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Jesse RogersSep 11, 2025, 01:02 AM<\/p>\n
Close<\/a>Jesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com.<\/p>\n CHICAGO — Former Cubs<\/a> All-Star Anthony Rizzo<\/a> is returning to the organization as an ambassador for the club and will retire as a Cub during an on-field ceremony at Wrigley Field before Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays<\/a>.<\/p>\n Rizzo, 36, played 14 years in MLB including a decade with the Cubs where he made three All-Star teams and won four Gold Gloves. His biggest accomplishment was helping lead Chicago to a World Series title in 2016<\/a>, its first for the organization in 108 years<\/a>. He played his final 3\u00bd seasons for the New York Yankees<\/a> after being traded there in the summer of 2021.<\/p>\n “Anthony Rizzo was the face of one of the most successful eras in Chicago Cubs history and we are so excited he will be a part of our organization for many years to come,” Cubs executive chairman Tom Ricketts said in a statement. “His play on the field spoke for itself and was recognized with multiple All-Star appearances, Gold Glove Awards, the Roberto Clemente Award and, ultimately, being a team leader on the 2016 World Series championship team.”<\/p>\n There will only ever be one Anthony Rizzo. pic.twitter.com\/d3APSO3QWf<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 10, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n Rizzo has a career .828 OPS including 303 home runs. His first homer came as a member of the San Diego Padres<\/a> after being traded there from the Boston Red Sox<\/a> who drafted him in 2007. The Cubs acquired him via trade in 2012, shortly before his career took off. By 2014, he was a mainstay at first base for the Cubs who would make the postseason every year from 2015-18 with Rizzo as one of the faces of the franchise. He earned MVP votes in five consecutive seasons while hitting 30 or more home runs in four of those years — not an easy task for a left-handed hitter at Wrigley Field.<\/p>\n Rizzo was a key player for the Cubs during the 2016 postseason, hitting .360 with a .484 on-base percentage against Cleveland<\/a> in the World Series after hitting .320 in the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers<\/a>. He teamed with third baseman Kris Bryant<\/a> to form a dynamic duo in the middle of the Cubs’ lineup, eventually taking home the team’s first title in over a century.<\/p>\n Rizzo has been known for his off-the-field work with cancer patients as much as for his on-the-field accolades. A cancer survivor himself<\/a>, Rizzo created the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation with its sole purpose to service kids with cancer. In 2017, he was honored as the recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award<\/a>, the highest community service honor awarded by the league.<\/p>\n Rizzo joins other Cubs ambassadors including Andre Dawson, Ryan Dempster, Fergie Jenkins, Lee Smith, Billy Williams, Kerry Wood and Ben Zobrist.<\/p>\n