CHICAGO — A pregame video montage of his profession as a Cub adopted by a standing ovation practically introduced New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo to tears earlier than his group shut out Chicago 3-0 on Friday.
Rizzo had successful and a stroll in his first recreation at Wrigley Subject since being traded to New York in 2021.
“I used to be attempting to carry it collectively,” Rizzo mentioned afterward. “However you need to take pleasure in these moments. I used to be simply being uncooked. I liked it right here. I liked taking part in at Wrigley day by day. The environment is unmatched.”
Rizzo, 35, performed 9 seasons in Chicago earlier than being traded, serving to the Cubs to a World Collection title in 2016 — the group’s first in 108 years. For that cause, in addition to his charitable work inside the Chicago neighborhood, he is thought of one of the beloved figures from that period of Cubs baseball. On Friday, he hosted greater than 200 most cancers sufferers on the recreation.
“It was fairly cool, 40,000 folks appreciating him the way in which he deserves,” former teammate Ian Happ mentioned.
From 2012 till he left, Rizzo hit extra residence runs at Wrigley than every other participant within the league. He was additionally the de facto group captain because the Cubs went to the postseason 5 totally different occasions.
“I wish to soak it up all weekend,” Rizzo mentioned of his return. “I do not know the subsequent time I will be capable of play on this discipline. I hope we win. That is it. That is the most important factor.”
The Yankees secured a win in Recreation 1 of the sequence as 4 pitchers mixed for a one-hitter whereas Aaron Choose drove in his one hundred and twenty fifth run of the season with a double within the third inning. It was all New York wanted to interrupt a two-game shedding streak because the Yankees try and wrestle the AL East away from the Baltimore Orioles.
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Rizzo hopes to assist after getting back from a fractured arm that stored him out of the lineup for greater than two months.
Earlier than the sport, Rizzo mentioned getting traded — particularly to the Yankees — was the most effective factor to occur to him as a result of it took him out of his consolation zone.
“Getting traded has taught me a lot about life typically and helped me develop as a person,” Rizzo mentioned. “When that will get uprooted, you stroll into someplace the place you are a rookie once more. It is about constructing relationships once more.”
Rizzo has constructed these relationships at each cease of his profession, particularly in Chicago, the place the followers feted him each time he took the sector or got here to the plate. His place in franchise historical past is safe.
“It was an awesome second,” Rizzo mentioned of the pregame ceremony. “It is one thing that I will bear in mind without end and cherish without end. To have the ability to come again and get that second was actually particular.”
