Veteran first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who spent parts of 10 seasons with the Chicago Cubs, received a standing ovation ahead of Friday's game in what served as his first time back to Wrigley Field since being traded to the New York Yankees in 2021.
Rizzo, 35, played in more than 1,300 games with the Cubs, compiling a .272/.372/.489 slash line (130 OPS+) with 242 home runs and 36.7 Wins Above Replacement. He made three All-Star Games and won four Gold Glove Awards with Chicago. He also ensured his place in franchise history by recording the final out in the 2016 World Series.
Here's a look at Rizzo being introduced to the Wrigley Field faithful:
What Anthony Rizzo means the city of Chicago and the Cubs organization cannot be overstated.⁰⁰Welcome back, Rizz. 💙 pic.twitter.com/5uaSG6XBLv
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 6, 2024
Predictably, the Cubs welcomed Rizzo back to Wrigley Field by playing a tribute video on the scoreboard:
Cubs honored Anthony Rizzo with a tribute video in his first game back at Wrigley: pic.twitter.com/YSqB8LSvZT
— Meghan Montemurro (@M_Montemurro) September 6, 2024
"I loved it," Rizzo told reporters of playing at Wrigley Field prior to the game. "The fans bring the energy there every day, similar to Yankee Stadium, similar to Fenway, similar to Dodger Stadium. I think Fenway's my favorite place to visit as a visitor, and I'm excited to go to Wrigley as a visitor and just go back and be on the other side of it."
While Friday represented Rizzo's first trip to Wrigley Field since parting ways with the Cubs, it wasn't his first time seeing his old teammates. The Yankees and Cubs have met multiple times in recent years. This weekend's trip does mark the first time the Yankees have paid a visit to Wrigley since 2017, however.
It's worth noting that Rizzo wasn't the only Yankees player with a Cubs past making his first trip to Wrigley Field since leaving the franchise. Reliever Mark Leiter Jr. dealt to New York at this summer's deadline, also checked off that box on Friday, albeit to less fanfare.