Constable: Cubs fans waiting for Rizzo
The Chicago Cubs' thrilling playoff pursuit of the World Series has made playoff tickets harder to come by than main floor seats to the Broadway show “Hamilton.” But for fans of lovable slugger Anthony Rizzo, his postseason play is more reminiscent of characters Vladimir or Estragon in the enigmatic Samuel Beckett classic “Waiting for Godot.”
Waiting for Rizzo. Nothing to be done by Cubs fans, except to hope that Rizzo breaks out of a playoff funk that had him batting .050 with one hit in 20 at-bats going into Sunday's night Game 2 of the National League championship series against Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw.
It doesn't help when Rizzo pops up in his first at-bat, while his Dodgers counterpart, Adrian Gonzalez, smacks a homer to give L.A. a 1-0 lead.
“I just want to give Rizzo a hug,” says fan Sara Urizar, who takes in Sunday's game at Wrigley Field with her brother-in-law, Carlos Urizar, 39, of Roselle. “I love Rizzo, but I'm kind of in (Javier) Baez-land right now. And (Willson) Contreras. I love all the young guys on this team.”
The Cubs posted a 4-1 record in the postseason going into Sunday night's matchup against the Dodgers by getting contributions from lots of players. Backup catcher Miguel Montero smacked a joyous, game-winning grand slam in Game 1 on Saturday. Rookie Contreras contributed a clutch two-run single in the winning rally against the Giants in the series before. Center fielder Dexter Fowler made amazing catches, hit a homer and scored runs. Kris Bryant, the player likely to win the National League MVP award ahead of Rizzo, has been his steady self. Versatile Baez fields, hits and steals home. Even Cubs pitchers have bashed two postseason homers and driven in six runs.
But Rizzo, who plays baseball as if he's a little kid just having fun, has been struggling.
“Rizzo's the sparkplug,” says fan Carlos Urizar, who wears his No. 44 Rizzo jersey. “I'm not worried. I have a feeling tonight's the night.”
In his second at-bat, some fans start a “Let's go, Rizzo!” chant. Rizzo swings, sending a ball toward the nearly full moon over the right field wall. But the potentially game-tying blast hooks foul. Then he grounds out. Fans note that Rizzo is making contact, at least. Fans waiting for Rizzo to return to form can take comfort in the playwright Beckett's words, “The essential doesn't change.”
The essential Rizzo should return.
“You flip over the baseball card, the stats on the back, that's what you're going to get eventually,” says Earl Johnson, 34, who proudly wears his Rizzo jersey. Johnson met his wife, Misty Gamino, while they were both working crowd control at Wrigley Field. The Chicago couple have tickets to Game 6 of the NLCS.
“We would be OK if there wasn't a Game 6,” says Gamino, pulling for the Cubs to clinch the pennant by sweeping the three scheduled games this week in Los Angeles.
The crowd, coaxing their Clark Kent to turn into Superman, gives Rizzo a standing ovation as he draws a walk to start the Cubs' half of the 7th inning. But Rizzo can go no farther as Baez ends the inning with a line-drive third out to the warning track in center field.
“He's playing great in the field. He's a leader in the clubhouse and the dugout,” fan Brett Burgess, 42, of Plainfield, says in Rizzo's defense. “Anytime there's a big hit, he's the first one up at the top of the stairs cheering. He'll come around.”
Rizzo's final at-bat of the game comes around in the 9th inning with two outs and the Cubs still down 1-0. “Holding Out For A Hero” plays on the video board before the inning. The crowd stands, urging Rizzo to be that hero.
Instead, Rizzo hits a game-ending liner to second. The Cubs lose. The best-of-seven series moves to Los Angeles with the teams tied 1-1 and Rizzo hitting .043 in the postseason.
In 108 years of waiting for the Cubs to reclaim a World Series championship, Cubs fans know how to be patient and keep the faith. The Rev. Burke Masters, a former college baseball standout and current vocation director for the Archdiocese of Joliet, which includes DuPage County, provides the benediction for Sunday night's game and Rizzo's woes.
“Don't give up. Tomorrow's a new day. Start over. Start fresh. That's the beauty of baseball. We play every day and there's another day,” says the Catholic priest, who serves as one of the Cubs' three chaplains. “Anthony's struggling in the playoffs. But he's such a good hitter, the law of averages says he's going to come out of this. Just keep working hard. You watch, he'll probably have a major impact on the rest of the playoffs.”
Cubs fans will be waiting.