The second time was the charm for Anthony Rizzo.
While sitting in the outfield bleachers at Wrigley Field during the Cubs’ 6-2 win over the Twins on Saturday, the former Chicago first baseman was able to get his hands on a homer hit by Chicago infielder Michael Busch — with his infant son in his arms.
The fans surrounding Rizzo cheered as he held the ball in the air after tracking it down, with the 36-year-old then holding his son high above his head.
The Marquee Sports broadcast booth was also in disbelief once Rizzo got the ball.
“You gotta be kidding me!” announcer Jon Sciambi exclaimed.
Even Busch was baffled at the chances of Rizzo catching his home run.
“I thought that was super, just like mind-blowing,” Busch told reporters, according to The Associated Press. “Who knows how things work out, but I thought that was pretty cool.”
Rizzo’s catch comes nearly a year after he botched a similar home run ball in the stands in embarrassing fashion.
During a game in September, Rizzo attempted to catch a homer — standing up and waving his arms to clear out the fans — from Moisés Ballesteros, only to see the ball bounce right out of his hand and into the seats behind him.
Despite the blunder, Rizzo erupted into cheers alongside the fans.
Rizzo has been in Chicago since Friday, taking part in celebrations for the Cubs’ 10th anniversary of their 2016 World Series title.
He threw out the ceremonial first pitch ahead of Friday’s game as the Cubs revealed the logo for the 2027 All-Star Game, which will be held at Wrigley Field.
“Just the 2016 team, what they did for this city and the championship that they brought was obviously a big deal,” Busch told reporters. “You could just tell from the fans how much they were loved and how much joy they brought to the city.
“And then Rizzo was kind of a cornerstone for them.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
