Then and Now

June 30 was our Rizzoversary! 11 years ago, my friend John and I were in the stands when Anthony Rizzo got his first home run as a Chicago Cub. I remember it so clearly because I believed then (correctly, it turns out) that Rizz was the going to be the linchpin of the next really great Cub team. 

Of course, hindsight is 20/20. One of the nice things about blogging this long is that I can look back and see how I felt about things in real time. And, on June 30, 2012, here's how I gushed about him.

Fast forward to 2023. 241 home runs, three All Star appearances and a World Series ring later. Now he's a Yankee, and he's hurt. He was plunked by a pitch in Oakland. Not an unusual occurrence for Rizz. The way he crowds the plate, he's one of the league leaders in HBP. I've seen him take a 90 mph ball to the thigh, the butt, the upper arm, and hardly flinch before trotting to first base. But Thursday it hit him in the elbow and he actually left the game in pain. Friday he didn't play in St. Louis. I hope he's better for Saturday. I want him to go into the All Star break on a high.