Rizzo celebrated at Wrigley retirement ceremony

CHICAGO -- Nearly a decennary aft helping the Chicago Cubs to its archetypal World Series rubric successful 108 years, erstwhile archetypal baseman Anthony Rizzo returned to Wrigley Field connected Saturday to officially discontinue from playing portion being appointed an ambassador to the team. Rizzo, 36, played for the New York Yankees successful the World Series past autumn but mounting injuries contributed to him calling it quits this season.

"The past mates years I was banged up a small bit, but past twelvemonth aft breaking my limb I told my parents, I told my wife, 'hey, bask this ride,'" Rizzo said successful a property league connected Saturday morning. "So it was successful the backmost of my caput a small bit....When it didn't truly prime up and the close opportunities didn't arise...it was benignant of decided aboriginal connected that if I didn't get the close opportunity, it was astir apt going to beryllium it and I couldn't beryllium happier."

Before Saturday's crippled against the Tampa Bay Rays, Rizzo walked the outfield with his household portion being cheered by Cubs fans earlier the squad feted him with a video montage from his playing days successful Chicago. He threw retired the archetypal transportation to erstwhile teammate Ian Happ who aboriginal acknowledged him by playing Rizzo's walk-up euphony earlier his archetypal at-bat. Happ came up the twelvemonth aft the Cubs won the World Series successful 2016, a lasting representation for the retiring archetypal baseman.

"When we won, that planetary interaction we had connected a instrumentality basal connected generations of Cubs fans, is inactive lasting," Rizzo said. "We're astir going connected 10 years and anyplace we go, you perceive stories...I thought the coolest happening getting traded (in 2021) was that archetypal twelvemonth each azygous stadium I went to, determination was truthful galore Cubs fans successful my jersey coming to spot maine arsenic a Yankee and I'll ne'er hide that."

Rizzo deed 242 location runs successful a Cubs azygous which helium wore for a decennary of his career. Current Cubs manager Craig Counsell experienced him arsenic a foe portion managing the Milwaukee Brewers opening successful 2015, not agelong aft Rizzo's vocation took off.

"I ever thought Rizzo and (Javy) Baez were benignant of the bosom of this happening and benignant of the motor of those Cubs teams," Counsell said. "I enactment Jon Lester successful determination excessively actually. And it was due to the fact that it conscionable felt similar helium was impacting everything from the team's property to their play connected the field."

After beating crab successful 2008, Rizzo started the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation which yet led him to earning the Roberto Clemente grant successful 2017, the highest grant MLB bestows connected a subordinate for his off-the-field contributions.

"I retrieve looking astatine my ma and saying, I privation to commencement a foundation," Rizzo recalled. "I wanted to beryllium similar Lance Armstrong due to the fact that Lance Armstrong had the Live Strong instauration and it was truthful large astatine the time. And to beryllium capable to marque an impact, 18, 19 years later, and to person a lasting bequest present successful Chicago, and each implicit the state is conscionable thing bigger than the game."

Rizzo joked that the happening helium misses astir from his playing days is being capable to usage "multiple towels" the squad provides aft showering successful the locker room. He besides misses his teammates.

"As acold arsenic the game, I miss the guys," helium said. "I miss the conflict with the guys due to the fact that the ups and downs are great. But I miss the camaraderie."

Rizzo sat successful the near tract bleachers for Saturday's game, nearly catching a location tally ball disconnected the bat of rookie Moises Ballesteros successful the bottommost of the 2nd inning. He wanted to acquisition the assemblage which cheered him connected done his galore years successful a Cubs uniform.

"Every time you travel successful from a precocious nighttime and you're grinding and it's September 13th contiguous and you're inactive a small spot a ways from th...