Yankees' Anthony Rizzo is not seeking a degree when he returns to Chicago

Anthony Rizzo feels no sense of closure on his first visit to Wrigley Field since his trade from the Chicago Cubs to the New York Yankees three years ago.

The New York first baseman isn't sure he'll ever need a degree in Chicago after helping the Cubs win their first World Series title in 108 years in 2016.

“I think that door will always be open in Chicago,” Rizzo said. “I have a lot of respect for the fans there and I have a lot of love for them and the Cubs.”

Not that he doesn't have similar feelings about the Yankees, who re-signed Rizzo after the 2021 season and re-signed him a year later to his current two-year, $40 million contract, which includes a team option for 2025.

“As much as we love Chicago, I think the place we ended up was perfect for us,” he said.

Still, nothing can compare to the magic of eight years ago, when Rizzo had perhaps his best season overall and the Cubs defeated Cleveland in an epic Game 7 of the World Series.

The Cubs won their first championship since 1908 about halfway through Rizzo's nine-season tenure with them. Rizzo played in Boston's system before moving to San Diego, and the Padres later sent him to the Cubs.

“After we won the World Series, you heard the stories, all the pictures of people going to the graves – just the countless stories that you still hear,” Rizzo said. “It was really special to be there after we won and in the years since and see how happy those fans were. I think anybody you ask on that team will pretty much say the same thing.”

It's not surprising that in this era of free agents and trade deadlines, most of this team's players are elsewhere. Rizzo has been in contact with some of them, but the series, which begins Friday, will mostly revolve around the Cubs' venerable home.

And these fans.

“I loved it,” Rizzo said of playing at Wrigley. “The fans bring energy there every day, similar to Yankee Stadium, similar to Fenway, similar to Dodger Stadium. I think Fenway is my favorite place as a visitor, and I'm excited to go to Wrigley as a visitor and just come back and be on the other side.”

In 2016, Rizzo hit for a .292 batting average with 32 home runs and 109 RBIs, his career highs. It was the last of his three consecutive All-Star nominations and the only season in which he won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger.

“After we won the World Series, the stories you heard, all the pictures of people going to the graves. Just the countless stories you still hear. It was really special to be there after we won and in the years since and see how happy those fans were.”

Anthony Rizzo on winning the World Series with the Cubs

The Yankees' numbers haven't been quite the same, but the past two seasons have been plagued by injuries. Rizzo, 35, suffered a concussion last year and recently returned from a fracture of his right forearm that sidelined him for about 2.5 months.

The Cubs and Yankees have played a series each of the last two seasons, but both were in New York. Now Rizzo awaits what is sure to be a warm welcome from Cubs fans.

“It's going to be amazing,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone, who was a frequent visitor to Wrigley as a player, having played his first six or more major league seasons with NL Central rival Cincinnati. “He'll be forever immortalized in their history and forever loved in this city. I'm sure it's exciting for him to come back there.”

As much as he appreciates what happened in Chicago, Rizzo believes the timing of the last-minute deal that brought him to New York was pretty good as the Cubs entered a rebuilding phase.

“The transfer itself was a refresher course for my career,” Rizzo said. “I wish every baseball player could live in the city and play at Yankee Stadium. The lights are brighter. They shine a little brighter every day. That brings out the best in you.”