Introduction: The Final Out and the Enduring Legacy

The air in Cleveland on that November night in 2016 was thick with 179 combined years of championship futility. The Chicago Cubs held a one-run lead. It was the bottom of the tenth inning of Game 7 of the World Series. Cleveland had a runner on first with two outs. Michael Martinez chopped a slow roller toward third base. Kris Bryant charged. His face was a mask of concentration. He fielded the ball and fired a perfect strike across the diamond. A smile broke across his face. Waiting at first base was Anthony Rizzo. He secured the catch, stuffed the baseball into his back pocket, and threw his arms skyward. The Chicago Cubs were World Series champions, the 108-year curse shattered in a single moment of triumphant release. 

The final out was recorded by the team’s undisputed leader. That catch became the defining image of a generation for Cubs fans. It was the culmination of a historic rebuild and the peak of a remarkable career. Yet, the story did not end there. After a decorated tenure in Chicago and a final chapter in New York, Rizzo’s journey came full circle. On September 10, 2025, he officially announced his retirement. He chose to do so as a member of the Chicago Cubs. He simultaneously accepted a role as a team ambassador. This final act framed his entire career. Although he wore other uniforms, Anthony Rizzo’s story is forever a Chicago Cubs story. His career exemplifies resilience. It highlights leadership. It shows the profound bond between a player, a city, and a championship that changed everything.  

The Kid from Parkland: A Dream Derailed and Redefined

Anthony Vincent Rizzo’s journey began on the sun-drenched diamonds of South Florida. He was a standout first baseman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. He was a promising prospect with a commitment to play for Florida Atlantic University. The Boston Red Sox selected him in the sixth round of the 2007 MLB draft. He chose to begin his professional career. He signed for a $325,000 bonus. Early scouting reports identified his plus raw power, though some scouts noted a lack of fluidity in his swing. He was a project, but one with immense potential.  

Just as his dream was taking flight, it was nearly grounded forever. In April 2008, while playing for the Class-A Greenville Drive, the 18-year-old Rizzo noticed his ankles were severely swollen. A concerned teammate urged him to tell his father, a decision that likely saved his career and his life. He visited doctors in South Carolina and Boston. Then he received a devastating diagnosis: Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. It is a rare cancer of the lymph nodes. “I was 18 years old. I felt on top of the world. I was playing professional baseball while all of my friends were off at college,” Rizzo later recalled. “I had no idea what cancer was or anything about chemotherapy”. 

The diagnosis was not merely an obstacle to be overcome; it became the foundational event that forged his character. It happened at the most vulnerable point of his young career. This forced a level of maturity and perspective far beyond his years. He returned home to South Florida for six grueling months of chemotherapy under the care of Dr. Izidore Lossos at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. During that time, he came to a profound realization. As difficult as the fight was for him, it was even harder on his family. This experience planted the seed for his future philanthropic work and instilled in him a deep sense of purpose. When he was declared cancer-free, he returned to baseball. He was no longer just a prospect. He was a survivor, armed with a resilience that would define the rest of his career.  

A Pawn in the Game: The Trades that Shaped a Future

Back on the field, Rizzo’s power potential quickly made him a top prospect in the Red Sox system. By 2010, he was hitting for both average and power. He belted 25 home runs and drove in 100 runs between High-A and Double-A. His performance put him on the radar of other teams. In December 2010, he became a key piece in a blockbuster trade. The Red Sox made a “win-now” move. They traded Rizzo, pitcher Casey Kelly, outfielder Reymond Fuentes, and infielder Eric Patterson to the San Diego Padres. They received All-Star first baseman Adrián González in return.  

The hype surrounding Rizzo in San Diego was immense. The San Diego Union-Tribune called him the “most celebrated Padres call-up” since Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar. His Major League debut on June 9, 2011, however, was a struggle. The young first baseman looked overmatched, hitting just.141 with one home run and 46 strikeouts in 128 at-bats over 49 games. For many prospects, such a disastrous debut could be a career-altering setback. For Rizzo, it was merely a prelude to the move that would define him.  

On January 6, 2012, the Chicago Cubs made a landmark decision. They were under the new leadership of President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein and General Manager Jed Hoyer. They executed what would become one of the most consequential trades in franchise history. They acquired Rizzo and pitcher Zach Cates from the Padres for pitcher Andrew Cashner and outfielder Kyung-Min Na. This was not a simple trade for a struggling prospect. It was the culmination of a multi-year, multi-organization belief in Rizzo’s talent and character. Epstein and Hoyer primarily held this belief. Epstein’s front office had drafted Rizzo for the Red Sox in 2007. They had intimate knowledge of his makeup from day one. Hoyer, as the Padres’ GM, had specifically targeted and acquired Rizzo in the González trade a year earlier. When they reunited in Chicago, one of their first significant moves was to trade for him again. They completely disregarded the small, statistically poor sample size of his MLB debut. They trusted their years of scouting and personal conviction in his underlying talent and mental fortitude. The move was the first clear signal of the new Cubs regime’s philosophy. They prioritized their own evaluation of high-character talent. They valued this over short-term statistical noise.  

The Cornerstone of the North Side: Building a Champion

Anthony Rizzo’s arrival in Chicago marked the true beginning of the franchise’s historic rebuild. He made an immediate impact. He earned National League Rookie of the Month honors for July 2012. This achievement came after he hit seven home runs. The following May, the Cubs signaled their long-term belief in him, signing him to a seven-year, $41 million contract extension. This was a crucial move. Rizzo was committing to a team in the midst of a painful, multi-year teardown. The organization was anointing him its foundational piece long before any success was realized.  

His career arc in Chicago became inseparable from the franchise’s own. His individual growth and the team’s ascent were not parallel events but a single, intertwined narrative. As the Cubs endured losing seasons, Rizzo developed into one of the league’s premier first basemen. From 2014 to 2016, he was named an All-Star three consecutive times. He received MVP votes each year. Twice, he finished fourth. He became known as a complete player. He blended power and patience at the plate. His defense at first base was elite and award-winning. By the time his Cubs career concluded, he ranked sixth on the franchise’s all-time home run list with 242.  

More than his statistics, Rizzo became the emotional core and undisputed leader of the team. As the next wave of talent—Kris Bryant, Javier Báez, Kyle Schwarber—arrived in the majors, Rizzo became the established veteran presence. He set the tone in the clubhouse and provided the stability necessary. This stability was crucial for the young core to flourish around him. His peak performance coincided with the team’s transformation. The team went from a 101-loss laughingstock in 2012 to a 103-win juggernaut in 2016. He was not just a great player on a great team. He was the cornerstone of the championship team.

Year	Age	G	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	HR	RBI	WAR	Awards
2014	24	140	.286	.386	.527	.913	32	78	5.6	All-Star, MVP-10
2015	25	160	.278	.387	.512	.899	31	101	6.4	All-Star, MVP-4
2016	26	155	.292	.385	.544	.928	32	109	5.8	All-Star, MVP-4, GG, SS
2017	27	157	.273	.392	.507	.899	32	109	4.7	MVP-13

Table 1: Anthony Rizzo’s Peak with the Chicago Cubs (2014-2017).

October Legend: Breaking the Curse

The 2016 postseason began as a personal struggle for Rizzo. Through the first seven games of the playoffs, he struggled significantly. This included the NLDS and the start of the NLCS. He was mired in a deep slump, slashing a mere .077/.200/.077. But legends are forged in moments of adversity, and Rizzo’s turnaround was dramatic. In Game 4 of the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he ended his slump. He did this by hitting a home run. Then, in the decisive Game 6, he famously launched another homer off ace Clayton Kershaw. This helped send the Cubs to the World Series.  

He carried that momentum into the Fall Classic against Cleveland, where he was the Cubs’ most consistent offensive threat, hitting.360 for the series. His performance was defined by an ability to make crucial, high-pressure adjustments that created legacy-defining moments. The Cubs had been shut out in Game 1. In the first inning of Game 2, Rizzo stepped to the plate against Trevor Bauer. Bauer’s game plan was to attack Rizzo’s weakness with fastballs up and in. Rizzo battled, fouling off three such pitches. Then Bauer made a single mistake. He left a two-seam fastball a few inches below his target. Rizzo punished it. He hammered a 104 mph double to the right-field wall. This scored Kris Bryant from first. It gave the Cubs their first run of the World Series. The hit shifted the series’ momentum.  

He delivered another crucial RBI single in the top of the tenth inning of Game 7. He drove in Bryant once again. But his most indelible contribution came minutes later on defense. Bryant’s throw sailed across the infield for the final out. Rizzo was there to secure it. This ended the longest championship drought in American sports history. It also etched his name into baseball immortality.  

The Pinstripe Postscript: A New York Story

All great eras come to an end. By mid-2021, the Cubs’ championship core was approaching free agency, and the team was struggling. On July 29, 2021, the franchise officially turned the page. They traded Rizzo to the New York Yankees for prospects Kevin Alcántara and Alexander Vizcaino. Before leaving Wrigley Field for the last time as a Cub, he took a moment for a sentimental farewell. He walked out to the famous ivy-covered wall, spread his arms, and leaned back. This gesture was a tribute to the city he had called home for a decade.  

His tenure in New York began with a rejuvenation. The short right-field porch at Yankee Stadium perfectly matched his left-handed swing. This was demonstrated by a memorable three-homer game. Two of the blasts were classic “Yankee Stadium homers” with low expected batting averages. In 2022, he recaptured his prime power form, launching 32 home runs and posting a strong.817 OPS. It appeared the shrewd acquisition had extended his productive years.  

However, his time in pinstripes also illustrates the cruel reality of how a single injury can alter a career’s trajectory. In May 2023, a collision at first base led to post-concussion syndrome. The condition went undiagnosed for weeks, derailing his season. It continued to have lingering effects into 2024. His production plummeted, not due to a gradual, age-related decline, but as a direct result of the injury. He had found the perfect park to maximize the twilight of his career. Then, a fluke injury robbed him of the ability to take full advantage. He made one final trip to the postseason, reaching the 2024 World Series where the Yankees fell to the Dodgers. Following the season, the Yankees bought out the final year of his contract, making him a free agent.  

Year	Age	G	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	HR	RBI
2021	31	49	.249	.340	.428	.768	8	21
2022	32	130	.224	.338	.480	.817	32	75
2023	33	99	.244	.328	.378	.706	12	41
2024	34	92	.228	.301	.335	.637	8	35

Table 2: Anthony Rizzo’s New York Yankees Tenure (2021-2024).

More Than a Game: The Rizzo Foundation and the Clemente Award

Anthony Rizzo’s legacy extends far beyond the foul lines. His philanthropic work is not a footnote to his baseball career. It is a parallel and arguably more significant life’s work. Baseball served as the platform for this work. In 2012, he became a full-time major leaguer with the Cubs. That same year, he established the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation. The foundation’s mission stems from his own battle with cancer. It provides financial and emotional support to children and their families facing the same fight.  

The foundation’s impact has been immense. It has raised millions of dollars, funding a $3.5 million endowment at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago and pledging over $1.9 million to support the research of Dr. Lossos, the very doctor who saved his life. Rizzo’s personal involvement is deep. He makes frequent hospital visits. He also provides direct financial grants to families struggling with the non-medical costs of a cancer diagnosis.  

In 2017, his tireless work was recognized with Major League Baseball’s highest honor for community service: the Roberto Clemente Award. The award solidified his status as one of the game’s great humanitarians. Baseball fans will remember the All-Star and World Series champion. A vast community of families will remember him as a life-changing philanthropist. Patients and researchers recognize his ultimate purpose as realized off the field. This purpose was enabled by his success on it.  

Conclusion: A Cub Forever

Anthony Rizzo concluded his 14-year career as one of the most accomplished and respected players of his generation. He played in 1,727 games. He amassed 1,644 hits, 303 home runs, and 965 runs batted in. His career Wins Above Replacement was 40.4. His trophy case includes three All-Star selections. It also has four Gold Glove Awards and a Platinum Glove. Additionally, he earned a Silver Slugger Award and the coveted World Series ring.  

His legacy, however, is far more than a collection of statistics and awards. He is a cancer survivor who became a beacon of hope. He was a champion who broke the most infamous curse in sports. He was a revered clubhouse leader who guided a young team to glory. He is also a dedicated humanitarian whose impact will be felt for decades.

Rizzo’s playing days ended with the harsh realities of free agency for an aging veteran. He then took control of his own narrative. He decided to officially retire as a Chicago Cub. Becoming a team ambassador was a conscious act of legacy curation. It was a definitive affirmation of his identity. This formally closed the chapters in San Diego and New York. It solidified his place in the heart of the franchise he helped redefine. The final act brought his remarkable story to a fitting, full-circle conclusion, forever enshrining him as a Cubs legend.