Rizzo now looking forward to what's ahead for Chicago Cubs

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

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

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

First baseman Anthony Rizzo says he's ready.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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