Heyward: Cubs' visit to White House significant for a lot of different reasons

The Chicago Cubs will make their World Series celebratory visit to the White House on Monday where the team will meet President Barack Obama, a meeting that holds monumental significance to several Cubs players.

"This is the ultimate time to go to the White House as an athlete, to meet the president after winning a ring," Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward said, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

"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."

The Cubs had the choice to visit the White House in June of next season when the team was scheduled to be in Washington to play the Nationals. Instead, the club was determined to meet with Obama before he leaves office on Jan. 20.

According to Rogers, who reached former Cubs outfielder Dexter Fowler through text, the 30-year-old said "he had to see President Obama" before his term ends.

Obama, a well-known Chicago White Sox fan, was adamant that the team meet with him immediately after the Cubs won the World Series for the first time since 1908. Shortstop Addison Russell admitted the idea of meeting with someone of Obama's stature was humbling.

"It's an honor to get an invite from the president, especially a high-profile guy like Obama," Russell said. "We're excited. There's probably about three people I would be star struck by, and he's one of them."