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CHICAGO — Anthony Rizzo displayed his youthful exuberance throughout his time with the Chicago Cubs. In 2018, in the midst of a stretch that would end up being 42 games in 43 days, Rizzo wore his uniform on a flight to Washington, D.C. for a quick one-game makeup. His childlike wonder as he put his hands on his head after Ben Zobrist’s go-ahead double in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series is etched in every fan’s memory.
There was the time just before the 2020 season when Wrigley Field sat empty and Rizzo sat in the bleachers during a workout. It’s only fitting that this time around, he joined the fan base that embraced him and helped him build a legacy in Chicago when he sat in a packed bleachers section upon his return to Wrigley Field.
“I’m gonna sit in the bleachers,” Rizzo told reporters before Saturday’s game. “I’m gonna eat a hot dog. I’m gonna drink some adult beverages. Are we allowed to do the beer snake? Because I will be the rally starter for the beer snake.”
Not only did Rizzo, who was being honored by the Cubs as he officially retired from the game, do everything he promised, but he also bought hundreds of beers for the surrounding fans. And in the Cubs’ half of the second inning, rookie Moisés Ballesteros launched the first home run of his career, a solo shot that hit off Rizzo’s hand and ricocheted toward another fan. Just another day in the bleachers at Wrigley Field.
