Chicago Cubs: Is Anthony Rizzo a dirty player?

After a takeout slide at home plate in Monday’s game, social media is calling Chicago Cubs’ first baseman Anthony Rizzo a dirty player. Are they right?

Let’s set the stage. It was the eighth inning of Monday’s Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates game. The Cubs (ahead 3-0) loaded the bases with no outs for Chris Gimenez. Gimenez grounds the ball to Pirates’ shortstop Sean Rodriguez who comes home to get the lead runner. Rizzo, sensing the Pirates’ catcher Elias Diaz will try to turn-two, slides into home to try to break up the double play.

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Diaz threw the ball into right field and the Cubs scored two more runs. Clint Hurdle, known best for yelling at teenagers to get off of his lawn, lost his mind. The umpires, as well as league officials, reviewed the slide to determine whether the Pirates should be awarded a double-play. The call on the field was upheld, and the slide was determined to be legal.

However, that did not stop Pirates’ fans and others on social media from getting out their virtual pitchforks and attacking Rizzo as a “dirty player.” The slightest implication that Rizzo is a dirty player is laughable. Yet, the Pirates mob, bloodthirsty for vengeance, lost itself in countless internet wormholes trying to prove their point. Their evidence is a year-old play in which Rizzo collided with San Diego Padres catcher Austin Hedges.

Much ado about nothing

So that is that, I suppose. Case closed, right? I mean what other evidence do you need? Certainly, he must have been suspended for that malicious hit on Hedges! Except that he wasn’t. Therefore, despite the hooting and hollering on social media, his slide into Diaz was entirely clean, as is Rizzo’s reputation around the league.

Anthony Rizzo is a genuinely good guy. Baseball players get relatively few days off during the season. Many take advantage of the downtime to rest, but not Rizzo. However, Rizzo uses his off days to give back to the community, whether that’s visiting sick children in the hospital or raising money and awareness for the tragic shooting in Parkland, Florida.

In addition, let me mention yet again, the slide was legal. Rizzo did exactly what a competitor should do in that situation. He played aggressively, but within the rules and did everything he could to help his team win. At the end of the day, that’s what every player should be doing.

I understand the rules are designed to protect the players from contact during slides. While I personally believe the rule goes too far (particularly when turning-two at second base) this slide was within those rules. However, if Pirates fans are going to have a meltdown because Rizzo’s foot legally clipped a catcher’s leg adorned with 3 inch-thick shin guards, that’s their problem.

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Bottom Line

Look, Rizzo’s slide was fine. While Hurdle might want to shout “dirty player” from the rooftops, Rizzo’s history indicates otherwise. However, after Hurdle got his jockstrap in a twist over the passion with which Javy Baez plays the game, perhaps he is just a little biased on this issue.