Rizzo retrieves Busch home run ball at Wrigley Field during 2016 anniversary ceremony
The incident occurred following the dedication of the “Champions Gate” at Wrigley Field, which marked a decade since the Chicago Cubs ended their 108-year championship drought.
Former Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo recovered a home run ball hit by current teammate Michael Busch during a game against the Minnesota Twins at Wrigley Field on Saturday. The event took place shortly after a pre-game ceremony dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Cubs’ 2016 World Series victory.
Busch hit a solo home run in the first inning against the Twins, marking his 12th of the season. The ball landed in the concrete of the right-field bleachers rather than being caught on the fly. Rizzo, who played 10 of his 14 seasons with the Cubs, reached behind to pick the ball up from the concrete and held it aloft with a young boy on his shoulder.
The recovery occurred in the context of a ceremony dedicating the “Champions Gate,” an arching, 31-foot wide structure on the west side of Wrigley Field. Team owner Tom Ricketts, 2016 manager Joe Maddon, and Rizzo addressed the crowd during the event. The ceremony included approximately 20 players from the 2016 championship team.
Rizzo was a key contributor to the 2016 squad, which ended a 108-year championship drought for the franchise. During the 2016 regular season, he hit .292 with 32 home runs and 109 RBIs. He added three home runs and 10 RBIs in the postseason. Rizzo is a three-time All-Star whose career with the Cubs is widely recognised.
Before the game, Maddon and the former players returned to the field, where right-hander Kyle Hendricks threw a ceremonial first pitch. The source material does not specify the final score or outcome of the matchup between the Cubs and the Twins.
