Anthony Rizzo says he’ll be in the bleachers at Wrigley Field on Saturday, watching the Cubs battle the Tampa Bay Rays.
That’s simply the perfect way to celebrate the news that Rizzo, who was the cornerstone of the Cubs’ monumental ending of the longest championship drought in pro sports, is retiring from professional baseball as a Chicago Cub and will become one of the team’s “ambassadors.” It’s a role given to team legends like Billy Williams and Fergie Jenkins, and Anthony Rizzo certainly belongs among them.
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In his memorable decade as a Cub, Rizzo, 36, was a true man of the people in addition to being a stellar — and fearless — player.
About that fearlessness. Rizzo is one of just nine Major League Baseball players to have been hit by a pitch more than 200 times. It was no accident. Rizzo stood in the batter’s box almost on top of the plate, daring pitchers to come inside and keeping them from easily retiring him by dotting the outside corner. He paid the price and never complained.
And the results were undeniable. A left-handed hitter, Rizzo in his career hit .256 against left-handed pitching, clubbing 73 of his 303 home runs. For any manager, it was a luxury to be able to write Rizzo’s name in the lineup no matter who was on the mound.
When the Cubs were expecting the opposing team to bunt, Rizzo would race in from his first base position with no apparent concern about his physical well-being. The tactic not only intimidated would-be bunters, but it often enabled Rizzo to throw darts to second base and foil the bid to sacrifice and move the runner into scoring position. Charging home plate in that way meant that if the hitter was swinging and not bunting, Rizzo was helpless to protect himself if the ball was hit toward him.
Perhaps part of that fearlessness came from Rizzo’s experience as a cancer survivor. He’d been through more struggle than most who join the big leagues, and he devoted innumerable hours and treasure to the cause of helping kids with cancer.
Trading for Rizzo was one of the first moves Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer made when Cubs owner Tom Ricketts hired them to dismantle and rebuild the team into a title contender. Both had believed in Rizzo from the start of his career while they were with different teams; their belief as it turned out was well-founded. Rizzo was the team’s star when they were losing by design in order to amass draft picks. By the time the Cubs finally climbed the mountain, Rizzo’s star power on the team had been eclipsed by the likes of Kris Bryant and Javy Baez. But he was the team’s undisputed leader, its heart and soul.
So, as we recoil at the onslaught of awful news coming at us day after day, Rizzo’s retirement as a Cub is a welcome respite, news in which all can rejoice and say: Yes, that’s exactly as it should be.
We aren’t able to say that often enough these days.
So, enjoy the adulation you’ll receive Saturday in the bleachers, No. 44, while you’re no doubt having a cold one or two. The weather looks like it will be fine, and you will be where you belong.
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