One last victory lap
Convention final bow for champs, then back to work
Anthony Rizzo wasn't sure how to forecast the reception he and his teammates would receive at Friday night's opening ceremonies at Cubs Convention.
“I really can't see it any crazier than it was last year,” said Rizzo, whose Cubs went from National League finalists to World Series champions in 2016 for the first time since 1908.
“But then again, I couldn't picture the parade being what it was.”
Festivities are expected to be overwhelming during the three-day event at the Sheraton Grand Chicago.
“For us to finally do it and be part of that team is super special,” Kyle Schwarber said.
But in slightly more than one month, the adulation will shift to the reality of preparing to defend their crown with opponents eager to dethrone them.
“You want more,” said Rizzo, who traveled to Thailand in the offseason and encountered Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel during a recent trip to the British Virgin Islands. “Success is very addicting. You just want to keep going. All the perks that have come this year have been amazing after we win. You see guys after they win championships go on a couple of talk shows.”
Those shows included “Live With Kelly,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “Saturday Night Live,” on which Rizzo appeared with David Ross and Dexter Fowler.
“When I work out now, (people ask), ‘How are you going to get back going?' It's easy. I want to do it again. Everyone else will have that mentality as well.”
Rizzo enjoyed getting away as much as he could during the offseason, adding that “I'd be crushing myself being ready” if he had not taken vacations.
“I've been (working out) on the road, but not as hard as I would be if I was at home,” Rizzo said. “The body needs a break, and why not have fun doing it?”
That fun won't last long, as Giants All-Star catcher Buster Posey can attest after winning three World Series.
“You're playing longer than anyone else, and the mental strain takes its toll on you,” Posey said Monday. “And those (postseason) games are so intense you have to be ready really quickly to get back into 162 games that aren't going to be played with that high intensity level but still have a lot of high significance.
“Each game has a ton of significance, so you have to be ready every night.”
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