CHICAGO — There have been many homecomings for cherished former Chicago Cubs over the last few years. When Jed Hoyer decided to break up the 2016 championship core in summer 2021, these types of reunions were inevitable.
Around 22 minutes after first pitch Friday afternoon, over three years after he’d been traded to the New York Yankees, Anthony Rizzo finally got his moment. Rizzo stepped into the box, and as he’d done for nearly a decade with the Cubs, dug his left foot into the back of the chalk line to the left of home plate. He briefly stepped out of the box and raised his batting helmet to an adoring crowd of 40,101 that packed Wrigley Field to give him his props and watch a weekend series between two of baseball’s most storied franchises.
Earlier in the day, the crowd had showered Rizzo with applause and cheers after the video boards played highlights of his time in Chicago. It showed Rizzo’s biggest moments on the field with the Cubs, and perhaps more importantly, the impact he’s had on the city itself with all the work he and his wife, Emily, have done at Lurie Children’s Hospital.
As that reel ended, Rizzo stepped out of the visitors dugout and received one of the loudest cheers this ballpark has heard this season. He gave his love to the Wrigley faithful…
