Chicago Cubs should bring back the captain title for Anthony Rizzo

Chicago Cubs: Another statue in-the-making?

This weekend, the Chicago Cubs’ offense was lackluster. Still, the team heads back to Wrigley Field with a 1-1 split in the NLDS thanks largely in-part to Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo.

In the series, Rizzo became the Cubs’ all-time postseason home run leader. Granted, there aren’t a lot of names on that list – but still. It speaks to what he brings to the table when it matters most. In last year’s World Series, he batted .360 against the Indians – and helped the Cubs reach the Fall Classic with a .320 mark in the LCS against Los Angeles.

2017 marks Rizzo’s fourth-straight 30-homer campaign. And, in three consecutive seasons, he eclipsed the 100-RBI plateau. And he doesn’t just put up big offensive numbers – last year, he won the Platinum Glove Award for his defense along with a third-straight All-Star selection.

But more than anything, he’s a leader in the ways you can’t measure with numbers.

He’s deeply engrained in the community, spending off-days at local children’s hospitals talking with cancer patients and their families. His charity, the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation, has raised millions of dollars for the cause. He cares deeply for the people around him – both in and out of the clubhouse.

Learning from David Ross, Rizzo is ‘close’ to becoming the guy on the North Side. A young veteran at just 28 years of age, he’s playing on a team-friendly deal – one that gives the Cubs great financial flexibility.

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He’s paid his dues. It’s time to give him a great honor – and make sure he goes down in the history books. Who knows? Another decade in Cubbie blue and someday, we might see a #44 flying down the line at Wrigley.