Like Javy Báez before him two weeks ago, Anthony Rizzo will finally make his first return to Wrigley Field since the 2021 Trade Deadline deal that sent him to New York. It will be emotional. It will just be emotional. It’s already emotional.
Although Javy Báez was beloved by the fans in so many ways for so many reasons, that affection between the fans and Anthony Rizzo was a little different. Borne less out of the individual jaw-dropping moments, and more out of the consistent, steady, reliable presence that Rizzo offered at first base for nearly a decade in Chicago. The Cubs don’t have captains, but if they did, you can safely bet that Rizzo would’ve had that second ‘C’ on his Cubs uniform.
Which is not to say there weren’t tremendous individual moments. The walk-offs. The ultra-aggressive charging plays at first. That one long battle after Wrigley fully opened again and he homered against the Cardinals. The multiple tarp catches. “Respect me!” The times he pitched. When he played on a hamburger ankle. Years and years of memories. And, of course … THE final out.
Rizzo’s impact was felt so deeply in Chicago, where he put down roots. Where he connected with fans every day. Where he made a real impact in the community, through his family foundation and through his own efforts. He was a Florida guy who’d been adopted by the city and who had adopted it right back.
Anthony Rizzo will get all the love we can muster this afternoon when he returns to Wrigley Field. As Rizzo himself once said, I’m an emotional wreck.
