Anthony Rizzo has no plans of retiring after devastating Game 5 World Series loss

Former Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo was at the center of the New York Yankees collapse against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series.

The Yankees held a 5-0 lead over the Dodgers entering the fifth inning of Wednesday's game. That was the moment that the wheels fell off for the Yankees. Among the defensive miscues that the Yankees had in the fifth inning was a miscommunication between Rizzo and Yankees' starting pitcher Gerrit Cole.

What makes the Dodgers' fifth inning in Game 5 all the more unbelievable: the ball where no one covered first base was nearly identical to the ground ball Mookie Betts had already hit in his first at-bat of the night. That time, Anthony Rizzo took it himself. pic.twitter.com/2mndYhHmqP
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) October 31, 2024

Faced with the bases loaded and two outs, Cole managed to get Dodgers' right fielder Mookie Betts to hit a ground ball to Rizzo at first base. It seemed that Cole and the Yankees were going to put an end to the Dodgers' push but when Rizzo fielded the ball, he looked to flip to Cole for the final out of the frame. The only issue was that Cole was expecting Rizzo to take the out himself. The miscue between Rizzo and Cole led to the Dodgers scoring their first of five runs that inning.

It was a rare moment of lack of awareness from Rizzo. Even though the responsibility was on Cole to cover first, Rizzo, throughout his career, has proven to have a keen sense of awareness. It was the beginning of the end for the Yankees at that moment.

Rizzo had been playing through a finger injury during the postseason and while speaking with reporters after the game, the former Cubs' first baseman expressed a desire to continue his playing career next season.

Anthony Rizzo says he'll get new X-rays on his fingers tomorrow and then see what the Yankees say in the next few days about picking up his option for 2025. He said he definitely wants to keep playing.
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) October 31, 2024

The Yankees hold a $17MM club option for the final year of Rizzo's contract in 2025. While Rizzo has become a leader within the Yankees clubhouse, injuries over the last two seasons have minimized his impact on the field. As the Yankees will also have to map out a potential historic contract for Juan Soto, declining Rizzo's option may be part of that process.

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