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Imrem: Chicago Cubs' Rizzo one fine role model

A brief bit of relief was provided this week during the Chicago Cubs' slide toward mediocrity.

Anthony Rizzo hit for the cycle in heartwarming fashion.

The home run was a grand slam. The triple cleared the bases. The double ignited a rally. The single was a game-winner.

Figuratively speaking.

On Chicago Sun-Times' website, a picture was worth a thousand basehits: Rizzo was shown at the bedside of a young cancer patient.

The accompanying story reported that the Anthony Rizzo Foundation donated $3.5 million to Lurie Children's Hospital.

Rizzo, a cancer survivor, made the youngster smile. He made everyone associated with Lurie smile. He made me smile.

Actually, Rizzo made me choke up as I read the article.

The report was a reminder that many prominent athletes are more than the numbers on the back of their uniforms and trading cards.

Rizzo has been in a deep slump, and he didn't play in Wednesday's 3-0 loss at Colorado. These are difficult times for the defending World Series champions.

This player and team are fair game for whatever degree of criticism you want to level at them for their play.

You know, like Jay Cutler was when he was the quarterback for the Chicago Bears during eight frustrating years.

After Cutler revealed last week that he was transitioning from the field to the TV booth, I questioned his passion for playing football.

Meanwhile, Bears chairman George McCaskey pointed out in a news release that Cutler "had an extraordinary impact off the field, doing things for people - especially kids - without expecting or wanting any recognition."

Cutler, a diabetic, spends considerable time with youngsters who have the disease.

As is the norm, what Cutler didn't provide on the field received much more attention than what he provided in the community did. There are many more eyes and cameras in stadiums and ballparks than at hospitals and fundraisers.

The media is adept at compartmentalizing the player and person with the two not necessarily overlapping.

If a quarterback throws 4 interceptions on Sunday, they tend to obscure that he visits with the less fortunate on Monday.

The same goes for teams like the Bears, Cubs, Blackhawks, White Sox and Bulls, all of whom are judged primarily by won-loss records.

Around the time the Rizzo/Lurie story hit the web, an email arrived from the Sox with the headline, "WHITE SOX CHARITIES' '25 FOR 25' CAMPAIGN BEGINS TOMORROW."

The subhead read, "25-Hour Charitable Campaign Celebrates Organization's 26-Year Tradition of Giving."

Over that period of time, far less publicity was given to the Sox's charity work than to either their World Series championship or sub-. 500 records.

The same goes for all teams that use their visibility to raise money and spread it among worthy causes.

Well, this week Anthony Rizzo struck a nerve that struck home and couldn't be ignored any more than a strikeout is.

Rizzo represented all professional, college and even high school athletes - and all teams - that contribute time, energy and money to those in need.

That said, sir, now get some hits because we're going back to focusing more on your batting average than your charity work.

Hey, what can I say, it's what we do.

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