Anthony Rizzo's Next Act

Anthony Rizzo joined the show from South Florida with his wiener dog Kevin barking in the background and the baby sleeping. Three-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glover, World Series champion with the Cubs, now on NBC Sports. Rich opened with the obvious question. When was the last time Rizzo paid for his own meal in Chicago? Answer: a while. His go-to is a steakhouse on the river, and his guys always take care of him.

Rich walked him back to the 2016 parade. Rizzo said it blew away every expectation he went in with. Five million people stretched from Wrigley to Grant Park, 40 or 50 deep. The river dyed blue. Ten years later, he still hears the stories. Fans at cemeteries listening to Pat Hughes on the radio. Grandparents in hospitals. Rizzo said hearing the fan side of it is pretty special.

The conversation moved to Aaron Judge. Rizzo's favorite quality is how Judge treats everyone with class at his level of stardom. He watched Judge chase 62 from the top step. Judge never let on. Teammates felt the pressure more than he did. The night before the record fell, Rizzo, Judge, and their wives were all hanging out in Texas like it was a normal night. Their dogs, Kevin and Judge's dachshunds Penny and Gus, are friends.

Then Rich pivoted to the Dodgers. Who beats them? Rizzo said the only vulnerability is fatigue. The formula they have built around starting pitchers getting healthy in October is a problem, and the new playoff format lets teams limp in if they are healthy. Three World Series runs in a row is a lot of mental load. That is the opening, if there is one.

Facing Ohtani, Rizzo said, is fun. He treats the superstars like the best part of the job. When you face the aces, you play like a kid. Ohtani pulled in a new country of baseball fans.

Rich asked the deferred money question. Is it fair? Rizzo played it even. Every team can do it. The Dodgers figured out the niche. Players make life-changing money up front, so deferrals are not the issue from their end. He pointed back at the Yankees dynasty. Someone told him when he won the World Series that hate is confirmation you are doing it right. One championship is cute.

On ABS, Rizzo loves it. Umpires are more locked in. Courtesy strikes are gone. Hitters are flipping counts from 1-2 to 2-1, which changes at-bats deeper in games.

The bit landed with DelTufo, who showed up in a Dodgers hat after 30 years as a Yankees fan. Rizzo was polite. Rich was not. DelTufo held the line, said he likes both teams now. Rizzo admitted he was rooting for the Yankees in the Series and still has flashbacks to Freeman's walk-off.