{"id":218631,"date":"2025-09-11T16:45:16","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T16:45:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/218631\/"},"modified":"2025-09-11T16:45:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T16:45:16","slug":"44-things-about-former-chicago-cubs-star-no-44-anthony-rizzo-chicago-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/218631\/","title":{"rendered":"44 things about former Chicago Cubs star No. 44 Anthony Rizzo \u2013 Chicago Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chicago Cubs fans didn\u2019t get to say goodbye<\/a> to first baseman Anthony Rizzo when he was traded to the New York Yankees in 2021. Rizzo wasn\u2019t in the starting lineup<\/a> in the team\u2019s final home game before the trade deadline.<\/p>\n

After announcing the end of his MLB career<\/a> Wednesday, however, Rizzo showed his heart remains on the North Side. He will retire a Cub and become an ambassador for the team.<\/p>\n

The accolades received during Rizzo\u2019s time on the North Side are plentiful \u2014 three All-Star nods, four Gold Gloves,\u00a0a Platinum Glove\u00a0and a Silver Slugger award.<\/p>\n

But the 36-year-old cancer survivor also gained fans for his work with pediatric patients, his fun-loving demeanor and his adorable pet.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a look at 44 things to know about Rizzo as No. 44 returns to Chicago.<\/p>\n

\n

Column: Anthony Rizzo \u2014 \u2018everybody\u2019s go-to guy\u2019 \u2014 returns to the Chicago Cubs family<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

1. Anthony Vincent Rizzo<\/strong> was born in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Aug. 8, 1989<\/a> \u2014 one year after the Cubs were supposed to play their first night game<\/a> at Wrigley Field.<\/p>\n

2. Rizzo\u2019s parents were originally from New Jersey<\/strong> where Lyndhurst Pastry Shop<\/a> later carried an Italian ice treat<\/a> named after the first baseman. It was side-by-side scoops of \u201cYum Yum\u201d (vanilla) and chocolate.<\/p>\n

3. He competed<\/strong> at Coopertown Dream Parks<\/a> in New York with the Bombers in 2002.<\/p>\n

4. As a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School<\/strong> in Parkland, Fla., Rizzo was named to the Class 6A All-State Baseball team<\/a> in 2007 as an infielder. Also on the team? Former Chicago White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal.<\/p>\n

5. After a gunman<\/strong> shot 17 people dead<\/a> \u2014 including Rizzo\u2019s former football coach Aaron Feis<\/a> \u2014at his former high school in early 2018, Rizzo returned to Florida to speak at a prayer vigil<\/a> for the victims. In 2020, Rizzo donated $150,000 <\/a>and\u00a0helped raise additional funds<\/a> so the school could install lights for its baseball and softball fields.<\/p>\n

6. The shooting caused Rizzo<\/strong> to advocate for stricter gun legislation<\/a> and criticize those who bullied student activists.<\/p>\n

7. Thanks to his mother\u2019s scream<\/strong>, Rizzo found out he was drafted on June 8, 2007. The Boston Red Sox \u2014 under general manager Theo Epstein \u2014 took the Sun-Sentinel Broward County Class 6A-5A-4A Player of the Year in the sixth round of the MLB draft<\/a> with the 204th pick overall.<\/p>\n

8. He then had a tough decision to make<\/strong>. After hitting .468 with 11 home runs and 40 RBI, Rizzo signed<\/a> a national letter of intent to play at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, where his older brother, John,<\/a> played football.<\/p>\n

9. Another FAU scholarship<\/strong> had been extended to Palm Beach Community College pitcher Stephen Vento<\/a>, who\u00a0the Cubs\u00a0selected<\/a>\u00a0in the 23rd round of the same draft.<\/p>\n

10. Ultimately, Rizzo skipped college<\/strong> and received a $325,000 bonus<\/a> by signing with the Red Sox<\/a>.<\/p>\n

11. While he was playing first base in April 2008<\/strong> for the Red Sox\u2019s High-A affiliate Greenville Drive in South Carolina, Rizzo experienced curious symptoms,<\/a> including swollen ankles. He was diagnosed on May 8, 2008, with Limited Stage Classical Hodgkin\u2019s Lymphoma and went home to Florida<\/a> for treatment. Rizzo\u2019s grandmother was fighting breast cancer<\/a> at the same time.<\/p>\n

12. Red Sox pitcher (and future Cubs teammate) Jon Lester<\/a><\/strong>, who had been diagnosed with anaplastic large cell lymphoma, offered Rizzo this advice: \u201cI just told him to be normal. Be as normal as you can be. And I know that can be hard to do with chemo and the different drugs and the way you feel day to day. On the days I felt good, I got up and went fishing. I went to the gym. I did stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

13. Another burst of joy from Rizzo\u2019s mother signaled<\/strong> he was cancer-free. The family was on a flight to Texas in early fall 2008 to watch his older brother John\u2019s FAU football team. That\u2019s when they learned that after 12 chemotherapy treatments, Rizzo\u2019s cancer was in remission<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

\u2018He is the real deal\u2019: Anthony Rizzo\u2019s legacy in Chicago extends beyond his Cubs success through his work with Lurie Children\u2019s Hospital<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

14. The Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation<\/a> was created in 2012<\/strong>\u00a0to support pediatric cancer patients and their families.<\/p>\n

15. Rizzo was presented with baseball\u2019s Roberto Clemente Award<\/a><\/strong> on Oct. 27, 2017, for his work with pediatric cancer patients. He was the third Cub to receive the award following Rick Sutcliffe in 1987 and Sammy Sosa in 1998.<\/p>\n

16. In its 14th year, Rizzo\u2019s foundation<\/strong> will hold another \u201cWalk-off for Cancer\u201d<\/a> 5K run\/walk in Parkland this December to raise money for pediatric cancer treatment.<\/p>\n

17. Rizzo was traded by the Red Sox<\/a> on Dec. 6, 2010<\/strong>, to the San Diego Padres with pitcher Casey Kelly, outfielder Reymond Fuentes and a player to be named later (Eric Patterson) in exchange for five-time All-Star first baseman Adri\u00e1n Gonz\u00e1lez.<\/p>\n

18. While playing Triple A baseball<\/strong> in Tucson, Ariz., for the Padres, Rizzo led the Pacific Coast League<\/a> with 63 RBIs and batted .365 by early June 2011. He finished the 2011 season<\/a> with 26 home runs and 101 RBIs, a .423 on-base percentage and .652 slugging performance<\/p>\n

\"Padres'Padres’ Anthony Rizzo goes into third base with a triple in front of the Nationals’ Alex Cora during the fifth inning at Petco Park on June 9, 2011 in San Diego. (Denis Poroy\/Getty)<\/p>\n

19. Rizzo, then the Padres\u2019 No. 3 prospect<\/strong>, was called up by then-general manager Jed Hoyer, and his first MLB start<\/a> came on June 9, 2011. Rizzo, who started at first base, had a triple, two walks and scored a run in San Diego\u2019s 7-3 win over Washington at Petco Park.<\/p>\n

20. On Jan 6, 2012, Hoyer and Epstein<\/strong> \u2014 both then in the Cubs front office \u2014 traded 2008 first-round pick Andrew Cashner and minor-league outfielder Kyung-Min Na to the Padres in exchange for Rizzo<\/a> and minor-league right-hander Zach Cates.<\/p>\n

21. The Cashner trade wound up being<\/strong> one of the most lopsided deals<\/a> of the 2000s. Rizzo developed into a player who logged 40.4 Wins Above Replacement for the Cubs, while Cashner totaled 3.2 with the Padres.<\/p>\n

22. On May 12, 2013, the Cubs showed their faith<\/strong> in Rizzo by giving him a seven-year, $41 million contract<\/a>\u00a0with two option years through 2021.<\/p>\n

23. He averaged 154 games a year<\/a> for the Cubs<\/strong> from 2014-19, hitting .283 and averaging 29 home runs and 103 RBIs per season.<\/p>\n

24. Rizzo was the 18th Cub to wear No. 44<\/strong>. Only one other player wore it longer \u2014 1945 NL MVP and three-time All-Star Phil Cavarretta<\/a>. The Lane Tech grad joined the Cubs at age 18 \u2014 before he graduated high school \u2014 and stayed 20 years. Cavarretta also played two for the White Sox. The number was unofficially taken out of commission by the Cubs until 1971 but never retired. No Cub has worn Rizzo\u2019s number in a regular-season game since he left the team.<\/p>\n

\n

Column: Anthony Rizzo has no regrets over his \u2018bad breakup\u2019 with the Chicago Cubs \u2014 \u2018I wish them well\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

25. When he was traded on July 29, 2021,<\/a> to the Yankees<\/strong>, Rizzo couldn\u2019t wear No. 44; that was retired for \u201cMr. October\u201d Reggie Jackson<\/a>. Rizzo wore No. 48 instead.<\/p>\n

26. In his first Cubs game on June 26, 2012<\/strong>, Rizzo drove in the game-winning run<\/a> for a 5-3 win over the New York Mets and shrugged off the huge expectations when he met afterward with the media.<\/p>\n

\"CubsCubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo is hit by a pitch in the eighth inning during a game against the Giants on May 22, 2017, at Wrigley Field. (Brian Cassella\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n

27. Rizzo set a franchise record with the Cubs<\/strong> for the number of times he was hit by a pitch:<\/a> 165. In his MLB career, Rizzo was struck 222 times by pitches \u2014 8th all-time<\/a> in the league according to Baseball Reference \u2014 due to his close-to-the-plate batting stance.<\/p>\n

28. Only five players have hit more home runs<\/strong> as a Cub than Rizzo. Four are in the Hall of Fame \u2014 Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Ron Santo and Ryne Sandberg. Sammy Sosa leads the franchise with 545 homers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

29. Seven Cubs struck out more often than Rizzo<\/strong>, who whiffed 871 times<\/a>. Rizzo was followed by Kris Bryant.<\/p>\n

\"Cubs'Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo celebrates his home run against the Cardinals in the third inning on Sept. 19, 2019, at Wrigley Field. (Brian Cassella\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n

30. Rizzo hit more home runs (7) and RBIs (14)<\/strong> off former Milwaukee Brewers reliever Wily Peralta<\/a> than any other pitcher he faced in his career, according to Stathead Baseball.<\/p>\n

31. Of all the pitchers Rizzo faced at least 20 times<\/strong>, former left-handed starter Gio Gonzalez<\/a> had the most success against Rizzo, giving up two singles in 32 plate appearances to hold him to a .063 batting average.<\/p>\n

32. Rizzo, himself, pitched twice<\/strong> during his time as a Cub. Manager Joe Maddon summoned Rizzo to the mound<\/a> in 2018 with two out in the top of the ninth and the Arizona Diamondbacks winning 7-1. Rizzo induced A.J. Pollock to fly to center field on a 61 mph fastball that brought loud cheers from the Wrigley Field crowd. Rizzo\u2019s first mound appearance in this 997th major-league game followed a scoreless inning by backup catcher Victor Caratini.<\/p>\n

33. On April 28, 2021, Rizzo returned to the mound<\/a><\/strong> and faced three batters. He struck out<\/a> Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman in the seventh inning.<\/p>\n

34. Who can forget the \u201cBryzzo\u201d bromance?<\/strong> (BTW, the nickname was bestowed<\/a> on the pair by the Tribune\u2019s Paul Sullivan.) Rizzo and Bryant were inseparable besties while both played for the Cubs. From an ESPN commercial<\/a> to a bobblehead<\/a> and customized bats<\/a>, the friendship was even emblazoned on \u201cBryant Rizzo 2016\u201d T-shirts.<\/p>\n

\n

\u2018Bryzzo,\u2019 an oral history: The stories behind MLB\u2019s hilarious ad campaign<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

35. Bryant and Rizzo teamed up<\/strong> for their most memorable play for the last out<\/a> in the thrilling, extra-inning Game 7 of the 2016 World Series. Their gloves from that moment were later put up for auction<\/a>.<\/p>\n

36. Rizzo tucked that World Series-winning game ball<\/strong> into his back pocket and presented it to team chairman Tom Ricketts<\/a> during the Cubs\u2019 championship celebration.<\/p>\n

37. Rizzo met <\/strong>Emily Vakos<\/strong><\/a>, who attended Arizona State, in 2016 during Cubs spring training in Arizona. Vakos interned<\/a> for the Cubs\u2019 nutrition team.<\/p>\n

\"AnthonyAnthony Rizzo with his then-girlfriend, now wife, Emily Vakos before the All-Star Home Run Derby at Petco Park, in San Diego on July 11, 2016. (Nuccio DiNuzzo\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n

38. On an off day in 2017<\/strong>, Rizzo proposed to Vakos<\/a> aboard a boat on Lake Michigan. (It was one year after Rizzo helped orchestrate a surprise proposal<\/a> for a Cubs fan at a local sports memorabilia show.) The couple married<\/a> on Dec. 29, 2018.<\/p>\n

39. Ironically, Rizzo\u2019s wedding ring<\/strong> was recovered from Lake Michigan earlier this month by diver Yohei Yamada, according to Block Club Chicago<\/a>.<\/p>\n

40. The Rizzos introduced<\/strong> their new dachshund Kevin<\/a> to fans in early 2020.<\/p>\n

41. In early 2021, Kevin was featured<\/strong> prominently on a customized pair of Rizzo\u2019s cleats<\/a> he nicknamed the \u201cKevin 1s.\u201d<\/p>\n

42. It was a photo of Kevin<\/strong> \u2014 wearing a bandana that said \u201cBig Brother\u201d \u2014 on Instagram<\/a> that announced the Rizzos were expecting their first child in June 2025.<\/p>\n

\"Yankees'Yankees’ Anthony Rizzo salutes the crowd before batting against the Cubs in the second inning at Wrigley Field on Sept. 6, 2024. (Terrence Antonio James\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n

43. Rizzo received a standing ovation<\/a> from fans<\/strong> in September 2024 as his walk-up music<\/a> (\u201cIntoxicated\u201d by Martin Solveig & GTA) was played. It was the first time he played at Wrigley Field since being traded to the Yankees three years earlier. The Yankees declined Rizzo\u2019s $17 million club option<\/a> for the 2025 season.<\/p>\n

44. The night before Rizzo announced his retiremen<\/strong>t, he returned to Yankee Stadium with his wife and young son. Rizzo chugged a Bud Light<\/a> when he was shown on the ballpark\u2019s Jumbotron.<\/p>\n

Want more vintage Chicago?<\/p>\n

Thanks for reading!<\/p>\n

Subscribe to the free\u00a0Vintage Chicago Tribune<\/a>\u00a0newsletter, join our\u00a0Chicagoland history Facebook group,<\/a>\u00a0stay current with\u00a0Today in Chicago History<\/a>\u00a0and follow us on\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0for more from Chicago\u2019s past.<\/p>\n

Have an idea for Vintage Chicago Tribune? Share it with Kori Rumore at\u00a0krumore@chicagotribune.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t