Rizzo Retires as Cub: Cubs Legend Returns to the Team

Anthony Rizzo Returns to the Cubs as Ambassador and Will Be Honored at Wrigley Field

Former Chicago Cubs All-Star Anthony Rizzo returns to the organization as an ambassador. In addition, he will be honored with a ceremony on the field at Wrigley Field, prior to Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Rizzo, 36, played 14 seasons in MLB, including a decade with the Cubs. During his time with the team, he was selected for three All-Star Games and won four Gold Gloves. His greatest achievement was leading Chicago to the World Series title in 2016, the first for the organization in 108 years.

Anthony Rizzo was the face of one of the most successful eras in Chicago Cubs history and we are very excited for him to be part of our organization for many years,” said Cubs executive chairman Tom Ricketts.

Tom Ricketts

Rizzo played his last 3 and a half seasons with the New York Yankees, after being transferred in the summer of 2021.

Anthony Rizzo is returning to the Cubs as an ambassador, and he will retire as a Cub during a ceremony at Wrigley Field. pic.twitter.com/0mQjG36574

— MLB (@MLB) November 27, 2023

Rizzo has a career OPS of .828, with 303 home runs. His first home run came as a member of the San Diego Padres, after being transferred from the Boston Red Sox, who selected him in 2007. The Cubs acquired him via trade in 2012, shortly before his career took off. By 2014, he was already a mainstay at first base for the Cubs, who reached the postseason every year from 2015 to 2018, with Rizzo as one of the faces of the franchise. He received MVP votes in five consecutive seasons, hitting 30 or more home runs in four of those years, a remarkable feat for a left-handed hitter at Wrigley Field. Rizzo was a key player for the Cubs during the 2016 postseason, batting .360 with an on-base percentage of .484 against Cleveland in the World Series, after batting .320 in the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He formed a dynamic duo in the middle of the Cubs’ lineup with third baseman Kris Bryant, ultimately leading the team to their first title in over a century. In addition to his achievements in the field, Rizzo is known for his work outside of it, helping cancer patients. As a cancer survivor, Rizzo created the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation, with the purpose of helping children with cancer. In 2017, he was awarded the Roberto Clemente Award, the highest community service honor awarded by the league. The Cubs manager, Craig Counsell, never managed Rizzo, but faced him as a rival in the National League Central Division for more than six years as the Brewers manager.

I always felt that (Rizzo) was at the center of everything. He was a very good baseball player… He was a great defender. The way he handled the touches, he was always a very challenging player to deal with. The way he ran the bases for someone who wasn’t that fast, he was crafty,” Counsell said.

Craig Counsell

Rizzo joins other Cubs ambassadors, including Andre Dawson, Ryan Dempster, Fergie Jenkins, Lee Smith, Billy Williams, Kerry Wood, and Ben Zobrist. The Cubs’ second baseman, Nico Hoerner, expressed his enthusiasm for having Rizzo back in the organization. “I don’t know in what capacity he’ll be in the organization in the future, but it’s great to have people around, whether they’re legends like Billy Williams or (Sandberg) or whoever, who remind you of the impact you can have on the organization and the joy you can create for the fans. Having (Rizzo) like that, in any capacity, will be a lot of fun,” Hoerner said.