Anthony Rizzo botches chance to catch Cubs rookie’s first career homer as he celebrates retirement

Anthony Rizzo had a blunder in the bleachers on Saturday.

During the second inning of the Cubs’ 5-4 loss to the Rays, Chicago rookie Moises Ballesteros blasted his first career home run into the left-center stands right where Rizzo, the 2016 World Series champ, was seated.

Rizzo stood up to catch the ball, waving his arms to clear out the surrounding fans, only for it to ricochet right out of his hand and onto the fans behind him.

Once the ball was finally retrieved from the ground, Rizzo and the fans erupted into cheers.

Rizzo, who officially retired from MLB on Wednesday, told reporters that he wanted to sit in the bleachers alongside the fans following his pregame retirement celebration from the Cubs.

“I’m gonna sit in the bleachers,” Rizzo said before the game. “I’m gonna eat a hot dog. I’m gonna drink some adult beverages. Are we allowed to do the beer snake? Because I will be the rally starter for the beer snake.”

Anthony Rizzo waves to the Chicago crowd before throwing out a ceremonial first pitch before the Cubs’ 5-4 loss to the Rays at Wrigley Field on Sept. 13, 2025.a baseball game. AP

Rizzo, 36, officially ended his baseball career as a member of the Cubs with Saturday’s festivities at Wrigley Field. He threw out the first pitch while the team showed a montage of the three-time All-Star’s best moments in Chicago.

Following 10 seasons with the Cubs, Rizzo spent four seasons with the Yankees, but injuries played a big role in his calling it a career.

“The last couple years I was banged up a little bit, but last year after breaking my arm I told my parents, I told my wife, ‘hey, enjoy this ride,’” Rizzo said. “So it was in the back of my mind a little bit. … When it didn’t really pick up, and the right opportunities didn’t arise … it was kind of decided early on that if I didn’t get the right opportunity, it was probably going to be it, and I couldn’t be happier.”

Anthony Rizzo (center) cheers from the bleachers during the Cubs’ loss to the Rays at Wrigley Field. Getty Images

Rizzo posted a slash of .272/.372/.489 during his tenure in Chicago, earned four Gold Glove awards and played a key role on the Cubs’ 2016 World Series team.

“When we won, that global impact we had on a fan base on generations of Cubs fans, is still lasting,” Rizzo said. “We’re almost going on 10 years and anywhere we go, you hear stories.

“I thought the coolest thing getting traded (in 2021) was that first year every single stadium I went to, there was so many Cubs fans in my jersey coming to see me as a Yankee, and I’ll never forget that.”