Retired Rizzo snares Busch's HR from bleachers
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- Anthony Rizzo recovered Michael Busch's first-inning solo homer from Wrigley's right-field bleachers, picking it up off the concrete and holding it aloft with a small boy on his shoulder — his second near-catch from the stands in a year, after Rays DH Moises Ballesteros homered there on September 13, 2025.
- Busch's blast was his 12th homer of the season, hit against Minnesota.
- Rizzo, a three-time All-Star who spent 10 of his 14 MLB seasons with the Cubs before retiring last year, dedicated a 31-foot-wide 'Champions Gate' arch on the west side of Wrigley Field before the game.
- The gate commemorates the 10th anniversary of the Cubs' 2016 World Series title that ended a 108-year championship drought.
- Rizzo hit .292 with 32 homers and 109 RBIs in the 2016 regular season, then added three homers and 10 RBIs in the postseason.
- The pregame ceremony featured owner Tom Ricketts, 2016 manager Joe Maddon, about 20 players from that title team, and a ceremonial first pitch from right-hander Kyle Hendricks.
Why it matters: The Cubs are leaning on their 2016 championship as a permanent brand asset — Rizzo headlined the ceremony, the team unveiled a 31-foot 'Champions Gate' as new ballpark infrastructure, and the franchise's current first baseman hit the homer he recovered, stitching the past and present rosters together for fans on a single Saturday.
