7 Times Chicago Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo Made My Wife Feel Amazing

My wife is a life-long Chicago Cubs fan and this week she has barely cracked a smile while we've watched games and talked about the latest trade rumors.

This past week has sucked. It's been tough waiting for the MLB trade deadline to arrive. Now the news that fan-favorite, Anthony Rizzo, is headed to New York.

We honestly didn't see Rizzo leaving this team. We noticed some extra long dugout hugs this last week and wondered what that meant, if anything at all. We heard about Anthony's dad walking around Wrigley Field thanking everyone who has treated his son and family so well.

Anthony Rizzo is the face of Cubs. An incredible athlete, and as someone said at work today, an EPIC man.

Before the news hit that the Cubs traded Rizzo to the New York Yankees (vomit sound), I've been trying little things to get my wife to smile about her beloved team, but nothing really works.

If the nucleus of this team hadn't won a World Series together, it wouldn't be so hard to watch them be torn apart. It's baseball, but it's a business, that often feels like a kick in the face.

Last night I tried to look at the bright side, by saying,

"Hey, at least he's not going to Milwaukee or St. Louis."

That didn't really make her feel any better. Most days, I can find ways to restore my wife's smile, but this Rizzo trade and the likely Kris Bryant trade, has got her feeling a different kind of way.

My Gift to My Cubs-loving, Heart-hurting Wife

She doesn't know yet, but I'm compiling these moments for her. One place she can come back to, any time she wants, to remember the boys that brought her a World Series win.

5 Moments Chicago Cubs' Anthony Rizzo Made My Wife (and all of us) Feel Amazing

That time he caught a foul ball in the stands.

That other time he caught a foul ball in the stands...while standing on the tarp.

That time he caught a foul ball... that slipped out of David Ross's mitt.

The 14-pitch at-bat that ends with a homer that nearly took his tired legs right out from underneath him.

Here's the long, real-time version of that unbelievable at-bat.

Anthony Rizzo made us believe that playing professional baseball was the most fun job in the world with the next 'mic'd up' moment. Chasing down old pal Freddie Freeman in a pickle.

That time Rizzo struck Freddie Freeman out with a 61 mph pitch

This night. The BEST night for any Cubs fan. The hit, the scoop, the throw to 1st, the catch, the smile... the ball tucked in the back pocket.

Thank you, Anthony Rizzo!