Is Rizzo next in a long line of great Chicago's athletic leaders?
As the assistant general manager with Boston in 2005, Jed Hoyer still remembers the Chicago White Sox arriving at Fenway Park in early October and beating the Red Sox to complete a 3-game sweep in the American League division series.
Hoyer also remembers Paul Konerko.
"You could tell he was a leader," Hoyer said. "A really solid, veteran leader."
Konerko was a guiding force for most of his 16-year hitch with the White Sox, and he helped them win the World Series in '05.
Look elsewhere around the city, and you've see individual engines driving their teams to championships with a combination of athletic skill and the willingness to lead.
Jonathan Toews is the epitome of a leader with the Chicago Blackhawks, steering them to three Stanley Cup championships.
While winning six titles with the Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan might have been the best least ever in professional sports.
The Chicago Cubs have a clubhouse full of leaders. It's a big reason why they're in the playoffs for the second straight season and in the World Series this year.
If you're looking for an obvious go-to guy in the Cubs' clubhouse, it's natural to turn to Anthony Rizzo.
Not only is he an offensive force and a gifted glove at first base, Rizzo, along with relief pitcher Travis Wood, are the senior-ranking Cubs. They've both been on the roster since 2012.
With veterans like David Ross, Jon Lester and Ben Zobrist on the roster, Hoyer isn't ready to put the leadership spotlight completely on Rizzo.
"I think he's getting there," Hoyer said. "For now, I think David Ross has been wonderful for Anthony. I think with David there to offer that kind of guidance, three or four years from now Anthony's really going to be a leader. He just turned 27.
"As he gets older and gains more experience, I think that's going to be very important. I think Anthony wants to be a leader and I think he's well on his way."
A good leader never panics, so Rizzo is keeping calm even with the Cubs down to the Indians 2-1 in the World Series.
The Cubs also trailed the Dodgers 2-1 in the National League championship series and Rizzo was riding a 2-for-19 slump.
He got hot, and so did the Cubs.
"Personally, I was upset, but I knew the team was where we needed to be," Rizzo said. "Anything I do, anything any of us do, we want to be the best at. So it's annoying, for sure, but it's what makes our team so great is everyone has each other's back and everyone's rooting for everyone."
Cubs outfielder Albert Almora was only 11 when the White Sox swept the Astros in the World Series, but he was paying attention to what was going on.
"I remember watching Konerko growing up, and Anthony is a lot like that," Almora said. "I never played with Paul, but Anthony, off the field, on the field, he's a definite leader. You look up to him and try to learn from him. It's great being his teammate."
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