WOW: Anthony Rizzo to Retire as a Chicago Cub in Weekend Ceremony

It hasn't even been a decade since Anthony Rizzo was the (admittedly, relatively veteran) heart and soul of an exceptionally young World Series championship team. It's not supposed to be time, yet, for him to come home solely for a sunshine sendoff. Rizzo, 36, was still supposed to be coming up with big hits right now, whether it be for the Cubs or for some other team. Injuries played a role in his early decline, but that doesn't make it any less disappointing. Of the potential future Hall of Famers on that 2016 team, it felt like Rizzo had the easiest path. He'd already accomplished so much, so young. He could do so many things, and he brought such extraordinary charisma to the field and the clubhouse. He was a great player with a Tony Perez-like marathon career left before him.

Obviously, it didn't pan out that way. Instead, the last anyone saw of Rizzo in competitive play was when he and Gerrit Cole were unable to convert a tricky ground ball by Mookie Betts into the final out of the fifth inning in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series. Rizzo looked old and broken throughout New York's run to the pennant, and his lack of mobility was part of the reason why the Yankees lost the Fall Classic. His whole post-Cubs career has been a bitter disappointment, just as (for practically everyone involved) the very fact of his departure from the team was a major disappointment. Nothing has been quite right on the North Side since Rizzo left, but on the other hand, nothing was quite right there even for the last three years of his time with the team.

And you know what? Come Saturday, all of that frustration and bitterness and tarnished memory gets wiped away. The happy beginning of Rizzo's career gave way to a stormier middle than anyone would have preferred, but now, he and the team get a happy ending.

Rizzo batted .272/.372/.489 in 1,308 games in a Cubs uniform. He was the first major acquisition of the Theo Epstein/Jed Hoyer era, and the first pillar they put in place for what became the redemptive championship team. He turned out to be perfect for that uniquely challenging role, with the blend of sheer talent, dedication to craft, humor, grace, and fearless tenacity required to obliterate a century of futility. He was the leader of that team, in every sense, and while some of their later failures might rest partially at his feet, their early successes all have to be draped on his shoulders.

It's been a season of mixed vibes at Wrigley Field. The Cubs are October-bound, but they've underachieved for much of the summer. An infusion of sheer joy (and, perhaps, a bit of magic) could be just what the doctor ordered. Rizzo and the team have already sketched out a long-term relationship that will bring a great community benefactor back into the picture. This is good news, and it should make for an unexpectedly festive atmosphere this weekend in Wrigleyville.