Rizzo returns to Wrigley to mark his retirement as Cubs ambassador

Anthony Rizzo returned to Wrigley Field on Saturday to mark his retirement from Major League Baseball, throwing out a ceremonial first pitch and spending the afternoon in the left-field bleachers as the Chicago Cubs hosted the Tampa Bay Rays. The 36-year-old former first baseman was introduced as a team ambassador before the game, joined former teammates on the field for pregame festivities and nearly caught a rookie’s first major league home run in the second inning while seated among fans.

Rizzo tossed the ceremonial pitch to outfielder Ian Happ and then settled into the bleachers, telling reporters earlier he planned to "eat a hot dog, drink some adult beverages" and "have one day to really live it up." His plans were interrupted briefly when Cubs rookie Moisés Ballesteros drove a ball into the left-center stands that landed near Rizzo. Television footage and accounts from the ballpark show Rizzo stood on the bleacher seats to make a play; the ball struck his hand and deflected onto the fans behind him, who ultimately retrieved it. Rizzo later quipped from the stands that the play was "why I'm retired," according to the club.

The on-field celebration capped a week in which...