Anthony Rizzo Bids Farewell to Cubs After 14-Year MLB Journey

Anthony Rizzo, a cornerstone of the Chicago Cubs, officially retired from Major League Baseball on September 13, marking the end of a significant chapter in his life.

At Wrigley Field, Rizzo, 36, returned to the team he spent a decade with, following a stint with the New York Yankees that culminated in a World Series appearance last year. Injuries played a pivotal role in his decision to retire this season.

“The last couple years I was banged up a little bit, but last year after breaking my arm I told my parents, I told my wife, [Emily], ‘Hey, enjoy this ride,’” Rizzo shared during a press conference. “So it was in the back of my mind a little bit. When it didn’t really pick up, and the right opportunities didn’t arise… it was kind of decided early on that if I didn’t get the right opportunity, it was probably going to be it, and I couldn’t be happier.”

Before the game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Rizzo took a nostalgic walk around the outfield with family and threw out the ceremonial first pitch to former teammate Ian Happ. Looking ahead, he expressed his desire to embrace a fan's perspective.

“I’m going to eat a hot dog. I’m going to drink some adult beverages. And, are we allowed to do the beer snake? ‘Cause I will be the rally starter,” he joked with reporters at a pregame event. “I have one day to really live it up.”

In the stands, Rizzo donned a jersey signed by cancer patients he had visited over the years. He even attempted to catch a home run ball but came up just short.

“That’s why I’m retired,” he quipped, reflecting on his missed catch.

Rizzo’s legacy includes ten years with the Cubs, where he played an instrumental role in ending a 108-year championship drought in 2016. “When we won, that global impact we had on a fan base on generations of Cubs fans is still lasting,” he noted. “We’re almost going on 10 years and anywhere we go, you hear stories… I thought the coolest thing getting traded (in 2021) was that first year every single stadium I went to, there were so many Cubs fans in my jersey coming to see me as a Yankee, and I’ll never forget that.”