With his colleagues, Rizzo had a rough start in 2017, hitting just .227 at the conclusion of the month. In spite of this, by the middle of June, his OBP was hovering around .400 because of his combination of power and walks.
Attempting to boost productivity in a spot that had been problematic all year, manager Joe Maddon made the unorthodox choice to insert him in the lead-off spot on June 13th.
Anthony hit a home run in each of his first two games as the team’s designated hitter. His first at-bat as a lead-off hitter set the tone for the Cubs’ 14-3 triumph over the Mets, and he did it again against Matt Harvey the following day, but this time the Cubs lost 9-4.
When asked about it by the Associated Press following the game, he sarcastically said: “I am the best leadoff hitter in the history of baseball.
I’d like to spend the rest of my life there berating everyone who tries to do the same.” At one point on June 16th, he came within one out of becoming the first player in major league history to hit three consecutive leadoff home runs in the same game, but the umpires reversed their call and deemed it a foul ball instead.
In Maddon’s case, the call was reversed and he was removed from the game. His appearance at third base against the Cincinnati Reds came after 3B Kris Bryant was struck by a pitch and had to exit the game with the Cubs short of prospective replacements (C). Rene Rivera, the team’s new starting catcher, replaced Alex Avila at first base.
Does Anthony Rizzo Have Any Kids?
Anthony Rizzo has a son called Kevin.