Chicago Cubs: Ranking the top five greatest Anthony Rizzo moments

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Anthony Rizzo is one of the greatest Chicago Cubs players of the decade, so it seems appropriate to discuss the biggest moments of his career thus far.

It’s hard to think of a more important player for the Chicago Cubs this decade than first baseman Anthony Rizzo. The highly flexible, slugging first baseman and souvenir company partner has been with the team through their highest of highs and lowest of lows, coming in clutch whenever the team needed a big hit.

Rizzo is the last remaining remnant from the rebuilding Cubs teams, debuting in 2012 after being traded from the Padres. Since then, he has been a franchise icon, arguably becoming the Mr. Cub of the modern age (subscription required). Thus far, he has appeared in three All-Star Games and received MVP votes every year from 2014 to 2018. He has racked up 217 home runs in a Cubs uniform and played in 1,158 games with the team.

Of course, throughout those games, there are a few moments that stand out. Rizzo’s performance on the field has created magical moments at Wrigley Field and beyond that cemented his place as arguably the top player on the North Side this decade.

First, there is one ground rule. I’m limiting these moments to on-field moments. As much as I could point to his good deeds that earned him a Roberto Clemente award in 2017, his appearance on Beer Money alongside now manager David Ross, and introducing the Bryzzo Souvenir Company alongside corner infielder-in-crime Kris Bryant, I want to focus on the performance side of things. With that out of the way, let’s look back on some of the best moments from Rizzo’s career thus far.

5. The Tarp Catch – CHC v. MIL, 2015

Throughout Rizzo’s time in Chicago, he has pretty consistently played Gold Glove caliber defense, earning three such awards during his career. This was yet another example of his amazing athleticism at first base.

During a 2015 game against the Brewers, Ryan Braun popped up a ball that should have landed foul in the stands. The Wrigley Field tarp blocked the part of the wall where the ball was about to land just past. No tarp, however, could save Braun from being called out as Rizzo climbed on top on top of it and leaned into the crowd to make a spectacular catch.

What’s insane about this catch is that it isn’t even the only time he’s done it. A year later, he instead climbed the wall itself to reach in and nab a Keon Broxton pop-up. Naturally, the Brewers must have been pretty frustrated by Rizzo who just couldn’t not get them out.

Still, I really love the tarp catch. It demonstrates Rizzo’s willingness to go above and beyond most players, seeing obstacles in the way of his catch as mere stepping stones. It’s part of what makes him such a good defender at first base.

Is this a bit of reckless disregard for one’s own safety for the sake of making a catch? Perhaps. Then again, I doubt Rizzo would have attempted to climb the tarp if he didn’t see a chance for a play to be made. If he lands in the stands, he just makes more memories for those up close to witness it.

4. Lefty-lefty crime off of Hader – CHC @ MIL, 2018

Yet another moment that took place against the Brewers and an iconic one at that. One of the biggest knocks against Rizzo in his career is that he isn’t the greatest against fellow left-handers. This made it all the more shocking when he rocked lefty super reliever Josh Hader for a two-run bomb in the late innings of a game in 2018.

Yeah, the Chicago Cubs ultimately lost this game, but the moment hit like a ton of bricks nonetheless. Prior to Rizzo’s blast, Hader hadn’t been taken deep by a lefty that year, making the home run even more shocking when it happened. Even ignoring his dominance against lefties, Hader recorded video game numbers in general in 2018, posting a devastating 0.811 WHIP and 15.8 K/9.

Had the Cubs won this game, this moment would have certainly gotten more attention. Beating Hader is an accomplishment already, but as a lefty it is nigh impossible. The comeback, no doubt, would have been considered legendary.

There might be other more important moments in Rizzo’s career, but I still remember the shock I felt when it happened and I always bring this up as one of my favorite moments from the 2018 season. It’s more of a symbolic moment than anything, but it still gives me chills when I remember watching it live.

3. Back-to-back off of Boxberger in 1000th career game – CHC v. ARI 2018

This is a moment you could feel coming before it happened. I remember calling it before the game even began that Rizzo would walk it off for the Cubs in his 1000th game, but I never thought it would actually happen. I also couldn’t imagine the epic nature in which this walk-off occurred.

The Chicago Cubs came into the ninth against the Diamondbacks down by two. Enter David Bote, who just came up to fill for an injured Bryant and hit a two-run shot off closer Brad Boxberger to tie it up for the man of the hour. Rizzo stepped up to the plate and, after taking a bad strike call, launched a no doubt moonshot to right field to cap off the 1000th game of his career.

The excitement, both for Rizzo and Bote who ended the game and in Len Kasper’s excellent call, boiled over, making this moment truly one to remember. The Cubs star got to celebrate a career milestone in style by sending fans home happy yet again.

It sounds like a storybook moment more than real life: the hometown star having a big game on an important day. It was a time to look back at all of the memories Rizzo had provided Cubs fans over the years while creating a brand new one right in front of their eyes. It’s a moment I won’t soon forget and a personal favorite of mine to revisit from time to time.

2. Rizzo breaks Kershaw – CHC v. LAD NLCS Game 6, 2016

Hader wasn’t the only tricky lefty Rizzo was able to beat for a big home run. The most famous incident in which he overcame an unfavorable matchup came in arguably the biggest game in Wrigley Field history against one of the greatest lefties to play the game.

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The Chicago Cubs had a chance to close out the Dodgers early in the 2016 NLCS, but they had to do it against future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw. The team had already put up four runs off of the lefty by the time Rizzo came to the plate, but it was his home run that had a different feel to it.

Rizzo taking Kershaw deep was one of those classic, thrill of victory, agony of defeat moments and, despite the previous runs put up, it had the feel of a killing blow. This was the moment that Cubs fans began to truly feel that it was all real and that the 2016 team was going to be the one to go all the way.

Rizzo had managed to beat arguably the game’s best pitcher at the time and the face of the franchise they would soon eliminate from the postseason. It was a symbolic victory for Chicago having their franchise icon beat the icon of the last team standing in between them and a World Series appearance.

I’ll always look to Rizzo’s home run as the moment this all became real. If we can dominate Kershaw and the Dodgers, we can beat anybody.

1. “He will glove it and throw to Rizzo! It’s in time! And the Chicago Cubs win the World Series!” – CHC @ CLE World Series Game 7, 2016

It might be seen as cheating to place the World Series win at the top of Rizzo’s best moments, but he was a crucial piece to this victory. From defeating Kershaw and the Dodgers to batting an otherworldly .360/.484/.600 with five RBIs in the fall classic, Rizzo played a part in every step of the eventual victory.

Even without all of that, Rizzo was the other half of the most important Cubs play this decade. After Indians batter Michael Martinez grounded the ball to Bryant, he made the now iconic throw to Rizzo to end Game 7 of the World Series, thus cementing himself as one of the faces of the greatest moment in modern Cubs history. Nothing felt better than seeing the new age Mr. Cub’s smiling face as he shoved the ball into his back pocket and went to hug his teammates

Even if he had struggled throughout the postseason, I have no doubt in my mind that this would still be Rizzo’s finest hour. It’s only fitting that the face of the franchise be the last one to touch the ball and cement himself as a big part of a curse-breaking team.

Next. The top five single season performances of the decade.. dark

Years from now, future generations of Chicago Cubs fans will still get to go back and watch that final out on that rainy Wednesday in Cleveland, Ohio and get to witness Rizzo in his finest moment. I wouldn’t have anyone else be in the thick of the greatest victory for the Cubs this decade, this century, and arguably ever.

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