Happy Yankee

In the dugout last night

Last night marked the first anniversary of Anthony Rizzo's appearance in a Yankee uniform. He marked the occasion with a home run.

His trade last year broke my heart. He was my favorite Cub. He made the final out in the 2016 World Series, ending our 108-year drought. He has four Gold Gloves for his fielding. Three All-Star game appearances. No one plays with greater heart or joy.

He is also an inspiring philanthropist. I've written many times about his work with pediatric cancer patients. But there's this, too. During the pandemic, he made sure that 4,500 health care workers got lunch. He bought the lunches through independent Chicago restaurants struggling through the Covid lockdown. It's no accident baseball bestowed the Robert Clemente Award on him.

So naturally the heartless Ricketts family (owners of the Cubs) chose not to pay the man and instead traded him. 

I won't lie. I cried real tears when he was traded. 

But he's doing well in New York. It's still only July, and he's already racked up 24 home runs and 59 RBIs. (For contrast, in the entirety of 2021 he hit 22 homers and 61 RBIs.)

Bud was right. Mr. Wiser is a wise man. At the time Bud told me the Bronx is the place for Rizz at this point in his career. (He is 32.) If there's any justice in the world, the shit way the Cubs treated Anthony Rizzo will bring him his second World Series ring.