on his alterations at a deliberate pace. "During the season, as hard as he tried, sometimes you get lost as a player and you get to a point where you can't even breathe because you're trying to do so well," Mallee said. "I think he fell into part of that." Mallee pointed to three checkpoints in Heyward's approach. "It's not like he takes 100 swings in two hours," Mallee said. "Any good person is trying to change his behavior or the mechanics or the patterns, swing-wise. They're going to take time in between reps, breathe, think about what they're doing, and you film it. Then you look at film. You learn three ways — from hearing, seeing and feeling." Kris Bryant, whose alteration in his swing path helped him cut down his strikeouts by 45 while smacking 39 home runs and cruising to the 2016 National League Most Valuable Player award, admitted he tinkered with what Heyward is attempting. "It's a huge difference," said Bryant, who still wraps the bat around his head. "You look at what he has done the previous six years, how successful he has been, and know he can be even more successful than that. And that's exciting to have." -- Chicago Tribune Cubs hope to host MLB All-Star Game in 2020 By Paul Skrbina The Cubs have 2020 vision when it comes to hosting the All-Star Game. President of business operations Crane Kenney said Saturday he hopes the by-then renovated Wrigley Field can host baseball’s midsummer showcase that year, but cautioned there could be some obstacles. The biggest? Many venues that play host to the game now are relatively new parks that were publicly funded. Kenney said the team has been hatching a plan with the mayor’s office to bring baseball commissioner Rob Manfred. “I’m optimistic,” Kenney said. “We think an All-Star Game here would be hugely popular and do great things for our city and great television ratings for the league.” The All-Star Game was last played in Chicago in 2003 at U.S. Cellular Field. Wrigley last hosted the event in 1990. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs expect to add quality depth in 2017 draft By Mark Gonzales There was a high degree of zest as Cubs amateur scouting director Matt Dorey and his scouts met last week.

That’s because the Cubs currently have the 27th and 30th overall picks in the June amateur draft, a more enticing situation than last spring when they didn’t make their first pick until the 104th overall pick after signing free agents Ben Zobrist and John Lackey. “Having that extra pick at the end of the first round, essentially having two first-round picks, opens up so many avenues for us to scout the entire country for the entire pool of players,” Dorey said Sunday at the conclusion of Cubs Convention. The Cubs gained a compensation pick at the end of the first round for losing free agent center fielder Dexter Fowler to the rival St. Louis Cardinals. The extra also will result in a substantially larger bonus pool that will be announced later this spring. The Cubs’ bonus pool in 2016 was $2,245,100 – slightly more than half of the assigned values for the 27th and 30th picks in 2016. "It’s back to being a scouting competition among 30 teams because we have the resources to be creative, if necessary,” Dorey said. “And we just could line up the board according to how we feel it should be lined up based on our information and not just projecting who is going to fall to 104.” The larger pool of available players will enable Jason McLeod, the Cubs’ senior vice president of player development and scouting, and Dorey to see watch potential first-round picks multiple times. “There will be times when I go in and want to take performance out of it when I’m there, just scout through a scouting lens,” Dorey said. The Cubs could get creative as they did in 2014, when they drafted Kyle Schwarber with the fourth overall pick for about $1.5 million below the assigned value. That savings allowed them to sign high school pitchers Dylan Cease (their top pitching prospect), Justin Steele and Carson Sands and buy them out of their college commitments. But Dorey is aware that signing a high school player drafted in the late first round can be tougher if they have a college commitment and were expected to be drafted higher. “On paper, it’s a deeper high school class,” said Dorey, adding that the pool of college hitters isn’t as deep as in past years. But Dorey warned that the depth of the 2017 draft class can change with injury and poor performance. The Cubs were elated last June to draft and sign Oklahoma State pitcher Thomas Hatch, whom they deemed a second-round pick, near the end of the third round with the 104th pick overall. Hatch missed all of 2015 because of an elbow injury but rebounded with a 9-3 record and 2.14 ERA in 130 1/3 innings in 2016. The latter workload caused the Cubs to delay his professional debut until this spring at an affiliate to be determined. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs introduce preventive measures to block counterfeit tickets By Mark Gonzales and Paul Skrbina In an effort to curtail counterfeit tickets, the Cubs are giving full season and partial season ticket holders the option of using team-issued printed tickets or Major League Baseball's app. Fans no longer will be able to print their tickets at home, said Colin Faulkner, the Cubs' senior vice president of sales and marketing. "That's where we're seeing most of the fraud," Faulkner said in regard to fake tickets in which some bar codes were altered.

Faulkner said it was disheartening for the team and for fans who traveled lengthy distances after paying a large sum for tickets, only to find the tickets invalid. Man of few words: The Cubs acquired Wade Davis to finish games, not sentences. Davis' reputation for the latter preceded him Saturday when his new manager — also his old manager with the Rays — Joe Maddon cautioned that the right-handed reliever the Cubs received from the Royals in exchange for Jorge Soler is a man of few words. "Yes," was Davis' response to the first question he was asked Saturday during the Cubs Convention at the Sheraton Grand Chicago. Davis, whom the Cubs coveted to replace rental Aroldis Chapman, has two All-Star selections, a 1.18 ERA and 47 saves in 185 games over the last three seasons. He said he initially was "shocked" when he heard he had been traded, but added that after watching the Cubs win the franchise's first World Series since 1908 that he was excited to join the group. Television update: Crane Kenney, the Cubs' business president, said he thinks Comcast and Major League Baseball have reached an agreement that would allow Cubs games to be streamed. He says he's cautiously optimistic. "Every time I say it's a done deal, it's not," Kenney said. "They seem to have reached an agreement. We're the ones who are pushing hard because our fans want it." Kenney seemed more confident that the Cubs will start their own network after 2019. "But to start your own network without a partner is very difficult," said Kenney, adding the viewing market is becoming more defined with people narrowing their preferences. "I never thought we'd start one without a distribution or programming partner. It's a matter of who that is. But as far as a channel dedicated to Cubs programming, that's the direction we're headed." A new deal isn't likely by opening day, but dialogue has accelerated. "With our ratings, we've been very active in conversations," Kenney said. Park next to park: The park that will be adjacent to the Cubs' new offices probably will have a naming rights partner, but Kenney assured reporters Wrigley Field's name will remain intact. "We haven't gone there," Kenney said. The new park will be where the Yum-Yum doughnut shop once was located and the site of where the Cubs' scouts met to conduct the amateur draft because of the lack of office space before President Theo Epstein arrived in 2012. "When we get back from spring training, we'll have a coffee shop in our (new) offices," Epstein beamed. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs' popularity off the field parallels success on the field By Mark Gonzales The playful popularity contest started last spring with the playful “Bryzzo for President” slogan and will reach a zenith Monday with a visit to the White House.

It’s been quite a journey for the Cubs, as their ability to connect with fans through social media has heightened their popularity during a year that saw them win the franchise’s first World Series title since 1908. “When we look at this group, it’s an embarrassment of riches as far as great stories and great people,” said Crane Kenney, the Cubs’ president of business operations. “Oftentimes you’re trying to understand who people are. I think some of it has to do with social media on this group. “All the players are very adept at social media. They’re allowing the fans to get to know who they are through their very unique and original tweets.” Kenney pointed to the connection that Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant have made with fans, adding that their youth and success has made them and their team more likable. Rizzo has been very active in the community with his charitable efforts, and he was part of a skit featured on "Saturday Night Live" three nights after the Cubs won the Series. “Not long ago we’d have one or two things we’d have to support,” Kenney recalled. “Now between (Joe) Maddon, Rizzo and (Jon) Lester, they all want to give back. Kenney added that backup outfielder Matt Szczur recently held a charitable event in his hometown of Cape May, N.J. “They’re good people, great players,” Kenney said. “They don’t have a problem sharing themselves with the public. There are very few people who shy away from sharing time with the fans.” Kenney cited the sold-out crowd at Cubs Convention as a tribute to the Cubs’ popular players that accompanied their Series title. “We’re just lucky that the most talented baseball players at the moment also happen to be great people,” Kenney said. “You see it every day. It’s unique. I kind of compare it a little bit to the (Golden State) Warriors right now. People want to like those guys because they’re good people.” -- Chicago Tribune Cubs to select 20 fans for World Series ring ceremony By Mark Gonzales The Cubs have no plans to conduct a replica World Series ring promotion. But 20 fans will be selected to participate in the distribution of the World Series rings to be presented to players during a ceremony prior to their game against the Dodgers at Wrigley Field on April 12. The promotion, dubbed the Championship Ring Bearer Fan Contest, will allow 20 fans to present players and coaches with their rings. Those interested are required to record and submit an online video nominating their favorite candidate. The video must be uploaded to Twitter using the #CubsRingBearer hashtag. All videos cannot be longer than one minute in length, explaining why the nominee deserves to participate. According to the team's new release, judges will be looking for fans who display "authentic passion and enthusiasm for Cubs baseball." The online contest starts Saturday and will run through Feb. 14. --

Chicago Tribune Cubs' tense World Series win eased by 2017 prospects By Mark Gonzales Saturday’s sessions at Cubs Convention provided tense snippets of the past and an array of promising looks at the future. At separate fan briefings, team executives shared their roller coaster of emotions during the pivotal Game 7 of the World Series. Chairman Tom Ricketts admitted he experienced a nightmare four nights after the World Series that the Cubs lost Game 7. President Theo Epstein added, “I think I died about three times during Game 7.” Assistant GM Randy Bush said Game 7 was “more stressful” than Game 7 of the 1991 World Series, in which Bush had a pinch-hit single in the Twins’ 1-0 victory over the Braves in 10 innings. Co-owner Laura Ricketts quipped, “My stomach is still settling.” As for the future, manager Joe Maddon wasn’t bashful about connecting the team’s prospects to the stellar defense it displayed in 2016. In fact, Maddon came up with another phrase that’s likely to accompany his “authenticity” theme he revealed Wednesday. “If we catch the ball and pitch the ball like we did last spring and this year, we shall ‘D-Peat,’ ” Maddon quipped. Coach Dave Martinez, who played with eight-time Gold Glove outfielder Barry Bonds with the Giants in 1993-94, called Cubs right fielder Jason Heyward “the best outfielder I’ve ever seen.” For now, the organization’s dearth of young starting pitching hasn’t swayed them from converting valuable reliever Carl Edwards Jr. to a starting role. “I think C.J. is perfect where we have him,” pitching coach Chris Bosio said. “This kid had a phenomenal year. There’s a progression there for our young pitchers we liked to do. If you look at our roster, our bullpen guys are former starters we’ve acquired they have flexibility and can throw multiple pitches. “C.J. is pretty good where he’s at in that (final) seven, eight, nine outs of game.” Epstein reiterated the gymnastics associated with trying to reach an extension with pitcher Jake Arrieta, who is destined for free agency after 2017 after agreeing to a one-year, $15.6375 million contract. “We love Jake,” Epstein said. “We’d love for him to be around a long time. It’s not the first time a talented core player has gone into the last year of his deal. It won’t be the last time. It doesn’t always mean the player is leaving. “I’m sure at the appropriate time we’ll have confidential conversations and see if now is the time to get something done or put off till later. He knows how we feel about him. Years and dollars are always complicated, but we’ll take a stab at it.” -- Chicago Tribune Cubs rise to Joe Maddon's defense over controversial World Series decisions By Paul Sullivan

Both Maddon and president Theo Epstein were asked about the Game 7 moves during their respective Q. and A. sessions with fans on Saturday. Maddon said there was "no Game 8," adding "it's not every day you have Jon Lester warming up in the bullpen," and he liked Lester facing Jason Kipnis. "I don't know if you saw the whole game, but he did really well," Maddon said in a mild rebuke to the fan. Epstein said Maddon's pre-game plan was to use Hendricks five, then Lester for two and Chapman for the final two. But Lester warmed up in the third, and when he got up again in the fifth he had to use him. "I'm usually a process-based person, not outcome based," Epstein said. "But when you win the World Series I love being outcome-based." Hendricks said Friday that taking him out was an easy decision. Some believe the plate umpire robbed Hendricks on a 2-2 changeup to Carlos Santana. A called strike would have gotten him out of the inning. He didn't get the call, and then he walked Santana, leading Maddon to call on Lester. While the Cubs all have been able to enjoy satisfying their long quest for a championship for the last 2 1/2 months, manager Joe Maddon still is being questioned about the controversial moves he made in Games 6 and 7 of the World Series. Maddon has explained himself over and over again and said he finds the second-guessing "humorous." But you have to wonder if deep down inside it bothers him. After all, everyone else gets credit for winning the Series, while Maddon still has to hear about nearly blowing it. "I think it's unfair to Joe," Anthony Rizzo said Friday before the start of the Cubs Convention. "What he has created in our entire organization, he's the best Chicago manager ever, and he has averaged 100 wins the last two years. He brought a culture to this part of the city that everyone has bought into. The fans have pretty much completely shifted (from thinking the worst) now, especially after we won the World Series. "For people to try to second-guess something he did, even though we won, you kind of just laugh at it. We ride and die on his every move, and he's the ultimate captain of our ship. Without him and the tone he sets, none of us would be doing what we do." Maddon's moves, particularly after Aroldis Chapman blew a three-run lead in Game 7, were easy to pick apart. And many people did. Perhaps the harshest criticism came from Giants analyst Mike Krukow, who called Maddon "arrogant" the next day on San Francisco's KNBR-AM 680. "The Cubs won this thing despite overmanaging from Joe Maddon," Krukow said. "It was awful. It was awful. It was the arrogance that he was trying to put his signature on what was going to happen." Krukow pointed to the Game 7 decision to take out Kyle Hendricks for Jon Lester, then inserting a "tired" Chapman for Lester and having Javier Baez attempt to bunt on a 3-2 pitch. "You're going to be smarter than the game?" Krukow asked facetiously. "I was so outraged at what I was watching. … Look, he has done a great job, granted. I mean, come on. He has done a great job. He was the guy who kept them going down three games to one. … But at some point in time, you cannot be arrogant enough to think you have to put your signature on the game. "And to me, that's what he was doing. It didn't make sense. He was not reading the room. He was not managing this game as it should have been managed. I just wanted to slap the guy. As it turned out, they won despite him, despite his overmanaging. And it'll be forgotten by a lot of people, but it won't be forgotten by me and a lot of people." Both Maddon and President Theo Epstein were asked about the Game 7 moves during their respective Q&A sessions with fans on Saturday.

Maddon said there was "no Game 8," adding "it's not every day you have Jon Lester warming up in the bullpen," and he liked Lester facing Jason Kipnis. "I don't know if you saw the whole game, but he did really well," Maddon said in a mild rebuke to a fan. Epstein said Maddon's pre-game plan was to use Hendricks five, then Lester for two and Chapman for the final two. But Lester warmed up in the third, and when he got up again in the fifth he had to use him. "I'm usually a process-based person, not outcome based," Epstein said. "But when you win the World Series I love being outcome-based." Hendricks said Friday that taking him out was an easy decision. Some believe the plate umpire robbed Hendricks on a 2-2 changeup to Carlos Santana. A called strike would have gotten him out of the inning. He didn't get the call, and then he walked Santana, leading Maddon to call on Lester. Hendricks said the changeup was a bad pitch and that Santana "might have hit it a long way" if he would have swung. "You have a Game 7, and you have Jon Lester ready and Chapman coming out of the bullpen," he said. "If you can get four innings out of me, that's the game these days. That's just how it works. I'm a competitor, but in the scope of the game, that's the right move because you have those guys behind me. … If I would've been left in and given it up, people would've criticized him for that. Winning the game was all that mattered." Cubs fans are forgiving, and though many questioned the moves themselves, they weren't going to turn on him like Red Sox fans did to manager Grady Little in the 2003 American League Championship Series. Little was vilified after leaving in starter Pedro Martinez late in Game 7. When Martinez gave it up, the Red Sox lost and then-general manager Theo Epstein fired Little after the season. Maddon won, so he was able to celebrate his championship despite the critics. But then Chapman signed with the Yankees and told the media in New York that Maddon was "wrong" in how he handled him. "He abused me a bit on how much he made me pitch, and sometimes he made me pitch when I didn't need to pitch," he said. Chapman later added, "Thank God I was able to do the job," though he gave up an RBI double to Brandon Guyer and a game-tying two-run homer to Rajai Davis. I asked pitching coach Chris Bosio if he was disappointed to hear Chapman throw Maddon under the bus. "No, because there are always going to be little things that come out," Bosio said. "You just take it with a grain of salt. 'Chappie' is a warrior. He did everything for us, worked his tail off and is a big part of what we accomplished. Everyone had to man up, up and down the roster. The bottom line is we got it done. You can't fault anybody or pick anybody apart when you win it all, especially with what we had to overcome." Maddon will survive, but whether the criticism will leave scars remains to be seen. Epstein agreed Maddon has taken an undue amount of heat considering how the World Series turned out. "A little bit," Epstein said. "Listen, the great part about the game is everyone manages along with the manager, (and) second-guesses. Everyone 'GMs' along with the GM and second-guesses. Ultimately, you do a great job and win. That speaks for itself. He has the ultimate defense. "No one is perfect. I've messed a lot of things up. Our players mess up from time to time. A manager is not going to get everything right, or certainly is not going to make decisions that please everyone all the time.

"But in a great organization, people pick each other up to get to the point where you can win. That's what we did. The players have picked me up a lot over the years when we haven't gotten things right, and the whole postseason everyone was picking each other up. What matters is where we got in the end." -- Chicago Tribune Theo Epstein pays tribute to late Cubs scout Stan Zielinski By Mark Gonzales Hours before the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation held its 14th annual "In the Spirit of the Game" awards dinner Satuday night in Beverly Hills, Calif., Cubs president Theo Epstein paid tribute to late area scout Stan Zielinski. "Stan had a tremendous eye for talent," Epstein said of Zielinski, 64, who died Jan. 5 at his home in Winfield. "That allowed him to develop relationships with players and their families, as well as high schools and colleges. "He probably was the most beloved area scout I've been around." Zielinski had been a scout for 39 years who had been with the Cubs since 2001 and received credit for signing players such as Cliff Floyd, Jeff Samardzija, Rich Hill, Kyle Schwarber and Kirk Reuter. Epstein described local tryout camps where several people of all ages would stand in line just to talk to Zielinski. "Everyone would wait in line to talk to Stan," Epstein said. "He was the pope." Epstein said Zielinski declined several opportunities to leave but preferred to stay and also served as a mentor to numerous scouts. "He loved the Cubs, and we’ll miss him dearly," Epstein said. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs to hoist title flag, present championship rings during first two home games By Mark Gonzales Chairman Tom Ricketts has one small request for the Chicago Cubs' first two home games against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 10 and 12. "I just hope it's not 36 degrees," Ricketts said. The Cubs will hoist their 2016 World Championship flag during opening night ceremonies on April 10. The following game will involve the issuing of World Series rings, with the Cubs wearing special uniforms to commemorate the event. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs fans gush appreciation for World Series title at annual convention By Mark Gonzales The honeymoon remains passionate, especially for the fans who charged through the main ballroom doors of the Sheraton Grand Chicago to honor their heroes Friday night more than two hours before the official start of Cubs Convention.

It was a brief release of congestion for several thousand supporters desperately wanting to express their emotional support for the first Cubs team to win a World Series since 1908. And for Jake Arrieta, the appreciation couldn't be reciprocated any sooner. "I haven't paid for many meals in quite a while," said Arrieta, who helped lead the Cubs with two World Series victories. "People are very generous here. They love sports and they live and breathe for the Cubs. It starts a birth for most people in this city, and rightfully so. "It's a tremendous thing to be a part of. We have fans all across the world, not only in Chicago. The fans want another championship. As a lot of people will say, 'This is the most important one,' which it might be. But once spring training hits, it's time to win another one." During the opening ceremony, cheers could be heard through the multiple levels of the hotel as each player was being introduced, with a crescendo of appreciation rendered after recently retired David Ross — the last player introduced — brought the championship trophy on stage. Meanwhile, Arrieta elaborated with no signs of stress as he and the Cubs earlier avoided arbitration when they agreed on a one-year, $15.6375 million contract with free agent looming next offseason. Among the topics Arrieta covered was his explanation for not planning to attend the team's visit Monday with President Barack Obama at the White House, slightly more than two months after firing off a tweet that criticized celebrities for attacking President-elect Donald Trump shortly after Trump won the election. "There's a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes people don't know about," said Arrieta, who revealed that two family members are dealing with medical issues. "People have opinions of me, but it's nothing about who is our president and who is not. It's just we have things to take care of. … We have a lot going on. So I won't be going to that (visit). " Arrieta's tweet, "Time for Hollywood to pony up and head for the border #illhelpyoupack #beatit," was directed toward those who said they would leave the country if Trump won the election. Arrieta could find himself leaving the Cubs after 2017, although he seemed pleased and philosophical about his future. "For me, there are no hard feelings toward anybody," Arrieta said. "It's a business. The team has to do what's in their best interest. That's completely understandable from my perspective. I get it. I respect (President) Theo Epstein and (general manager) Jed Hoyer and the rest of the front office immensely and this organization. "You'd be a fool not to, based on what they've done and where this organization is. To be a part of what we've been able to accomplish over the last couple of years is remarkable. It would be great to stay here, but we'll take it one day at a time and go from there." From a baseball standpoint, Arrieta seemed focused on preparing for 2017. "I wanted to get (the contract) out of the way," said Arrieta, the 2015 National League Cy Young Award winner. "It's a good deal. I didn't want anything to linger. Get it out of the way, and move on, enjoy this for a couple of days and get onto Arizona and start playing again." -- Chicago Tribune David Ross set for new role as special assistant with Cubs By Paul Skrbina and Mark Gonzales

Fitting that David Ross' first job after retirement is, basically, an internship. "You could put it like that," the former backup catcher said Friday at the Cubs Convention after the team announced he would serve as a special assistant to baseball operations. That's a fancy title for, well, Ross isn't entirely sure. He retired as a player Nov. 2, the moment Anthony Rizzo squeezed Kris Bryant's throw in the 10th inning of Game 7 in Cleveland, 15 years in the big leagues capped with his second World Series title. "It's a lot of me listening, taking in different parts of the organization, things I don't know anything about," Ross said. "Get some background on what it takes to run an organization." Ross, who turns 40 in March, plans to study scouting and player development and "listen to the wealth of knowledge they have in the front office." He also will help evaluate amateur players before the draft in June. Cubs third baseman and National League MVP Kris Bryant said he's happy Ross will remain attached to the team. But he jokingly warned that he better know his place. "I think we can still call him 'Grandpa,'" Bryant said. "We were giving him a hard time at (Rizzo's charity event Thursday). There was a section that said, 'players.' We told him, 'You can't be in here. Players only.' We love to have fun with him." Ross batted .229 with 106 home runs and 314 RBIs while playing in 883 regular-season games for seven teams. He also helped the Red Sox win the World Series in 2013. Baez item: Javier Baez isn't worried about playing time with the return of Kyle Schwarber in left field resulting in Ben Zobrist's potential return to second base. "I already have a ring," Baez said. "There's nothing to be worried about. We have to see how everything goes." Despite starting every postseason game at second base, Baez is prepared to return to his super-utility role. Baez, who batted .273 with 14 home runs in his first full major-league season, is certain of his status. "I'm 100 percent an everyday player," Baez said. Baez is the only Cub committed to play in the World Baseball Classic, for his native Puerto Rico. He said it wasn't a tough decision to leave his teammates temporarily during spring training. "I've been resting a lot and feel good," Baez said. Special visit: Monday's visit to the White House will be a repeat for President Theo Epstein, who won two Series with the Red Sox. "I'm happiest for our players," Epstein said. "It's a really special part of winning the World Series. It feels like you finally made it. You feel like you're in the most precious building in the country and get to strut around as world champs and meet the president. It doesn't get any better than that. "It's very fitting we're seeing a Chicagoan (President Barack Obama) in his last week in office. That makes it more special." Memory lane: Recently married Kris Bryant said he and his wife, Jessica, will go on their honeymoon next offseason, "hopefully after a World Series win." Bryant said he barely has had time to relive his 2016 National League MVP season.

"I've honestly been thinking about the last game and how unbelievable that was," Bryant said. "One of the greatest baseball games ever to be played. And I feel honored to be a part of that." Down to one: Jake Arrieta ($15.6375 million), Hector Rondon ($5.8 million) and Justin Grimm ($1.825 million) agreed to terms, leaving reliever Pedro Strop as the only arbitration-eligible unsigned player. Strop is seeking $6 million; the Cubs submitted a $4.6 million offer. Arrieta's agreement was revealed shortly after free-agent right-hander Tyson Ross, a Cubs target, reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with the Rangers. "(Ross) made a decision he sees in his best interest to come back from his (thoracic outlet syndrome) injury and put himself in a position to pitch again there," Epstein said. "We wish him well." -- Chicago Tribune Jake Arrieta, Cubs settle on 1-year, $15.6375 million contract By Mark Gonzales The Chicago Cubs and pitcher Jake Arrieta avoided an arbitration hearing by agreeing to terms Friday on a one-year, $15.6375 million contract. "I wanted to get it out of the way," said Arrieta, who won the 2015 National League Cy Young Award and won 18 games in 2016. "It’s a good deal. I didn’t want anything to linger. Get it out of the way, move on, enjoy this for a couple days and get onto Arizona and start playing again." Arrieta, 30, can become a free agent after this season, and President Theo Epstein acknowledged it was "nice" to reach an agreement and didn't rule out talks on an extension. "If a conversation takes place, great," Epstein said. "We won’t make it a public thing." -- Chicago Tribune Cubs' Addison Russell still absorbing and enjoying World Series title By Paul Skrbina A tongue-lashing from a 2-year-old Shih Tzu-poodle mix prompted tears of reflection for Addison Russell. The Cubs shortstop was lying on a bed in early December in the Florida home he purchased for his mother Milany when his dog Oakley's tongue — and the moment — hit him: The Cubs are World Series champions. "That's when tears starting pouring out," Russell said Friday before the Cubs Convention began at the Sheraton Grand Chicago. "Then my mom was like, 'I can't believe you did this, baby.' "It really hit me hard there. There was a loss of words. The emotions were way too powerful to emphasize." Before the Cubs try to repeat, Russell and most of the organization is in town this weekend before heading to the White House on Monday to visit President Barack Obama — a noted White Sox fan. Russell's long-term goals remain the same: Win the World Series again. He will try to realize a short-term goal Monday in Washington, four days before Obama leaves office. "Maybe all of us coming there will make a pretty good impression," Russell said when informed of Obama's baseball allegiance. "Maybe we can convert him. That would be nice.

"There are probably three people I would be stars-truck by; he's one of them." Russell spent most of the offseason in his hometown of Pensacola, Fla., where he kind of encountered another person on his "star-struck" list — former Titans running back Eddie George. Russell, a running back during the football days of his youth, was turned on to George at a young age by his father, who would sit his son in front of the TV on Sundays and have him watch. Russell said it took him four days to respond to a congratulatory text from George that read, "Congrats, champ," after the Cubs won the franchise's first World Series since 1908. Russell referred to him as the first athlete he wanted to emulate. "I was thinking of what to say," Russell said. "He said, 'If you have time, let's chill.'" There wasn't much time for that during an offseason that soon will disappear into spring training, so a face-to-face meeting with George remains on the to-do list. "Just to encounter people like that, it makes me smile," Russell said, adding that he has a football helmet George autographed from before the 2016 season. Russell, a self-described "hometown guy," said he absorbed with pleasure the extra attention and "Go, Cubs, go" chants he heard during visits to the mall and nail salon with his wife Melisa. Lately, though, the All-Star's focus has shifted back to the field. He said he has been hitting for about two weeks and is looking forward to an extended stay in Mesa, Ariz., for spring training in a few weeks. With next year finally here for the Cubs, Russell said the time is near to focus on this year. "It's just about trying to get better," he said. "Last year was a great year. We had a lot of ups and downs. This year I feel like we could perfect those a little bit." -- Chicago Sun-Times Time for Javy Baez to be the Cubs’ full-time second baseman By Rick Morrissey The answer to every question, every debate, every mere suggestion is that the Cubs won the World Series. Why did Joe Maddon overuse closer Aroldis Chapman against the Indians? The Cubs won the World Series. Did Miguel Montero deserve to play more in the postseason, as he suggested afterward? The Cubs won the World Series. What’s the square root of pi? The Cubs won the World Series. The team just finished hosting the lovefest known as the Cubs Convention, which, if you went, left you with a sugar buzz that will last weeks. Far be it from me to bring you down a few thousand feet, but I’m not the one who recently laid out a possible lineup for the 2017 season. Maddon did. In January. So one more question:

Doesn’t Javy Baez deserve to be the Cubs’ everyday second baseman? Before you say anything, I know the answer: The Cubs won the World Series. But Baez was phenomenal in the postseason, and the nation got to see what most of us saw in the regular season — that he’s one of the best infielders in baseball. There are players who would sell their souls to have his footwork and his hands. He’s a perennial Gold Glove waiting to happen, provided he has, you know, a position. Imagine an infield of Kris Bryant at third, Addison Russell at shortstop, Baez at second and Anthony Rizzo at first base. So good it’s silly. But Maddon sees things differently, at least for now. To be fair, Picasso saw things differently too. Maybe this is Maddon’s Cubbie Blue Period. The lineup he recently mentioned to reporters had Ben Zobrist batting fourth and presumably playing second base. Baez wasn’t among the starters, though Maddon made it clear in word and action last season that you don’t have to have a permanent spot to get a lot of at-bats. And he has certainly left open the possibility that Baez will take over at second base. But why is this even a question? Baez deserves to be an everyday player at second. More than that, the Cubs should put the best lineup on the field, and any lineup without Baez’ glove involved is not the best. Maddon can say it doesn’t matter, can, indeed, rationalize it by saying his mixing and matching gives the Cubs more lineup flexibility and more rest. He can say it doesn’t matter because the Cubs won the World Series. But it does matter. It matters to athletes. It has mattered to athletes forever. Players want to play. Players want to start. Baez didn’t sound too concerned at the convention. “I already have a ring,’’ he said. “There’s nothing to be worried about. We have to see how everything goes.’’ There are a couple of things going on here. Zobrist is a veteran, a highly paid player who deserves respect and at-bats. But not at Baez’ expense. Zobrist, 35, hit .272 with 18 home runs and 76 runs batted in in 523 at-bats last season. Baez, 24, hit .273 with 14 homers and 59 RBI in 421 at-bats. He doesn’t walk nearly as much as Zobrist does, and he strikes out more. But the ability to play second base isn’t even close. For some reason, Baez doesn’t get the same treatment as several of the other young Cubs. Bryant was moved around last season because of injuries to other players, but he’s the Cubs’ third baseman, no questions asked. Don’t even bother suggesting that Russell play any other position than shortstop. Nobody notices his batting average (.238) or his strikeouts (135), but everybody can tell you about his 21 home runs and 95 RBI. But Baez? He’s the guy who was asked, oddly, to bunt with two strikes and the game tied in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the World Series. Yes, he had been struggling at the plate, but what other player would have been asked to do that? Baez struck out on a foul ball. I thought his ascension into the regular lineup was a no-brainer after he starred in the National League Division Series and the NLCS. Apparently, I thought wrong. The understanding in everything Maddon does is that he knows better, that his ability to strategize is more important than, say, Baez’ ability to play a wonderful second base. He needs to have players at his disposal.

But the love was flowing at the Cubs Convention, and any discussion with even a hint of disagreement to it was for another time. By the way, the Cubs won the World Series. -- Chicago Sun-Times Cubs to be honored by Obama at the White House today By Lynn Sweet WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama, with just days left in office, will honor the Chicago Cubs, the 2016 World Series champions, at the White House on Monday afternoon. It’s routine for a championship team to be honored by a president. What’s unusual is that Obama sped up the timetable so he could salute the champs from his adopted hometown on his watch. The event, in the White House East Room at 12:05 p.m. Central time, will be crawling with Chicagoans, starting with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s former chief of staff. Other elected officials from Chicago, White House staffers with Chicago ties and other well-connected Chicago folks are expected. State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, is flying in Monday morning. “My love for the Cubs is not new, and it’s not a secret. I am just flat out lucky to have Wrigley Field in my district,” she told the Sun-Times. “I am still floating on air about the Cubs winning the World Series. My admiration for the president is no secret either; seeing President Obama and the Cubs together — it’s a dream come true. I am just over the moon. Pinch me.” The Ricketts family, which owns the Cubs, is very political. Parents Joe and Marlene Ricketts are megadonors to Republican candidates and causes. Their four kids are on the Cubs board: Laura Ricketts is a major Democratic donor and fundraiser, active in Obama’s and Hillary Clinton’s campaigns. Todd Ricketts runs major GOP-allied political funds and is President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be the deputy commerce secretary. Tom, the board chair, is a conservative, and Pete is the GOP governor of Nebraska. Laura, Todd and Tom are expected at the White House today. Gordon Wittenmyer, the Sun-Times Cubs writer, noted in his story, “With few exceptions (pitcher Jake Arrieta, who had to return home to deal with a family health issue), the Cubs seem unified in their consensus ‘excitement’ over Monday’s visit — and subsequent trip Monday to the nearby Walter Reed military hospital. “The attendees are expected to include retired catcher David Ross and Cub-turned-Cardinal free agent Dexter Fowler. “It’s going to be amazing,” first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. “It’s something as a kid [you dream of]. Every championship team gets to go to the White House and meet the president, and we get to go meet a president who’s from Chicago who’s the 44th president. Hopefully, I can somehow give him a jersey with [Rizzo’s No.] 44 on it.” “Once you’re invited, you go,” said Tom Ricketts. “There’s no big conspiracy here,” said team president Theo Epstein, a Hillary Clinton supporter who attended Obama’s farewell speech in Chicago. --

Chicago Sun-Times The rest of the story behind Theo’s Plan and making Cubs history By Gordon Wittenmyer When Theo Epstein took over the Cubs’ baseball operations a little more than five years ago, he cautioned everyone within earshot that his rebuilding plan would not follow a linear progression. He couldn’t have known how right he was. Or how little that would have to do with the quality of his baseball decisions and baseball luck. The story of The Plan that Epstein’s front office executed to secure the holy grail of American sports — and secure Epstein’s reservation for a place in the Hall of Fame — has already been told and retold as a tale of baseball genius, scouting acumen and faithful adherence to The Plan that Epstein laid out the day he walked through the door at Clark and Addison. But winning, as quickly as they did, that elusive championship celebrated by overflow crowds all weekend during Cubs Convention, had as much to do with altered plans and creative use of resources that were far more limited than -expected when Epstein accepted the job in the fall of 2011. Epstein wouldn’t comment on internal accounting and financial details. But over the last five years sources have told a consistent story of Epstein’s surprise soon after taking the job to learn that the effects of franchise debt and resulting bank covenants would severely restrict what he anticipated were big-market resources that he could use from the start to rebuild the big-league team and restructure the organization. Whether he was misled during the hiring process, the financial solutions he orchestrated were as important to building the World Series champs from a business standpoint as the lopsided trade for Jake Arrieta and the Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber drafts were from a baseball standpoint. Between those solutions and owner-friendly terms in the new collective-bargaining agreement, the Cubs are in a particularly strong position to sustain the success of the last two years as they head to spring training in a few weeks to work on a repeat — regardless of the scope of the eventual 2020 regional TV deal long considered the eventual “game changer” for the process. “The only thing that took awhile to understand was the amount of headwinds we faced due to revenue sharing, taxes, and how certain elements of our capital structure was put together,” Epstein said as the Cubs prepared for their visit to the White House on Monday. “That meant we had to be really thoughtful how we allocated dollars the first few years.” That meant no chance to compete for big-ticket pre-prime free agents the club targeted, such as Yu Darvish and Yoenis Cespedes. Organizational sources said it also meant counting dimes and nickels from the overall baseball budget the first two-plus years of the process to choose how much to allot to scouting, technology, international free agents and big-league players. For example, when they traded Carlos Marmol to the Dodgers in 2013, they deferred some of the money promised to the Dodgers so they could retain enough in that summer’s budget to finalize the multimillion-dollar international signings of Gleyber Torres and Eloy Jimenez — ranked by Baseball America as the top prospects in the Yankees’ and Cubs’ systems, respectively. Barely three months earlier Forbes listed the Cubs as baseball’s top revenue-earning team. “Our ability to leverage our market size into financial advantages is more difficult than I expected,” Epstein told CSNChicago.com then. That reality led the Cubs to hire Rick Renteria when they replaced Dale Sveum as manager after the 2013, on the strength of Renteria’s player-development background.

But the challenges in the beginning might have led to strengths in the end, Epstein said. “Just the fact we had some financial obstacles in the first couple years ended up serving us really well,” he said. “It created a forced discipline and real single-mindedness in bringing in young players, that would have existed anyway. But it allowed us to be exclusive in our focus.” The front office didn’t bother discussing top big-league free agents during those years — focusing more on free-agent sign-and-flip guys (think Scott Feldman, who turned into Arrieta), trades for minor leaguers (Addison Russell, Kyle Hendricks, Carl Edwards Jr.) and on amateurs (Bryant, Schwarber, Jimenez). Of course, none of that would have led as quickly to a championship if not for Epstein’s work with chief financial officer Jon Greifenkamp and then-business development VP Alex Sugarman to get financially creative with the budget. They devised a baseball-operations piggy bank after the 2013 season to allow unused money from the budget to rollover without violating the debt-related covenants — a first for the Cubs and a mechanism traditionally considered irrelevant for big-revenue clubs. That turned into the ability to frontload a long-term offer and sign Jon Lester the following winter when — in a stroke of good fortune — the Yankees swamped their $120-million bid to sign free agent Masahiro Tanaka. After committing $20 million of that year’s budget to the bid, they banked that money and used it for most of Lester’s first year. That coincided with manager Joe Maddon’s sudden availability and hiring. Between the moves that winter and surprisingly quick development of rookies such as Bryant and Russell that led to winning. And, consequently, a spike in revenue. It didn’t immediately mean a payroll increase to accommodate the likes of Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist. But after discussions with Greifenkamp’s department in November, Epstein was able to secure an increase with the promise of big on-field projections for 2016 and of combining two offseasons of spending into one. It all added up to the 5 million fans who lined downtown streets on Nov. 4 for a Cubs parade 108 years in the making. As the Cubs embark on their title defense, they do it relatively flush with payroll flexibility, thanks in large part to all the revenue increases, the built-in decreasing impact of the debt restrictions and modest luxury-tax thresholds in the new CBA. Epstein might not have been shocked to think of a five-year timeline for a title when he took the job. But it’s doubtful he could have predicted the path he would take. “The timetable worked out better than we could have imagined,” he said. “As an organization we were good, and lucky, and everyone worked together when we had an opportunity to get aggressive and take the final step.” -- Chicago Sun-Times Cubs excited to visit White House on Monday By Gordon Wittenmyer When a championship team’s top officials have drastically split political allegiances, what’s an -organization to do when the president calls after the most fractious election in generations? “Once you’re invited, you go,” said politically conservative chairman Tom Ricketts, whose brother and co-owner Todd -Ricketts has been selected to join president-elect Trump’s -commerce department.

“There’s no big conspiracy here,” said team president Theo Epstein, a Hillary Clinton supporter who -attended President Obama’s farewell speech in Chicago. Despite how long it seemed to take the Cubs to accept the months-old invitation to visit the White House on Monday, Epstein said he would have had no problem attending the celebration at a Trump White House later in the year. “Uhhh, if the whole team was going I probably would have gone,” he said, smiling. “I’m not going to tell you what I would have been wearing, but I would have gone.” With few exceptions (pitcher Jake Arrieta, who had to return home to deal with a family health issue), the Cubs seem unified in their consensus “excitement” over Monday’s visit — and subsequent trip Monday to the nearby Walter Reed military hospital. The attendees are expected to include retired catcher David Ross and Cub-turned-Cardinal free agent Dexter Fowler. “It’s going to be amazing,” first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. “It’s something as a kid [you dream of]. Every championship team gets to go to the White House and meet the president, and we get to go meet a president who’s from Chicago who’s the 44th president. Hopefully, I can somehow give him a jersey with [Rizzo’s No.] 44 on it.” -- Chicago Sun-Times Cubs push for 2020 All-Star Game to showcase renovated Wrigley By Gordon Wittenmyer President of business operations Crane Kenney said Saturday he’s optimistic the Cubs can land the All-Star Game in 2020, the year construction at Wrigley Field is expected to be finished. But that doesn’t mean it’s close to a done deal. ‘‘The city wants it; we want it,’’ Kenney said, addressing a topic raised annually during Cubs Convention weekend. ‘‘But we’ve got to convince [Major League Baseball commissioner Rob] Manfred that we’ve earned it. It’s a little bit of politics. He has a very open mind to Wrigley getting the All-Star Game at some point, and we’re working very closely with the city.’’ It’s that work with Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office that seems to be the biggest source of Kenney’s optimism. The Cubs have tried for close to a year to persuade the city to allow security-related game-day street closures of Clark and Addison next to the ballpark. Security around the ballpark is a central issue with MLB when it comes to awarding an All-Star Game to Wrigley, Kenney said. ‘‘And then we still have to solve a few other things that are more procedural around the ballpark,’’ he said. Asked whether terrorist truck attacks in Europe in recent months have made the city more receptive to street closures, Kenney said: ‘‘Put it this way: The conversations have gotten real. The theoretical risk of maybe three or four years ago has become very practical. ‘‘You look at what happened [last month] in Berlin, and you look at what happened right after that attack, which was that the Christmas market in Chicago all of a sudden [had] barriers.’’ The Jake question

President of baseball operations Theo Epstein told fans he expects the Cubs to ‘‘take a stab’’ at signing 2015 National League Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta to a contract extension before he reaches free agency at the end of the season. ‘‘We love Jake,’’ Epstein said. ‘‘We’d love him to be around for a long time. But it’s not the first time that a talented core player’s gone into the last year of his deal. It won’t be the last time. It doesn’t always mean the player’s leaving. ‘‘He knows how we feel about him. Years and dollars are always complicated, but I’m sure we’ll take a stab at it.’’ Ring tones The Cubs are holding a contest to find 20 fans to hand championship rings to the players during their ring ceremony April 12 at Wrigley. Winners also will get two tickets to the game. Contestants must be nominated for selection through 60-second videos. Judging criteria and other details can be found at cubs.com. This and that The Cubs won’t have replica rings made for season-ticket holders, but a replica-trophy giveaway is part of the 2017 promotional schedule. † In addition to the ring ceremony before their second home game, the Cubs plan a World Series banner-raising ceremony for the home opener April 10. † The start of the 2017 season will mark the end of an era at Wrigley. Chairman Tom Ricketts said the Cubs, one of the last four major-league teams with bullpens on the field, will finish the long-planned move of the bullpens to underneath the bleachers. He said the change is for the safety of the players. -- Chicago Sun-Times Epstein says Maddon managed Game 7 ‘different’ than usual By Gordon Wittenmyer Maybe there just aren’t any other questions left to ask now that the Cubs got their long-awaited -answer to that 108-year question two months ago. Maybe it’s just the last of the pent-up, “long-suffering” ethos of Cubs fandom finding its escape. Whatever it is, Joe Maddon doesn’t seem to be getting away from it anytime soon. Think about it: Maddon won a World Series in a Cubs uniform. And yet, fans still wanted to know why he made those pitching moves in Games 6 and 7 and what team president Theo Epstein thought about them. Game 7. Jon Lester took over, two runs scored and eventually a fatigued Aroldis Chapman gave up three runs in the eighth to allow the Indians to tie the game. “We do kind of manage along with Joe in the stands, and I’ll be the first to say I don’t always agree with everything, but he’s always got a reason for everything,” Epstein said. “Before the game, he had a really strong feeling. The way he saw it going was Hendricks for five or so, Lester for a couple and then Chapman. “Which is different. Joe usually really makes sure he watches the game. He doesn’t like to set things up. He likes to anticipate all the different scenarios before the game, but he’s really big on watching the game and seeing how the game’s going and then managing the game that he sees, not the game he anticipated.”

Not exactly the strongest defense for the three-time Manager of the Year. Hendricks was asked about the same thing during his Q&A with fans. He played it modestly, deferring to Maddon’s wisdom and Lester’s playoff experience. Maddon, of course, was asked about it by a fan, who first spent a lengthy preamble praising the manager before saying, “That being said, Game 7 …” Even after his schedule was fulfilled, Maddon answered the moves on the lobby set of a radio broadcast, with Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg and Leon Durham by his side. Earlier in the week, Maddon said all the second-guessing after the historic championship made him laugh. So maybe it’s just a natural outgrowth of the long-suffering Cubs-fan culture. Or maybe it’s that Maddon sticks so firmly to his defense of his moves that he sometimes seems like the only one unwilling to acknowledge that one or more of them might have been wrong. “There’s no Game 8,” he said again Saturday in response to the fan. “You can’t play like you play in June or July. You have to be a little bit more proactive.” Another fan asked Maddon that if Chapman were still with the team, “Would you have asked him to sign 100 autographs [Friday], then do 200 [Saturday] and 300 [Sunday]?” Maddon hasn’t lost his humor in the criticism made surreal by its championship context. “He’s in good enough shape to do something like that,” he said. Epstein admitted, “It looked to me probably like it looked to you at home,” adding that the manager sees a different game from the dugout. “The bottom line is I’m usually a process-based person, not outcome-based,” he said. “But when you win the World Series I love -being outcome-based.” -- Chicago Sun-Times CubsCon: Bye bye, bullpens; hello, title banners, ring ceremonies By Gordon Wittenmyer The timeline for completion of the Wrigley Field renovations is still measured in years, but chairman Tom Ricketts said noticeable changes will be completed by the start of this season – most notably marking the end of an era for relief pitchers and fans down both outfield lines. The bullpens will be moved underneath the bleachers from their traditional spots in foul territory. Wrigley Field was one of only four major league stadiums with bullpens on the field (also in Oakland, San Francisco and Tampa Bay). “I know that’s not popular,” chairman Tom Ricketts said. “I like the bullpens where they’re at. But we decided just from the health standpoint, with fielders running in there, it was probably best to move them underneath and off the playing field.” Less dramatic changes anticipated for 2017 include another increase in concession stands (and pizza ovens).

When work is completed, the ballpark will have major increases in restrooms, concession stands and have eight elevators, Ricketts said. Meanwhile, Wrigley hosts two firsts in its 103-year history: The Cubs plan a championship-banner-raising ceremony for the home opener, and they plan their ring ceremony for the next game. “I just hope it’s not 36 degrees in April,” Ricketts said. When asked about whether the Cubs might try to secure a football bowl game (given the relative success of the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium), Ricketts said the club plans to bring football back to the ballpark in some form. “That Northwestern game [against Illinois in 2010] was really cool, and we’d like to have them back as soon as possible,” he said. “We intend to bring football back to Wrigley. It’s just a matter of getting all our construction done. So it’ll be a few years.” Presumably, the new construction will solve the space restrictions that forced the 2010 game to be played with only one end zone. -- Chicago Sun-Times ‘Pro-U.S.’ Arrieta: Post-election tweet not partisan—or bigoted By Gordon Wittenmyer The backlash was immediate. And to a baseball player who has intentionally sparred with opposing fans on Twitter, maybe it shouldn’t have been surprising. But Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta said his inflammatory tweet (which was retweeted 27,000 times) in the aftermath of the election wasn’t as political as many interpreted it, and certainly not bigoted, as some seemed to think. “I was simply calling out people that said they were going to leave the country if [Donald] Trump was elected,” Arrieta said. “It’s not a pro-Trump tweet; it’s not an anti-Hillary [Clinton] tweet. “I don’t consider myself a Democrat or a Republican. I want a president who’s going to do a good job. Whether it’s [Barack] Obama or whether it’s Trump or Hillary.” That context was lost in the 140-character limit of the forum when Arrieta sent this lone post-election tweet: “Time for Hollywood to pony up and head for the border. #illhelpyoupack #beatit.” Arrieta, who did not vote, said he was surprised by the volume of response, which was largely negative. “People were saying I want people deported or I’m an anti-Semite,” he said. “Why would I not like Jewish people, first of all? That doesn’t make sense. I have Puerto Rican blood in me. To think that I would want to deport people is just absurd. “I feel like my stance is pretty open and honest. It’s not to put anybody down. I was simply calling out people who have a tremendous platform of millions of followers that said they were going to leave the country if Trump was elected. I was basically calling their bluff. If you don’t want to live here, then beat it. “I’m pretty pro-United States as I think everybody in this country should be if you want to stay here. If not, then I’m sure there’s somewhere else they can go. It was pro-United States. It was pretty simple, I thought. Other people didn’t feel that way. That’s fine. Everybody can have their own opinion.” Ross in

The most popular backup catcher in baseball didn’t stay retired long. The Cubs hired David Ross to return as a special assistant to baseball operations. “He means so much to us,” team president Theo Epstein said of the player who spent the final two years of his career with the Cubs. “He’s going to impact a lot of players really positively in this role, a lot of front-office guys. He’s going to learn a lot and we’re going to learn a lot from him. “It’ll set him up well to, maybe down the line, decide what it is he wants to specialize in, and I’m sure he’ll thrive in that role.” Ross out Free agent right-hander Tyson Ross, 29, chose to sign with the Rangers over the Cubs on Friday, leaving the front office still searching for starting-pitching depth. Ross, who is trying to come back from thoracic-outlet surgery after spending almost all of last season on the disabled list with a shoulder injury, signed for $6 million. The Cubs offered at least that much. “We went 1-for-2 on Rosses,” Epstein joked. -- Chicago Sun-Times Last dance for Arrieta and Cubs as free agency looms? By Gordon Wittenmyer Jake Arrieta won’t be making the trip to the White House with Cubs teammates Monday, but he said it has nothing to do with politics (regardless of Twitter history). It’s because of health issues in his family back home in Texas. But it will be a conspicuous absence because the dominant right-hander played a major role in the team’s success the last two years. It also figures to offer a glimpse of what the team picture might look like a year from now when the front office will need to acquire and develop some young pitchers. The 2015 Cy Young Award winner came to terms on a one-year, $15,637,500 deal Friday. The contract was just $112,500 more than Max Scherzer’s 2014 record for a player in his final year of arbitration eligibility. But beyond that, the chances of the Cubs buying Arrieta out of free agency with a multiyear contract rank somewhere near the far end of the slim-to-none spectrum as they prepare for the start of their title defense with spring training just four weeks away. His agent, Scott Boras, compares Arrieta to Scherzer (who left the Tigers for a seven-year, $210 million deal after that 2014 season). The sides haven’t talked about a multiyear deal in at least a year. Neither side has plans to broach the subject anytime soon. And Arrieta, who said last season he doesn’t plan to offer a Chicago discount, talks like a man who knows his meteoric career as a Cub has just one more season to run. “The timeline is kind of coming to an end as far as leading up to free agency,” he said Friday as the Cubs Convention opened. “I’m here for one more year. And I’m going to enjoy every moment of it. “If [an extension] happens, great. But if it doesn’t, then I’ll become a free agent. The team’s going to do what’s best for them. We’ll see where I fit into that.”

It won’t be as a third player on the roster with a nine-figure contract. Especially not with the Cubs already exceeding baseball’s luxury-tax threshold last season for the first time. And it likely won’t take anything less to secure the services of Arrieta starting in 2018. “As a player, you’re told where you’re going to play your whole career until free agency,” said Arrieta, who was acquired by the Cubs in a lopsided trade with the Orioles in 2013. “So that’s a nice aspect of [free agency], to be able to decide for once where you want to go.” So enjoy the no-hit stuff and the Pilates and kale references for one more year. And keep an eye on what’s certain to be a stepped-up effort to get at least one young, controllable starter over the next year. “There’s some great cities out there, some good teams, but I’m not worried about that now,” Arrieta said. “I’m trying to be a good teammate and perform to the best of my ability for these guys for another season, and then we’ll go from there. “I’ll always feel a part of this organization for the rest of my life, because I came over here in ’13 and turned my career around, won a Cy Young, threw a couple no-hitters, and won a World Series. So that’s going to be hard to top wherever I go, if I leave. I’ll feel a part of this city and the organization for a long time.” Note: Two other arbitration-eligible Cubs reached agreements on one-year deals Friday: former closer Hector Rondon ($5.8 million) and right-hander Justin Grimm ($1.825M). Setup man Pedro Strop ($6 million) and the Cubs ($4.6 million) exchanged arbitration figures at the deadline Friday but expect to reach agreement far in advance of a hearing. -- Daily Herald Memorable moments, quotes from Chicago Cubs Convention By Bruce Miles No doubt about it: This year's Cubs convention was 11 on a scale of 10 for excitement. A world championship does that to a team and its fan base. The Cubs will take another victory lap Monday when they visit the White House and meet with President Obama. For me, the coolest moment of the weekend was watching newly retired catcher David Ross carry out the World Series trophy during the opening ceremonies on Friday night. Ross was not introduced with the former players, but he was lurking backstage, so you knew something was up. Ross also is the newest member of the front office as a special assistant in the baseball-operations department. Beyond that, the festive weekend provided its share of memorable quotes and quips from the participants. Let's take a look at a few of them: The gift of understatement: When asked about MVP Kris Bryant, hitting coach John Mallee said: "He's really good." Winning is the best medicine: Board member Laura Ricketts on what it was like watching the ups and downs of Game 7 of the World Series: "My stomach is still settling. It was a hard night. It was a thrilling night. I had an upset stomach all night. I literally thought I was going to throw up for most of the night. It started off well. And then we got into some trouble. "Thanks to all of you here for being on that journey with us."

Save a few lives for this year: Team president Theo Epstein on Game 7 and the aftermath: "It was an amazing thrill to go through that. I kind of died about three times during Game 7. I can't imagine what you guys were going through. "The entire experience of going out to Cleveland and winning those two games and celebrating a little bit, the common theme with the players was, 'We can't wait to get back to Chicago and celebrate with you guys.' Probably more than anyplace I've ever seen, there is this incredible connection between this team and you guys, the fan base." What, no Waveland? Chairman Tom Ricketts on what he heard during a Cubs hospital visit: "I went out and took (the trophy) to North Shore Hospital. I took it to the natal infant care unit. I met a family. Their children were named Clark, Addison and Sheffield. I am so glad we did not move the team to Rosemont." It had to be this way: General manager Jed Hoyer on preferring a blowout victory to the extra-inning thriller the Cubs endured in Game 7: "Now that it's over, it's a really cool thing to say that we probably won the best game ever. "I think now that Series becomes even more memorable, and people will talk about that forever. That said, on that night, I would have loved to have won 15-0." High praise for Chapman: Pitching coach Chris Bosio on closer Aroldis Chapman, who was pushed to the limit in the World Series: "I couldn't have come away after that World Series more impressed with an individual because of what he brought to us, being able to go out there and do that is a testament to his conditioning. This guy posted up, and he came up with some big outs." Defense, defense: Manager Joe Maddon on the Cubs' outstanding defense: "I really believe this year we can 'D-peat' because of our defense. I really believe that. If we catch the ball and pitch the ball like we did last year again this year, we shall 'D-peat.' " If they can get that bat going ... Coach Dave Martinez on right fielder Jason Heyward: "Jason Heyward is the best outfielder I've ever seen. It's incredible to see him, the way he moves. We never have to tell him where to play hitters or when to move in counts. He does it. It was almost like having two center fielders out there. "Granted, everybody knows he didn't have a great year hitting. But what this guy brought every day to our clubhouse: irreplaceable." The legend only grows: Hoyer on the comeback from injury by Kyle Schwarber: "What he did is the stuff of legends, and I don't think you could really overstate not only the toughness he showed but also the hitting ability. To not take an at-bat for that long and to be able to face (Corey) Kluber and face Andrew Miller and those guys and have those at-bats, it's superhuman." Sleeping on the couch:

Epstein gave this advice to a fan who said winning the World Series was the greatest day of his life, forgetting a little something else: "First of all, what you should is after the last out when we win the World Series next time is renew your (wedding) vows real quick. I made that mistake, too." -- Daily Herald Maddon talks Game 7 strategy again By Bruce Miles While the Cubs celebrate their 2016 World Series this weekend, they hope to put one little issue from Game 7 to bed for good. That would be manager Joe Maddon's use of his pitchers in the final game at Cleveland. Maddon pulled starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks after 4⅔ innings, turning to staff ace Jon Lester in relief. Lester worked 3 innings before Maddon summoned workhorse closer Aroldis Chapman. The Cubs ran out to a 5-1 lead in the game, but the Indians tied it at 6-6 on a 2-run homer by Rajai Davis against Chapman in the eighth. Things turned out well for the Cubs in the end with a 8-7 victory in 10 innings. Even so, Maddon has been questioned about the moves relentlessly in the off-season, and it came up again Saturday at the Cubs convention. The Hendricks-Lester-Chapman plan was in Maddon's mind even before the game began. The manager on Saturday gave one simple reason for that. "There's no Game 8," he said. "You can't play it like you play it in June or July. You have to be a little bit more proactive. On top of that, it's not every day you have Jon Lester warming up in the bullpen. That's the unique component to the whole thing. If Jon Lester is not available, you can't plan it out that way, obviously. When it gets to a point where Jason Kipnis is hitting (the first batter Lester faced), you see how well he (hit) against (Jake) Arrieta. Remember that? "I promise you, you could wake up Jason Kipnis at 2 o'clock in the morning on a Wednesday and ask who he would prefer to face, any right-hander or Jon Lester. He would give you that answer immediately. We had already started Jonny warming up. Coming out of the bullpen, you have to be careful. He had so many throws in his arm; that's all he had that particular night. It was time to move it along, and he actually did really well. I don't know if you saw the whole game, but he did really well." As far as Chapman, Maddon chose to give Davis credit rather than blame Chapman for the home run. For the umpteenth time, Maddon also added that he loves second-guessing. "That's a big part of why our game is so popular," he said. "It's that you can have conversations like this." The Game 7 strategy also came up with team president Theo Epstein during an earlier session at the convention. "You know what?" Epstein said. "We do kind of manage along with Joe, too, in the stands. I'll be the first to say that I don't always agree with everything, but he's always got a reason for everything. Before the game, he had a really strong feeling. The way he saw it going was Hendricks for 5, Lester for a couple and then Chapman, which is different, because Joe usually really makes sure he watches the game. "He doesn't like to set things up. He likes to anticipate all different scenarios before the game, but he's really big on watching the game and seeing how the game is going and managing the game he sees, not the game he thought he anticipated. But in this game, he sees things from the dugout. He had Lester up early. We forget that Kyle had some hard-hit balls in the second and third innings, and he had to get Lester up early. A big part of that decision, and I'll let Joe speak for himself, is that once he got Lester up, he couldn't wait too long to get him in the game."

-- Daily Herald Fans to help present Chicago Cubs' championship rings By Bruce Miles The Chicago Cubs will unfurl their 2016 world-championship banner before the home opener on April 10 at Wrigley Field. Two nights later, the World Series-winning players will receive their championship rings. The fans will get to help. During Saturday's Cubs convention, the team announced that 20 fans will present players with their rings during the pregame ceremony. The Cubs are calling it the "Championship Ring Bearer Fan Contest." To enter, fans must record and submit an online video nominating their favorite candidate. The video must be uploaded to Twitter using the #CubsRingBearer hashtag. All videos must be no more than 60 second in length explaining why their nominee deserves to present the rings. Nominations will be accepted through Feb. 14, when pitchers and catchers report for spring training. Responding to one fan's question during Saturday's session featuring Cubs business operations, the team said it would not have replica rings produced for fans, as other sports teams have done. That seemed to disappoint many fans. However, the Cubs said there will be a promotional date for championship-trophy replicas. Seeking an All-Star Game: Cubs business president Crane Kenney outlined several items dealing directly or indirectly with the ongoing renovation of Wrigley Field. Fans and media have asked for several years about the Cubs hosting an All-Star Game for the first time since 1990. Kenney said 2020 would be an ideal time to host because the renovations would be complete by then. However, Kenney cautioned fans that the All-Star Game gets allocated based on the discretion of the commissioner, Rob Manfred. "Typically it's awarded to cities that have supported their clubs through public financing," Kenney said, noting that the Cubs are financing the Wrigley renovations with their own money. "It is a little bit of a hurdle for the league to suggest you should reward the city of Chicago and us with an All-Star Game when, in fact, we didn't get the kind of support the other cities got. We still think we're deserving." Both Kenney and team chairman Tom Ricketts said the Cubs are moving the bullpens from the field to under the bleachers for this upcoming season. Both acknowledged that move is not popular with fans. "I like the bullpens where they're at," Ricketts said during an earlier session. "We just decided that from a health standpoint for the outfielders running in there, it's probably best to move them underneath and just get them off the playing field. My heart goes in my throat whenever I see one of our guys running over in that direction." Paying tribute to Stan: The Cubs paid tribute to late scout Stan Zielinski, who died recently. Zielinski, who lived in Winfield, was responsible for the Cubs signing catcher-outfielder Kyle Schwarber, among others.

"Our scouting department is really the rock upon which the whole organization is built," said baseball president Theo Epstein. "Stan Zielinski was really the heart and soul of our scouting department. "We'll miss him dearly. All of us feel like it's our responsibility to continue his legacy with not only how hard he worked and how much he loved the Cubs but also the way he treated people and the way he developed relationships and led a really full life." Jason McLeod, the Cubs' chief of scouting and player development, also praised Zielinski. "Stan was probably the best I've ever seen at creating a picture of the person," McLeod said. "Someday, if we ever release publicly his report on Kyle Schwarber, I think everyone in this room would just be amazed at how detailed he was in breaking down who this guy will be when he arrives in Chicago, and it happened in a short time, obviously." -- Daily Herald Cubs, fans share the love at opening night of convention By Bruce Miles There will be plenty of time to discuss what the Cubs must do to repeat their World Series victory of 2016. Friday was not the day for that. No, Friday evening was one more chance for the Cubs and their fans to share a feel-good moment as the 32nd annual team convention kicked off at the Sheraton Grand Chicago. A giddy team chairman Tom Ricketts promised "the best Cubs convention" ever, warning fans: "Spoiler alert. We won the World Series." The opening ceremonies at the Cubs convention are always raucous. For the past three decades, though they've been all about hope and optimism. This year, for the first time, the Cubs and their fans had the biggest reason of all to turn the Sheraton into the site of a love fest. Ricketts made sure to thank the fans, all of whom were in the mood to return the appreciation. When manager Joe Maddon was introduced, the crowd in the packed ballroom broke out in chants of, "Thank you, Joe." There was one other surprise. Cubs radio announcer Pat Hughes, as is his custom, introduced all of the former Cubs in attendance before getting to the current squad. Well, almost all of them. Lurking backstage was catcher David Ross, who retired after the World Series. After all the current players were introduced, out came Ross, and he was carrying the World Series trophy with him. It's going to be that kind of weekend all the way through Sunday. "Someone mentioned it last night at dinner that this team that won the World Series is forever going to be attached to the city," said third baseman Kris Bryant, the National League's Most Valuable Player. "Just thinking about that, it gives me chills. It hadn't been done in 108 years. Just to be a part of the group that did that, it means a lot to me, just knowing that we'll forever have an impact on the city and that we gave something to the fans that they deserved."

The Cubs won 97 games in 2015 on the way to the National League championship series. They won 103 during the regular season last year, overcoming a rough patch before the all-star break before rallying from a three-games-to-one deficit in the World Series to beat the Cleveland Indians in seven. "Last year was a great year," said shortstop and postseason star Addison Russell. "I think we had a lot of ups and downs. This year I feel we can perfect those a little bit where there's more of a stable, consistent thing, whether you look at individiual-wise or team-wise. We're comfortable with each other. It's an open clubhouse. We love these guys that are in the clubhouse. We welcome new guys in the clubhouse." One man whose job it is to worry about this year right now is team president Theo Epstein. He said he wasn't sure what to expect at the convention, but he expressed confidence his team would be ready to go in the new season. "You gain inner confidence, a default belief that you and your teammates know how to win," he said. "Through hard times you have a faith in getting back to what got you there, knowing that you're not only good enough to compete, but win and win the whole thing. That kind of confidence is hard to create. That's why you see teams kind of do better and better and better the more times they're in the postseason. "You have to work really hard, we all do, to avoid any kind of organizational arrogance, any sense of entitlement and to really understand, of all the great things that happened last year, the most special aspect was that we all got to be part of something bigger than ourselves." -- Daily Herald Cubs, Arrieta settle on 1-year, $15 million deal By Bruce Miles The Cubs got most of their big contract worries out of the way Friday, settling with three of their four arbitration-eligible players. The most significant was pitcher Jake Arrieta, who will get a contract worth $15.6375 million for 2017. Relievers Hector Rondon ($5.8 million) and Justin Grimm ($1.825 million) agreed to terms. The only arbitration-eligible player not yet agreeing is reliever Pedro Strop. He is seeking $6 million while the Cubs are offering $4.6 million. A deal still could get done before a hearing would be needed. The most important and intriguing situation is Arrieta's. He will be 31 in March, and the upcoming season is his final one before he is eligible for free agency. Last season Arrieta made $10.7 million. The 2015 Cy Young winner is 40-14 over his previous two seasons. "At the end of the day, I didn't want anything to linger," he said Friday at the Cubs convention. "I wanted to just kind of put it past us and get back to baseball as usual. Moving into camp, there is not going to be any distraction, arbitration hearings lingering. That's not going to be part of the equation, which I'm happy about." Both Arrieta and team president Theo Epstein expressed continued hope a long-term deal could struck. "The timeline is kind of coming to an end as far as leading up to free agency," Arrieta said. "I don't know. I'm here for one more year, and I said it a couple years ago, that I'm going to be a Cub for at least two more years, and I'm to enjoy every moment of it. If something happens where extension is possible, we'll address that when it happens. As of now, we've got one more season as a Cub, and I'm really happy about that." Working away at it: Right fielder Jason Heyward, who is coming off a poor season at the plate, has been working in Arizona with Cubs batting coach John Mallee and his assistant, Eric Hinske.

Heyward had a batting line last year of .230/.306/.325 with 7 homers and 49 RBI in the first season of an eight-year, $184 million contract. Manager Joe Maddon did not hesitate to bench Heyward at times during the postseason. For his part, Heyward says he thinks he's making progress. "Just get back to doing things simple, the right way," he said. "Be in a good position to hit all the time. It's easier said than done when you're trying to do it in the season, working in the cage and not in the game when you're trying to compete and help your team win. The off-season really allows you to slow things down and do that." Mallee said he'd like Heyward to get back to his form of 2012, when he hit 27 homers for the Braves. "In 2012, he was in better position to strike the ball," the coach said. "In '16, somehow that got away from him a little bit. Then he starting rushing and hurrying." New role for Ross: The Cubs have named recently retired catcher David Ross a special assistant to baseball operations. The job will have Ross involved in "all elements within the club's baseball operations department, including major-league operations, player development, pro scouting and work within the front office." Ross, 39, became one of the most popular Cubs over the past two seasons for his leadership. Meet the prez: Cub players say they are looking forward to going to the White House Monday and meeting with President Obama. Pitcher Jake Arrieta said he will not attend, but not because of politics. He said he is tending to family medical situations. "We're excited," said shortstop Addison Russell. "I know there's probably about three people I would get star-struck by, and he is one of them." -- Daily Herald Rozner: Cubs will soon say goodbye to 2016 By Barry Rozner It has been a parade with no stop sign on a road with no conclusion, the party with no last call, an open-ended Mardi Gras in a city with no borders. Perhaps the longest title celebration in sports history continued this weekend at the Cubs Convention, one final opportunity for fans to offer thanks and prayers, one last chance for players to bathe in adoration and affection. It's the beginning of the end for the 2016 World Series champs, who won't understand until Monday that they -- just like everyone else -- carry an expiration date. Sunday night they will fly to Washington and together they will open beverages, raise a toast and fist bump for the final time as a group, before those who have retired, and those who have relocated, disperse for assorted climes. Monday afternoon they will have an hour or two at the White House, a rather short visit that never quite lives up to the pomp and circumstance TV suggests, and they will walk out of that extraordinary building with a shocking realization.

They will know at that moment that the 2016 season is over, that the celebration is done, that the defense of their title has begun and -- most unfortunate -- that the team will never be together again. It was 2:51 p.m. in Washington on a frigid Monday in February 2006, when White Sox players left the East Room of the White House, walked past us on the red carpet of the Cross Hall and down the stairs of the North Portico. Some players and execs stopped to meet the media. A.J. Pierzynski shivered. Paul Konerko was turning blue. Aaron Rowand was in tears. "It's kind of sad," Pierzynski said, standing outside the West Wing. "That's really the end for us, and I think we started to feel that (Sunday) night. "Up until now, we knew there was one more party, one more chance for the guys to be together. Now, it's over." A month after the parade, Rowand was traded to Philadelphia for Jim Thome, but he and several ex-Sox players from the title team made the trip to D.C. on short notice and with camp opening for some the next day. "What a classy move by those guys to show up for this. It was an amazing turnout considering the late date, spring training starting this week, the snow, and all the missed fights," Konerko said. "But now we're not the champs anymore. "It was a good way to kick off spring training. We had our last few rounds (of drinks) with our former teammates and said goodbye. Now, we start all over." The mourning process had begun. "I hope 20 years from now, or 25 years from now," Konerko said, "we can get together just like we do now." Not everyone from that team felt the need to be there, but most would not have missed it for the world, trying to hang onto that feeling with fingernails scraping the ground as the reality of time and calendar dragged them kicking and screaming into a new season. "Aaron and I had flights canceled out from under us, so we drove half the day around the state of Florida getting a flight that would get us here," Pierzynski said. "I have to go home and pack and leave for Arizona in two days, but it was my duty to come here to be part of this, and I loved it. "I'll remember this day for the rest of my life, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity. It's kind of sad, but I'm glad it ended here." The Cubs will learn all of this Sunday night and Monday, that no one can stop the march of time, but frozen in time will always be the memory of 2016, Game 7 in Cleveland, the rally and conclusion in Washington. It is a most fitting way to say so long to 2016. --