February 19, 2017

Cubs.com, Heyward puts in offseason work to regain 2012 form http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/216386984/cubs-jason-heyward-hopes-for-bounceback-year/

Cubs.com, Ricketts intent on Cubs joining ranks of elite http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/216387116/tom-ricketts-wants-the-cubs-to-be-elite/

CSNChicago.com, Forget The Analytics, Joe Maddon Sends Will-To-Win Message To Cubs: ‘Don’t Forget The Heartbeat’ http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/forget-analytics-joe-maddon-sends-will-win-message-cubs-dont-forget-heartbeat

CSNChicago.com, Tom Ricketts Delivers State Of Cubs Address: Donald Trump, Steve Bartman, All-Star Game, Global Domination http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/tom-ricketts-delivers-state-cubs-address-donald-trump-steve-bartman-all-star-game

Chicago Tribune, Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts hoping for Patriots-like stretch of domination http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-tom-ricketts-addresses-cubs-spt-0219-20170217-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Tom Ricketts leaving tough decisions about Jake Arrieta to Theo Epstein http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-jake-arrieta-contract-bits-cubs-spt-0219-20170218-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs count on catcher Willson Contreras to mature into productive regular http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-willson-contreras-cubs-spring-training-spt-0219-20170218-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Joe Maddon stresses 'heartbeat' leads to success during team meeting http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-joe-maddon-heartbeat-20170218-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs' Jason Heyward unaware of popularity of World Series speech http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-jason-heyward-world-series-speech-20170218-story.html

Chicago Sun-Times, Ricketts: Ownership ties to polarizing Trump no concern for Cubs http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/ricketts-ownership-ties-to-polarizing-trump-no-concern-for-cubs/

Chicago Sun-Times, Tom Ricketts wants the Cubs to be the worldwide leader in sports http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/tom-ricketts-wants-the-cubs-to-be-the-worldwide-leader-in-sports/

Daily Herald, From rebuilding to the parade, Epstein opens up about his emotional ride with Cubs http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170218/sports/170218836/

Daily Herald, Cubs chairman Ricketts wants team to be a global brand http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170218/sports/170218812/

Daily Herald, Rozner: Chicago Cubs have graduated from cute and cuddly http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170217/sports/170218835/

-- Cubs.com Heyward puts in offseason work to regain 2012 form By Carrie Muskat MESA, Ariz. -- In 2012, Jason Heyward's third season in the big leagues, he led the Braves with 27 homers and collected 82 RBIs. He spent this offseason in Arizona trying to get back that feeling he had at the plate. Heyward felt the need to do something after his inaugural season with the Cubs, when he batted .230, hit a career-low seven homers and drove in 49 runs in 142 games. "If you work on something and you feel comfortable with it and you work hard at it, then that's what you do," Heyward said. "At the same time, that's just work and the offseason. Paying attention to detail and making changes where they need to be made, you do that all the time. That's a never-ending process in baseball, especially in hitting. "I'm not telling you I know for sure what's going to happen or I don't. I don't know how it's going to go, but I know I did a damned good job preparing for it." As far as Heyward was concerned, it was a normal offseason. But it wasn't. He moved to Arizona and spent nearly every day at the Cubs' complex, working with former Braves teammate and current Cubs assistant hitting coach Eric Hinske, who also lives in the area, and hitting coach John Mallee, who would fly in from Chicago for week-long sessions. Being in Arizona helped Heyward simplify things. "That was the best part of the offseason for me, in my mind, is to find stability," Heyward said. "You know it's going to be here. You know you can hit, you know you can run, you know you can train." Despite being one of the many Cubs returning from the World Series championship team, Heyward said this year is a fresh start for everyone. "We know what our goal is -- to win a World Series," Heyward said. "Everybody's hungry." The 27-year-old secured a spot in Cubs lore when he delivered a players-only pep talk during the rain delay prior to the 10th inning of Game 7 of the World Series. The Indians had tied the game at 6 in the eighth, so Heyward called everyone into the weight room at Progressive Field. "It was a moment where you feel like you need to say what you need to say, and I would've been [ticked] off at myself, win or lose, if I didn't say it at the time," Heyward said. The Cubs responded with two runs in the 10th to win, 8-7, and end the longest championship drought in professional sports. Does he think the Cubs would've won without his speech? "I think so," Heyward said. "I don't know, but I think so." Cubs manager Joe Maddon, who was not included in Heyward's meeting, is using that speech as part of his approach this season, telling players not to forget the heartbeat. "I would say a high percentage of teams would've lost that game, but we were able to regroup and come back based on the heartbeat, and I wanted them to understand the heartbeat," said Maddon, who talked about that on Saturday during a team meeting when the first full-squad workout was forced inside because of rain. "That was the

primary focus is that in our game today, the way it's run on a lot of levels, it's more about math than people. I wanted our guys to understand we understand the heartbeat." Said Heyward: "He's got a slogan. That's what he does. He's able to think outside the box." What's more important is that Heyward has no doubts that he'll return to the swing mechanics he had in 2012. "If there's ever any doubt," Heyward said, "then I probably shouldn't be here." -- Cubs.com Ricketts intent on Cubs joining ranks of elite By Carrie Muskat MESA, Ariz. -- Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts thanked players and staff on Saturday for the team's 2016 season, which was capped by the franchise's first World Series championship since 1908. Next, Ricketts said, is to win again and have the Cubs join the elite group of organizations that are among the best in the world. "What separates a really good team from a really great team is the consistency of results," Ricketts said. "We've won one World Series, and hopefully, we'll be in the mix again for many years to come. That's what you associate success with. If you look at the Yankees 15 years ago, the Patriots of today, they're right in the mix. "I'd like to think that one day, if we're consistent enough and if we win, that Cubs logo will mean something to people around the world, not just a team that didn't win for a long time." The Cubs' championship ended the longest drought in professional sports, and Ricketts said what's nice is that the team logo no longer represents the lovable losers image. "There's no more history we have to worry about, no more goats, none of that stuff," Ricketts said. "It's all looking forward. With continued success, we'll make that 'C' into a symbol of winning and not a symbol of not winning, like it was." Cubs fans who want to preserve the feeling can take a photo of themselves with the World Series trophy, which will be on display at the new plaza on the west side of Wrigley Field once construction is complete. The trophy will be in Mesa as part of a Cubs rally on Friday at Sloan Park before Cactus League play begins. "The trophy has an effect on people," Ricketts said. "It's really special. Once again, whether it's downtown Chicago or Des Moines, Iowa, there's lines to see the trophy. It just means so much to so many people. It's probably the most photographed trophy in the history of baseball." Ricketts wouldn't reveal any details regarding the World Series ring design. Players and staff will receive their rings on April 12, the Cubs' second home game of the season. The only downside to the Cubs' extended season is that it delayed the renovation work at Wrigley Field. Whether the team has done enough to host an All-Star Game has not been determined, according to Ricketts. "It'd be great for the game and it'd be great for Chicago to have it at Wrigley Field," Ricketts said. For now, Ricketts continues to receive thank you's from Cubs fans. "It's incredible the number of people who have reached out the last few months," Ricketts said. "People who had sick kids watching the games [said it] helped them get through their illnesses. People whose parents had recently passed away were watching Game 7 together. It's been really touching.

"You kind of think you know what it would mean to people, but you really can't know how much it means to so many people until you get there. It's really been overwhelming. I don't know how else to put it. It's something that meant so much to so many people. I'm glad we could be here for it and be a little part of it." -- CSNChicago.com Forget The Analytics, Joe Maddon Sends Will-To-Win Message To Cubs: ‘Don’t Forget The Heartbeat’ By Patrick Mooney MESA, Ariz. – To set the tone for 2017, the Cubs gathered in a theater on Saturday morning and watched highlights from their unforgettable playoff run last year. The clips showed that Giant comeback in San Francisco, the nearly perfect game at Wrigley Field that beat the Dodgers to capture the National League pennant and a World Series Game 7 for the ages in Cleveland. “I would say that a high percentage of teams would have lost that game,” manager Joe Maddon said. “But we were able to regroup and come back, just based on the heartbeat. And I really wanted them to understand the heartbeat.” That became Maddon’s primary message inside the Under Armour Performance Center as steady rain fell in Mesa, washing out the first full-squad workout and postponing the first wacky team-bonding exercise for this camp. Maddon would never completely channel Hawk Harrelson’s will-to-win spirit and stand up and tell the room: Save it, nerds. But in an industry where practically every team is fluent in analytics and searching for that next cutting edge, a data-savvy, open-minded manager wanted to recapture what led Jason Heyward to call a players-only meeting during the rain delay at Progressive Field, emphasizing what allowed the Cubs to survive 10 high-stress innings against the Indians. “I think in our game today, the way it’s run on a lot of levels, it’s more about math than people sometimes,” Maddon said. “I want our guys to understand that we understand the heartbeat around here, so don’t forget the heartbeat. “We won that game purely because of competitive natures and the fact that we wanted to win and the heartbeat was so good. It has nothing to do with statistical information, mechanics physically. It had everything to do with people. “And I really want our guys to understand that, because we’re going to do all the other necessary work. We’re going to do all the math work. We’re going to do all the physical work. We’re going to do all the work. But at the end of the day, man, (when it’s) a different uniform than you, you compete. You try to beat that guy in the other uniform. Don’t forget that.” -- CSNChicago.com Tom Ricketts Delivers State Of Cubs Address: Donald Trump, Steve Bartman, All-Star Game, Global Domination By Patrick Mooney MESA, Ariz. – Chairman Tom Ricketts wants the Cubs to be known as one of the greatest sports franchises on the planet, a first-class brand synonymous with winning. With that ideal in mind – and setting specific policy ideas or agendas aside – has the first month of the Donald Trump administration matched up with the organization’s values?

“I don’t really know what that question was,” Ricketts said Saturday during his annual state-of-the-team news conference in Mesa. It’s worth asking, because at this time last year, Trump cryptically threatened the Ricketts family on Twitter, and then later in spring training told The Washington Post editorial board that the family has done a “rotten job” running the team. Ultimately, the family’s right-wing influence shifted from a stop-Trump movement to helping bankroll the Republican nominee’s presidential campaign. Beyond ending the 108-year drought and finally winning the World Series, the Ricketts family laid out the planks of the franchise’s platform and has in many ways lived up to it: investing in high-character people; creating a vibrant corporate culture; being a good neighbor in Wrigleyville; and growing Cubs Charities. Do those community concepts line up with the rhetoric coming out of the Trump White House? “I don’t really know how to answer that,” Ricketts said. “I think the fact is that we do have a good culture at the Cubs. And I don’t think anything that the White House has done – or hasn’t done – has any impact on that at all.” Ricketts is a patient, big-picture executive who showed how to think beyond the next day’s headlines, giving the green light to modernizing the entire operation, upgrading the infrastructure in Chicago, Arizona and the Dominican Republic and allowing team president Theo Epstein to oversee a complete teardown and rebuild. The Cubs are no longer defined by that history of losing, but on some level their brand is now also tangentially associated with an early-stage administration of alternative facts, Chicago-to-Afghanistan comparisons, the Muslim ban, the border wall, murky Russian connections and a Holocaust memorial statement that didn’t mention the Jewish people. Ricketts posed for a photo with his two brothers and Trump at a black-tie inauguration event. Pete Ricketts, Nebraska’s Republican governor, posted it on his official Twitter account. “Obviously, my brother Todd is a nominee for undersecretary of commerce, so he’s waiting for that process to play out,” Ricketts said. “My sister (Laura) was a bundler for Hillary Clinton. The family has different political views. Away from that, I don’t think anything that’s going on in D.C. has any impact on us right now at all.” • Ricketts wasn’t certain if Todd would have to step down from the team’s board of directors to accept that Cabinet position: “I know there are the conflict of interest kind of things and ethics rules. He may have to. I’m not really sure. But he’s got to go through the nomination process first.” • Ricketts addressed the team inside the theater in the Under Armour Performance Center, thanking the players for all their contributions on a rainy day that washed out the first full-squad workout. “I also said I think we have a unique opportunity to not only be considered one of the great sports teams in the U.S.,” said Ricketts, who recently returned from the Laureus Sports Awards in Monaco. “But I just got back from Europe and I think that our long-term goal should be (having us) considered one of the great sports organizations in the world.” • Up and down the chain of command, the Cubs believe they can be in that conversation, given their talent base, financial muscle and a stable ownership group that plans to control the team for generations (an arrangement that currently includes an equity stake in CSN Chicago). “What separates a really good team from a truly great team is the consistency of results,” Ricketts said. “We’ve won one World Series. Hopefully, we’ll be in the mix again for many years to come. “If you look at the Yankees of 15 years ago, the Patriots of today, they’re just always right in the mix. On the global side, you look at teams like Man U or Real Madrid or the All Blacks and they just set the standard for how people perform. And their team means something all over the world.

“I’d like to think that one day – if we’re consistent enough and if we win – that Cubs logo will mean something to people around the world. Not just a team that didn’t win for a long time.” • Amid the afterglow three months ago, Ricketts told USA Today that the Cubs would reach out to Steve Bartman at some point and try to come to an understanding after a foul ball during the 2003 National League Championship Series forced the fan into hiding. “I personally haven’t,” Ricketts said. “The team was thinking about it. I’m not sure what they did or what they didn’t do, to be honest.” • Ricketts will defer to Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer when it comes to Jake Arrieta’s countdown to free agency and how to negotiate with the Cy Young Award winner after this season. “That’s a Theo and Jed decision,” Ricketts said. “They have the right perspective on (how) they have to put a great team on the field this year. But they also have a longer-term perspective in realizing that decisions that effect this year might hurt us in a few years. “But I’ll leave it up to them. I imagine that they’ve got a strategy around that and they know what they want to do.” • The competitive-balance-tax threshold – which the new collective bargaining agreement sets at $195 million this year – appears to be a kind of soft payroll ceiling for the Cubs moving forward. “The way it’s structured, it can be very punitive if you just ignore it and just blow through it,” Ricketts said. “So we’ll be thoughtful and strategic about when we go over the tax and when we don’t. But I’ll leave that mostly up to Theo.” • The Cubs are lobbying Rob Manfred and Major League Baseball officials to host the 2020 All-Star Game at a fully renovated Wrigley Field. “I don’t think it’s inevitable,” Ricketts said. “I think that it would be great for the league, great for the game and it would be great for Chicago to have it at Wrigley Field. But nothing’s inevitable on that. There’s a process that we have to go through and hopefully at some point soon the commissioner will give us the nod.” -- Chicago Tribune Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts hoping for Patriots-like stretch of domination By Paul Sullivan It started out seven years ago trying to win the National League Central. Now the Ricketts family wants the world. After addressing the full squad Saturday at the Cubs' spring training complex, Chairman Tom Ricketts said he would like the team one day to be considered "one of the great sports organizations in the world." They took their first step toward that goal in November, winning the World Series for the first time since 1908. Succeeding on an annual basis is something Ricketts believes is attainable. "What separates a really good team from a truly great team is the consistency of results," he said. "We've won one World Series. Hopefully we'll be in the mix for many years. That's what you associate success with. If you look at the Yankees of 15 years ago, the Patriots of today, they're just always right in the mix. "On the global side you look at teams like (Manchester United) or Real Madrid or the All Blacks, and they set the standard for how people perform. (Those teams mean) something all over the world. And I would like to think that

someday, if we're consistent enough and if we win, that Cubs logo will mean something to people around the world, not just a team that didn't win for a long time." The Cubs were named the Laureus World Team of the Year in 2016, beating out the likes of the NBA's Cavaliers and the Brazil national soccer team. Ricketts said he recently picked up the award in Monaco and wants to go back for another. It has been a long, strange trip for Ricketts since his first spring training as Cubs chairman in 2010, when an aide cut off his first news conference at Fitch Park because the questions were deemed too contentious. Winning cures everything, and Ricketts appeared relaxed and at ease Saturday, calmly batting away queries about his family's association with President Donald Trump and the significant ticket-price hike at Wrigley Field after their championship season. Ricketts said he doesn't think "anything that the White House has done or hasn't done" would affect the culture on the North Side. He did say his brother, Todd, who Trump nominated for deputy commerce secretary, might have to give up his position on the Cubs board of directors if the Senate confirms him. If Todd has to step down, Tom said no one will replace him. Ricketts acknowledged the across-the-board ticket-price hike — an average increase of 19.5 percent — but said the Cubs still offer "more value-oriented" games for individuals and families. Most of those games, however, are in April or early May. Does he worry the Cubs are pricing out the average fan? "There is always that balance," he said. "Our (business department) guys do a pretty good job of keeping that balance. We study millions of pieces of data. We watch all the secondary markets. We watch all the primary markets. "If you're willing to go on a Tuesday night as opposed to a Sunday afternoon against the Cardinals, it should be available to everybody. There's no right answer on that stuff. We just try to keep it in balance." Ricketts said team President Theo Epstein has the "resources" to spend for upgrades if needed and the Cubs would be "thoughtful and strategic" about moves that would put them well above the luxury-tax threshold. While he believes it would be good for Chicago to play host to an All-Star Game at Wrigley Field, Ricketts doesn't believe it is "inevitable" in 2020. The Cubs last had the game in 1990. Ricketts also said he didn't remember saying he would get a tattoo if the Cubs ever won. "Did I say it exactly like that?" he said, grinning. "I have to think that one through. We'll see. Maybe I said if they won twice." -- Chicago Tribune Tom Ricketts leaving tough decisions about Jake Arrieta to Theo Epstein By Mark Gonzales The riches and notoriety of winning a World Series may go only so far in retaining marquee players such as Jake Arrieta. "That's a Theo and Jed decision," Chairman Tom Ricketts said Saturday in referring to President Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer after addressing his Cubs players before Saturday's first full-squad workout was postponed because of rain.

"They have the right perspective on what they have to put a great team on the field this year but have a longer term perspective in realizing decisions that affect this year might hurt us in a few years. "I'll leave it up to them. I imagine they have a strategy around that." Arrieta represents the first major free-agent decision the Cubs may make since transforming the once-downtrodden franchise into World Series champions. The Cubs paid $2.96 million in baseball's luxury tax in 2016, but it was worth it because they won their first Series since 1908. "We'll be thoughtful and strategic about when we go over the tax and when we don't," Ricketts said. Ricketts, covering an array of subjects, countered that it wasn't "inevitable" the Cubs would be host to the 2020 All-Star Game, although he did say that renovations at Wrigley would be completed by that time. Ricketts said the Starbucks store will open at the Wrigley plaza in April, adding that there are plans for the World Series trophy to be on display at the plaza after its whirlwind tour for fans around the Midwest. "It's probably the most photographed trophy in baseball," Ricketts said. The design of the Cubs' World Series ring has been completed and will be unveiled during a ceremony April 12, said Ricketts, who declined to divulge any details. Extra innings: The rain also delayed the first of manager Joe Maddon's planned gimmicks this spring. "The surprise requires better weather than this," said Maddon, who believes Monday or Tuesday might provide better weather. … Jason Heyward was amused to learn that Maddon derived his "don't forget the heartbeat" theme from his World Series speech. "He got a slogan," Heyward said. "That's what he does. He's on it. He's able to think outside the box." -- Chicago Tribune Cubs count on catcher Willson Contreras to mature into productive regular By Mark Gonzales The Cubs' confidence in Willson Contreras almost matches the self-assurance the 24-year-old catcher displayed during the team's run to its first World Series title since 1908. Contreras maintains an array of support staff members from manager Joe Maddon to coach Mike Borzello to a veteran pitching staff. But faith in him will be validated only if Contreras succeeds in applying what he learns from rapid experience during a season in which he will be under a microscope without the cerebral David Ross as an on-field resource. Otherwise, he will fall short as the Cubs' catcher of the future just as Geovany Soto and Welington Castillo did before him. "I can get a lot better," Contreras said. "I'm always working on areas like receiving skills and game-calling. I have to know my pitchers better. Now that I'm going to be back there almost every day, I have to make them feel comfortable." Possibly his most important task involves helping Jon Lester after the retirement of Ross, who steered Lester to 19 victories and a 2.44 ERA with his ability to manage the left-hander through tight situations — whether it was holding a runner at first base or calming his nerves after a borderline pitch.

But there are other challenges, such as the ability to handle the club's catching chores up to five times every week. Contreras caught a combined 102 games for the Cubs and Triple-A Iowa in 2016. Maddon believes his youth (age 24), strength (12 home runs in 252 at-bats) and arm (12 runners caught stealing, four pickoffs) can guide him through the next step in his development. "Where Jon and Willson have to come together is more the cerebral side," manager Joe Maddon said. "That's the part, I don't want to say I'm concerned with, but that's the part that's probably going to need more work." Lester and Contreras were a battery for one start in 2016, with Lester allowing five runs on four hits and three walks in three innings of a loss July 9 at Pittsburgh. But Lester seems confident he and Contreras will connect, based on the work the catcher did with the rest of the rotation — especially controlling the running game and throwing behind runners. "All that is is communication and he's willing to talk and listen," Lester said. "We'll make adjustments as we go. That's all it comes down to. We have to get together and compete. We'll figure it out from there. "The biggest thing is we'll have a fallback of a game plan, and he's really good at taking that from the clubhouse to the game. I've already seen that from other guys." Contreras echoed that sentiment. "I have confidence in myself," Contreras said. "I know what he wants to do. All that matters is getting to know (him). He has been great the last three to four years, so we have to keep doing it." There is some concern about overloading Contreras with information, but Maddon expressed faith that his coaching staff will be able to convey the necessary tidbits. "You're always looking for nuggets in tight moments," Maddon said. "Willson has a good feel for that stuff. He's a good student." And that education should blossom with more experience, especially against National League Central opponents. "The repetition should (help) there," said veteran Miguel Montero, who's slated to be Contreras' backup. "He's going to face (Cardinals counterpart Yadier Molina) for how many at-bats, 40? After the first two games of a series, you have a better idea. And after the third game you feel more comfortable. "The hardest thing is when you're platooning. If he's back there on a regular basis, he's going to get a better feel for who he's facing." -- Chicago Tribune Joe Maddon stresses 'heartbeat' leads to success during team meeting By Mark Gonzales Manager Joe Maddon conducted the first of what he hopes are three meetings this season to his Cubs players. Maddon addressed his players Saturday at their theater at their training complex. Players and staffers watched clips from the postseason. Maddon continued to stress that Cubs' Game 4 victory over the San Francisco Giants possibly was their most important game. He also showed a video of their National League title-clinching win against the Los Angeles Dodgers to emphasize their near-flawless play.

But Maddon saved his last video - their victory over Cleveland in Game 7 of the World Series - to make his biggest point. The Cubs players, led by Jason Heyward, held a brief meeting during a rain delay after the ninth inning. Maddon liked that the players responded on their own, validating his observation that they maintained one heartbeat. "I’d say a high percentage of teams would have lost that game, but we were able to regroup and come back, just based on the heartbeat, and I wanted them to understand the heartbeat," Maddon said. "And that was based on the primary focus. "In our game today, the way it's run, on a lot of levels it’s more about math than people sometimes. And I want our guys to understand we understand the heartbeat." Maddon said he observed in the mid-1980s that coaches started getting more mechanical with helping players instead of purely competing. "It had nothing to do with statistical information, (physical) mechanics," Maddon said. "It had everything to do with people. And I really want our guys to understand that. We’ll do the math and physical work. But we wear a different uniform than you. You compete." Maddon will hold his next meeting before the first game of the second half. The last meeting will held prior to the first game of the playoffs if the Cubs qualify. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs' Jason Heyward unaware of popularity of World Series speech By Mark Gonzales Jason Heyward's speech during the Game 7, 10th-inning rain delay was so popular that Lego included it as part of its version of the 2016 World Series. But the Cubs' right field was unaware of the Lego version as well as the popularity of his speech. “Surprised?" Heyward said Saturday morning. "I don’t know. I never thought about it like that. It was just a moment where you feel like you need to say what you need to say. I would have been pissed off if I didn’t say it at the time. "But as far the excitement from it, no. I feel like every other detail that our fan base can find, not just winning the World Series but any moment, they look for something positive and they get excited about it. They don’t take it for granted. So that’s what’s awesome about Cubs fans and hang the W after every game. Win or loss, tomorrow is another day. But when you do win, enjoy it. Live in the moment." Heyward admitted he was amused to learn that manager Joe Maddon took one of his three slogans - "don't forget the heartbeat'' - based on Heyward's passionate speech before the Cubs rallied for an 8-7 win over Cleveland. "I didn’t know what a heartbeat had to do with anything," Heyward said. "He got a slogan. That’s what he does. He’s on it. He’s able to think outside the box." -- Chicago Sun-Times Ricketts: Ownership ties to polarizing Trump no concern for Cubs By Gordon Wittenmyer

MESA, Ariz. — Despite his family’s well-known ties to President Donald Trump, Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said he doesn’t fear any perception problems or impact on one of the biggest, ongoing feel-good stories in sports. Since buying the Cubs in late 2009, the Ricketts family has built and nurtured a team brand based on the character of its players and organization, work in the community and high-minded aspirations, culminating last fall in the franchise’s first World Series championship in 108 years. On the other hand, some members of the family — including cabinet nominee Todd Ricketts — have publicly and financially backed Trump, who four weeks into office has become a contentious figure in the White House. “Obviously, my brother Todd is a nominee for [deputy] Secretary of Commerce,” Tom Ricketts said Saturday during his annual spring media session. “My sister [Laura] was a bundler for Hillary Clinton. A family has different political views. “Away from that, I don’t think anything that’s going on in D.C. has any impact on us right now at all.” With the Cubs’ already high profile continuing to skyrocket, could that change in the next few months — or weeks — if controversy and scandal continue to hound the Trump White House? Never mind the ideals within a Cubs organization potentially contrasted against what many perceive as polarizing policies. What’s certain is that the Ricketts name in recent years has become far more prominent for its ownership of the Cubs and for its political ties than it ever was for the founding of TD Ameritrade. “The fact is, we do have a good culture with the Cubs,” Ricketts said, “and I don’t think anything that the White House has done or hasn’t done has any impact on that at all.” NOTES: The first rain of the spring wiped out the entire first full-squad workout schedule, and more rain is forecast for Sunday. “No consternation, no concerns,” manager Joe Maddon said. • Tom Ricketts said he wasn’t sure whether Todd will have to step down as a Cubs board member because of conflict-of-interest rules if his cabinet nomination is successful. If so, he wouldn’t be replaced on the board, Ricketts said. • Ricketts on the World Series trophy he often has accompanied on its regional tour: “It’s probably the most photographed trophy in the history of baseball, and we’re going to keep showing it. In fact, we’d like to have it on display on the plaza during games this year so people have a chance to come take a photo with it.” • The ballpark renovations will be completed by 2020, but Ricketts downplayed the possibility the Cubs could be awarded their first All-Star Game since 1990 by then. MLB has scheduled All-Star Games through 2019. -- Chicago Sun-Times Tom Ricketts wants the Cubs to be the worldwide leader in sports By Rick Morrissey MESA, Ariz. – Cubs fans are thinking repeat. Tom Ricketts is thinking world domination. The team’s chairman met with the players and coaches Saturday, thanked them for last season’s World Series title and challenged them to become a global brand associated with excellence. The instinct might be to say, “Easy there, tiger,’’ but with the Cubs finally having shed 107 years of bad history, forget coyness. Toned-down expectations? Burn ’em. Make no little plans.

“I think we have a unique opportunity to not only be considered one of the great sports teams in the U.S., but I just got back from Europe, and I think our long-term goal should be (to be) considered one of the great sports organizations in the world,’’ Ricketts said. He had been in Monaco, where the Cubs won the Laureus World Team of the Year Award, which got him thinking. And thinking big. He’s thinking along the lines of Manchester United and Real Madrid in soccer and New Zealand’s All Blacks in rugby. “What separates a really good team from a truly great team is the consistency of results,’’ he said. “We’ve won one World Series. Hopefully we’ll be in the mix again for many years to come. That’s what you associate success with. If you look at the Yankees of 15 years ago, the Patriots of today, they’re just always right in the mix.’’ For the longest time, the only way the Cubs had something in common with Man U was if someone told them, “Man, you stink.’’ Which was often. But with a championship under their belt, a young superstar in Kris Bryant and more youthful excellence in Anthony Rizzo, Javy Baez, Addison Russell and possibly Kyle Schwarber, the Cubs have changed the storyline completely. It’s to the point where Ricketts can mention the Cubs and those other international luminaries in the same sentence, and no one in the room thinks he’s a raving lunatic. “They set the standard for how people perform, and their team means something all over the world,’’ he said. “I’d like to think that one day, if we’re consistent enough and we win, that Cubs logo will mean something to people around the world, not just a team that didn’t win for a long time.’’ There’s still an incredible buzz in Chicago and in baseball over the team’s championship. Part of that is because of how big the achievement was and part of it is because the offseason seemed to last as long as a grade-school Christmas break. The players and manager Joe Maddon have spent the last few days talking about the importance of moving on from last season, of focusing on the approaching season and the opportunity to win another World Series. Good luck with that. One of the inherent conflicts after a championship is that, although the performance side of a franchise is concentrating on doing it again, the business side is trying to remind everyone at every turn that OUR TEAM WON THE TITLE! And this will be especially true of the Cubs. You’d have to be a complete idiot as a marketer not to focus on the recent success. The Cubs have always been good at selling the past, even if that past could never be mistaken for successful. Some former players have made a ton of money despite having never gotten a sniff of a World Series. Now the Cubs have something real to sell, and they should be trying to sell anything that says, “2016 World Series Champions’’ on it. Never mind that the calendar says 2017. “We’re trying to be the best organization in sports,’’ Ricketts said. “We have to look for every way to get better, every way we can.’’ That includes lots of new building projects or, if you prefer, turning Wrigleyville into Rickettsville. Plans are on schedule for a new Wrigley Field plaza, which will include a merchandise store and a Starbucks, and a four-star hotel that will house several restaurants. All that in addition to the rooftop buildings the Cubs have bought across the street from the ballpark. World domination, indeed. Ricketts said he doesn’t see his family’s ties to Donald Trump’s polarizing presidency as a possible perception problem for the team. His brother Todd, a Cubs board member, is Trump’s nominee for deputy secretary of commerce. Ricketts is right and wrong here. Cubs fans would buy tickets and merchandise if Darth Vader were

somehow associated with the team, but that doesn’t mean it’s good business or that it won’t have an impact down the line. Last fall, Ricketts vowed to get a “W’’ tattoo if the Cubs won the World Series. His memory seemed to fail him when reminded of it. “Did I say it exactly like that?’’ he said, laughing. “Well, I’ve got to think that one through. Maybe I said if they won twice.’’ In the old days, that would have been a when-pigs-fly proposition. Not anymore. -- Daily Herald From rebuilding to the parade, Epstein opens up about his emotional ride with Cubs By Bruce Miles MESA, Ariz. -- Theo Epstein is fresh off presiding over his third World Series championship. Epstein won two with the Boston Red Sox, breaking an 86-year drought in 2004 and winning again in 2007. As Chicago Cubs president, he oversaw a massive rebuild, culminating in November's World Series victory over the Cleveland Indians, ending a 108-year run of futility. On a windswept Friday afternoon at the Cubs' spring-training complex, Epstein sat down for a question-and-answer session, telling me what the experience was like on professional and personal levels. Here is our conversation. Q. Many Cubs fans said they could die happy now that their team has won a World Series. Was what happened last year the culmination of your efforts or just the first culmination? A. I don't look at is as a culmination as much as I look at it as a transformative event. For fans, it provided joy and redemption and pride and opens the door to a whole new way, I think, to experience Cubs baseball while at the same time validating all the time and energy and passion and love they have given. And for us, both in Boston and here, people would always spend time worrying what it would be like after you won a World Series. Would it be as much fun? Would it be the same? It doesn't have to be the same, but I can tell you from experience in Boston, it's better. Everything gets enhanced after you win. There's more interest in the team. There's greater connection, if possible, between the fans and the players. Our players feel they have a special place in the fabric of the city, which they do. Q. It seemed the Red Sox were no longer as lovable as they were before they won more than one World Series. Do you worry about that happening with the Cubs, or is not being lovable a good thing? A. There are a few differences. In '04 when we won, we had a really veteran team. Here we have this unique young nucleus of really likable players who all are going to be here for a while. Our fans already have relationships with these guys and will continue to get to know them better and better over the next five years. Look, I think when you win a lot and you win every single year, there's a certain segment of the country that's not going to care for you because of the Horatio Algers. They root for the underdogs. But I think we can learn from that. I think our players are likable, and that should mean that a lot of folks who were rooting for us in the World Series in '16 hopefully will continue to be on our side. Q. What was the parade and rally like for you on visceral, emotional level?

A. It was one of the best experiences of my life. There had been so much anticipation about what it would be like to see everyone celebrating and so happy and see the town come alive. It exceeded even our wildest expectations, the degree of passion and the volume of people. On a personal level, I never wanted to entertain the notion of having to leave Chicago without having been part of a World Series championship. That's one of the feelings I had during the celebration and during the parade, that I did have that weight lifted from my shoulders and just enjoy the whole experience of being in Chicago while the Cubs are a good team. Q. Was that feeling different from what it was in Boston? A. Similar feelings, but I'm at a much different point in my life now. I'm more mature. I have kids. I feel like I have a much better perspective on it, that maybe it came too soon in Boston and I didn't appreciate how rare it was, how meaningful it was, how many things have to come together to make it happen. I think I maybe appreciate this one a little bit more. Q. Do you allow yourself to think about how far the organization has come? A. At some times I think about that. Joe (Maddon) and I went to dinner (Thursday), and we just started talking about how wonderful a place this is right now, where there is a special feeling around camp. We have high-character players. We give a lot of freedom to them. We really trust them to do the right thing. It really kind of runs itself. Thanks to our players, it means something to be a Cub now. I think from ownership to the front office to the manager and coaching staff to the players to the minor leagues to the facilities, there's a lot to like about this organization now, and I appreciate it. I'm in a unique spot where I get to see all the levels come together. I don't take it for granted. It has come a long way. I think primarily it's a testament to what our players have done and how supportive they have been to one another and the organization along the way. Q. What was the most daunting aspect of the rebuild? A. It was probably around May of 2013 or so when we felt like we had such a talent deficit. We knew we needed six to 10 impact players in order to get where we wanted to go. We felt like we had only one or two. We didn't know where they were going to come from. Then all of a sudden in rapid succession, we drafted (Kris) Bryant. We made a couple big trades. Other players we had previously acquired had started to blossom. Within about an 18-24-month span, our nucleus really came together quickly. There were some tough moments. As the talent started to come in and change what it meant to be a Cub and change our expectations, the picture really started to crystallize. Q. The math of the postseason makes it hard to repeat. What should fans realistically expect in the fall or in the season leading up to the fall? A. It's important not to look past the regular season. If we do our jobs, we will put a team on the field that almost every year can win 90-plus games and get into the playoffs. That in and of itself will give us a chance to win multiple World Series. But if we catch some breaks and respond to adversity the right way and do our jobs well, we hope to be peaking if we're lucky enough to have the opportunity to play in October. We're not going to win every year. Actually look no further than the 2016 playoffs. We were in the ninth inning of Game 4 against the Giants. We were one inning from having to beat Johnny Cueto to survive. We were down two games to one and hadn't hit at all in two straight games against the Dodgers and came back against them having to beat (Clayton) Kershaw in order to avoid a Game 7. Then we were down three games to one against Cleveland and blew a lead late in Game 7.

Your mortality in the playoffs shows up constantly. I don't want to say that it's World Series-or-bust every year, but I do feel like we're the type of organization that can win every year if we do our jobs and get a few breaks. That's really a testament to how talented this nucleus is. Q. Would you like to be the 1990s-2000s Atlanta Braves of the late teens and early 2020s, not that you're going to win only one World Series but that you're going to be a team in the postseason every year? A. I have tremendous respect for the teams that are synonymous with October baseball whether it's the Braves or the Yankees, the Red Sox, Cardinals. I do feel five years from now if the Chicago Cubs are synonymous with October baseball and hopefully winning multiple championships, that would be a job well done. -- Daily Herald Cubs chairman Ricketts wants team to be a global brand By Bruce Miles MESA, Ariz. -- Today the World Series. Tomorrow the world. That's how Chicago Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts sees it for his championship organization. Fresh off last November's World Series victory, Ricketts is looking for world-class status for the Cubs brand. Ricketts addressed the media Saturday after talking to Cubs players and staff. Rain showers canceled the team's outdoor spring-training workouts. "I say, 'Whatever you did last year, just keep doing it,'" Ricketts said when asked what he could say to a world-championship team. "From my standpoint, it was 'thanks.' It was really the first time we've ever gathered since the games. Everybody comes to the convention, but there's no real sit-down so it was a real nice chance for me to thank the players on behalf of the organization and on behalf of the family and on behalf of all the fans. "I also said I think we have a unique opportunity to not only be considered one of the great sports teams in the U.S., but I just got back from Europe and I think our long-term goal should be one of the great sports organizations in the world." Ricketts was in Monaco this past week because the Cubs were honored as Team of the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards. Asked what he considered the great sports organizations of the world, Ricketts cited a couple of world soccer powers as well as a rugby juggernaut. "What separates a really good team from a truly great team is the consistency of results, he said. "We've won one World Series. Hopefully we'll be in the mix again for many years to come. That's what you associate success with. If you look at the Yankees of 15 years ago, the Patriots of today, they're just always right in the mix. "On the global side, you look at teams like ManU (Manchester United) or Real Madrid (both soccer teams) or the All Blacks (New Zealand rugby). They set the standard for how people perform, and their team means something all over the world. I'd like to think that one day if we're consistent enough and we win, that Cubs logo will mean something to people around the world, not just a team that didn't win for a long time." Fans of Manchester City or Barcelona may quibble with Ricketts' citing of Manchester United and Real Madrid, but the Cubs already have a huge national following in the U.S., so the world is the next stage to conquer. On other subjects, Ricketts said the championship ring has been designed but that it would not be revealed until April 12, when players receive them in a pregame ceremony.

Ricketts also said that it is not inevitable that Wrigley Field will get an All-Star Game even though 2020 might be ideal because ballpark renovations will be done by then. "I think that it would be great for the league, it would be great for the game and it would be great for Chicago to have it at Wrigley Field," he said. "Nothing's inevitable on that. There's a process we have to go through and inevitably at some point and hopefully at some point soon, the commissioner will give us the nod." As for the championship trophy, Ricketts said the Cubs "would like to have it on display in the plaza during games this year so people have a chance to come take a photo with it." The new plaza, part of the renovations, will be "coming online this year," Ricketts said. -- Daily Herald Rozner: Chicago Cubs have graduated from cute and cuddly By Barry Rozner After the way he managed the past two rounds of the postseason, it would be easy to forget the magic Joe Maddon has worked since arriving in Chicago. But at least one Chicago Cubs player doesn't want you to do that. "I don't think people even realize what he's done," said Anthony Rizzo, who has been here through the worst and best of Cubs baseball. "He changed the way everyone around here thought. He doesn't get enough credit for that." When Maddon arrived before the 2015 season, there was little belief that the Cubs could compete. A .500 season would have been a significant leap forward, with the 2016 season considered as one in which the Cubs might finally threaten for a playoff spot. Maddon, however, put no ceiling on the season. In golf-swing parlance, Maddon began spring training 2015 by showing the players how to put the left hand on the club. In Week 2, he demonstrated the proper way to grip with the right hand. In Week 3, they began to address the ball. In Week 4, it was balance. Week 5 was how to shift weight, and when the season started they were working on the take-away. He never let them think about how good they were. He never let them feel pressure. He never let them look at the standings or think about tomorrow. One tiny step at a time with the focus on today -- and only on today. By the time they faced the San Francisco Giants in a critical wild-card matchup in early August 2015, Maddon was ready to have them grip it and rip it. The Cubs swept the Giants in a four-game series and haven't looked back. It was a job done remarkably well by the manager. He took over a preschool class and slowly moved the kids along, one grade level every week or two, urging them to celebrate each graduation and insisting the process be hard and fun at the same time. By the time they entered last season as the favorites to win the World Series, coming off an NLCS sweep at the hands of the Mets, the Cubs were ready to go out into the world as professionals and take the National League apart.

Maddon was the perfect guy at the perfect time for the perfect team. But the Cubs are the world champs now and they really don't need their hands held anymore, which makes the current attempt to find the right T-shirt and slogan feel a bit pedestrian. And unnecessary. In talking to the players at the Cubs Convention, it was easy to see their temperatures rising already with a month to go before camp. They are still young, but they're now proven and hungry to beat the snot out of someone again. They're not just happy to be here. They're not just happy they won a World Series. They're not just excited to get their rings. They don't lack for motivation or confidence. They are, however, facing the prospect of an eight-month grind after a short winter, and fatigue -- both mental and physical -- is a real concern, but that is also where Maddon works wonders. He has the luxury of a flexible and deep lineup that should help keep his position players fresh, and Theo Epstein has been collecting pitchers all winter, hoping that will keep the pitching staff nimble as well. But there won't be a slogan that makes a difference this year. T-shirts are fine. They make lots of money for the ballclub and revenue is a good thing. No one gets hurt in the process. It's cute. It just feels so elementary school for a group that has left the university and gone out into the world to make its own way. It's difficult to imagine the Yankees or the Patriots forcing this into the conversation, and it's no longer necessary for the Cubs. They are, after all, the world champs. They don't have to be cute and cuddly anymore. --