CHICAGO — In a world where home runs can change the outcome of a game, there was one hit that didn’t score, didn’t register, but went straight to the hearts of millions. Anthony Rizzo, the former Chicago Cubs captain who once beat cancer and became a living symbol of resilience, stepped into the spotlight once again. Not with a bat in his hand, but with his heart on his sleeve.
In the summer of 2025, Rizzo no longer wore a Cubs jersey, but his spirit never left Wrigley Field. One afternoon in July, at his annual charity event, Rizzo met Ella, a 12-year-old leukemia survivor. On Ella’s head was a hat with the Rizzo Family Foundation logo, and on her hand was a small glove her mother had sewn from a letter of encouragement from Anthony four years earlier.
“You’re the reason I never gave up,” Ella said. Rizzo fell silent, his eyes shining. And then he had an idea that would take Chicago’s breath away…
On August 16, the Cubs hosted the Cardinals at Wrigley Field. On the guest list was an unusual name: Ella Grace, Rizzo’s guest of honor, who sat in the front row behind home plate.
In the middle of the sixth inning, the Cubs were down 2–1. As young pitcher Owen Caissie stepped up to bat, a special clip suddenly appeared on the big screen: Rizzo—in his white-and-blue uniform—sent a message:
“Chicago, we don’t just play ball. We fight for those who can’t.”
Shortly afterward, Caissie hit a beautiful double to give the Cubs the lead. But the most memorable moment wasn’t on the scoreboard. On the screen, the camera panned to a crying Ella—and Rizzo, from the VIP box, stood up, raising his left arm with a gold bracelet that read: “Happy > Cancer.”
The crowd raised their hands, a sea of gold filling Wrigley Field as the city pledged.
Rizzo’s story is well known: at age 18, newly signed by the Red Sox, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. After six months of treatment, he returned to the field as if nothing had happened – but inside, he was a man forever changed.
Throughout his career with the Cubs, Rizzo was more than just a bat. He was the heart, the glue that held the locker room together, and an inspiration to the young cancer patients he visited quietly for more than a decade.
“I used to think I hit to win games,” Rizzo said after the special game. “But now, I know: Every swing is an opportunity to rekindle hope.”
From that moment on, hundreds of Chicago families sent letters of thanks to Rizzo and the Cubs. The “Happy > Cancer” campaign spread to schools, youth soccer fields, and social media. Ella – now the face of the campaign – said she wanted to become a doctor to “help others win like I did.”
In a baseball era dominated by numbers and pitching speeds, Anthony Rizzo reminds us that there are things that cannot be measured – like the power of faith, kindness, and compassion.
At Wrigley Field that day, the Cubs may have won just one game. But the city, and the millions watching, had won something much bigger: fear, despair… and the disease that had robbed so many children of their smiles.