April 9, 2017; April 18, 2017 – At the relatively young age of 27, Anthony Rizzo was acknowledged as the leader of the Chicago Cubs team that won the 2016 World Series, ending 108 years of frustration for the franchise and its fans. That season the 6-foot-3, 240-pound left-handed first baseman hit .292 with 32 homers and 109 RBIs. His leadership role was confirmed symbolically at the 2017 home opener at Wrigley Field when, standing in the center field bleachers, he was the first to hoist the World Series flag, followed by his teammates. He then emerged from the grandstand and carried the World Series trophy across the field.

That Rizzo would play such a big role in the Cubs’ long-awaited triumph was hardly predictable when the Fort Lauderdale, FL, native was chosen by the Red Sox out of high school in the sixth round of the 2007 amateur draft. He then was traded twice before he was 22. Not exactly the normal trajectory of a can’t miss prospect. To make matters worse, in 2008 he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and underwent six months of chemotherapy. In 2012 the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation was established to raise money for cancer research and to provide support to children and their families battling the disease.

A tireless worker, Rizzo broke into the majors in 2011 with the San Diego Padres, who then traded him to the Cubs in the offseason. In 2013 he became the starting first baseman and was selected to the All-Star team three consecutive years beginning in 2014. He finished fourth in the MVP vote in both 2015 and 2016 and won the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards in 2016. In 2013 Rizzo also played in the World Baseball Classic, hitting third for Team Italy, which advanced to the second round for the first time. In 2017 he won the Roberto Clemente Award, which honors a player who combines good play and strong work in the community.