The Cornerstones
This story begins on July 10, 2014. The 103-win Cubs of 2016 are 100 miles away, or so it seems. This group is 14 below .500, and the Reds are homing in on a five-game series sweep. A Homer Bailey pitch bruised Anthony Rizzo's right arm in the first, but the Cubs' connoisseur of black and blue only takes exception in the ninth after Aroldis Chapman fires pitches of 101 and 100 mph over the head of teammate Nate Schierholtz.
Rizzo trots to first, hears some squawking from the Reds and does something extraordinary: He drops his glove, removes his cap and marches directly toward the Reds dugout. He's ready to fight — 1 against 25.
“I loved that. Loved it,” says Rizzo's father, John, a man whose sporting life began in New Jersey, where he played hockey with frozen rats. “It didn't surprise me one frickin' bit. Even when he was a little kid, he stuck up for his teammates.”
One of those teammates now is Chapman.
“These things happen in the heat of battle,” Chapman says through interpreter Mike Moreno. “It's nothing where we should hold a grudge. I feel he's an awesome player and teammate. I'm very happy he's on my side.”
Rizzo, it seems, is incapable of having an enemy — especially in the Cubs clubhouse. He organizes group dinners on the road and makes it a point to welcome new teammates.
“He's one of the easiest people to get along with,” Ben Zobrist says. “His personality is so infectious. You gotta like him.”
The Cubs have established veteran leaders in left-hander Jon Lester and catcher David Ross, so Rizzo is free to be himself. That's plenty good enough for manager Joe Maddon.
“He's always upbeat, positive,” Maddon says. “He plays every day, plays with enthusiasm, is definitely not afraid and is very supportive of the rest of the group. And what he does on defense, he's there to pick everyone up. He has a great outlook on the day.”
The Reds incident occurred on the final day of All-Star fan balloting, and Rizzo's brother, Johnny, remembered thinking that Rizzo's Rambo moment could propel him to his first Midsummer Classic, which it did.
Is this why Rizzo did what he did?
“No,” Johnny replies. “I think he saw 102 right at his teammate's head. Hey, you have to stand up for your teammates. That's one of my favorite moments.”
Kris Bryant pushed his champagne-soaked protective eyewear atop his forehead and took a break from sticking fistfuls of ice cubes down teammates' backs to ponder the scene — and question — in front of him as the Cubs celebrated clinching the National League Central. What would it mean for the newest Cubs superstar to follow his Rookie of the Year campaign with the National League Most Valuable Player Award? It seemed hilariously incongruous that Bryant, who has said he never has tried alcohol, offered an answer in a T-shirt that, if wrung out, would fail a sobriety test.
“We play for this right here,” Bryant said, gesturing to the delirious Cubs clubhouse.
“We don't play for any individual goal or stat. This is what you're going to remember 20 years from now. Obviously, (winning MVP) would be really cool, but every memory I have in baseball is celebrations like this.”
What Bryant, 24, is doing isn't easy.
Never mind the skill to judge speed and space to put bat squarely on pitched ball, a process that has produced 39 home runs, 102 RBIs and a .293 batting average. Forget the versatility that has allowed manager Joe Maddon to move Bryant around defensively like a puppet, shifting him from his natural position of third base to wherever his athleticism is needed. Bryant once played four positions in a game.
No, what's most impressive is Bryant living up to his considerable hype after the Cubs drafted him second overall out of the University of San Diego in 2013.
And this is where Bryant's character, composure, work ethic and commitment to team get raised consistently and constantly by those who know him best.
“You hear about a kid who always kept his grades up, who always worked hard, so you expect that you might have someone who has real character,” Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts said. “But then you see the way he works, the way he cares about the game, about his teammates, and you know you have something special.”
When Ryne Sandberg first met Bryant, this composure stood out.
“I liked his demeanor right away,” Sandberg said. “I liked the way he handles himself. I liked the way he prepares. He has a good way about him. He's very professional, respects the game.
“It's just who I am as a person,” Bryant said. “I try to be laid back and not get too high or too low. It's just something I've always had. It can be a good thing or a bad thing, but it's just me.”
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