Anthony Rizzo, who once had been the New York Yankees’ most reliable hitter, has become the team’s biggest liability this season. Ever since suffering a neck injury on May 20, the first baseman witnessed the worst offensive slump of his storied decade-long career. However, despite the setbacks, Rizzo kept the belief intact and worked hard on correcting his hitting mechanics.
Rizzo has been someone who kept the Yankees offense afloat in May when Aaron Judge went down with a hip injury. However, this time, the baseman went downhill as he failed to cope with the pressure. Fortunately, the months-long wait for a long hit came to an end on Sunday as Rizzo exploded against the Royals in the series finale. Moreover, his teammates back in the dugout gave him a strange yet hilarious reception.
Anthony Rizzo Breaks Homer-Less Streak Vs. Royals Records Four Hit Game After Years!
The 2023 season had been a challenging one for Anthony Rizzo, but his perseverance and hard work paid off in a moment of sweet redemption. On Sunday, during the series finale against the Kansas City Royals, the first baseman finally broke his two-month-long homer-less streak. He hit a solo blast to right field off Royals starter Jordan Lyles. Not only that, he went on to record four hits, scored three runs, and hit two RBIs. This is Rizzo’s first four-hit game since 2019. Meanwhile, his teammates gave him an unusual reception. While walking back to the dugout after rounding the bases, the Yankee teammates gave the baseman a silent treatment.
None of the players stood up to greet him or congratulate him until he crossed the tunnel. Once he reached the end of the tunnel, the Yankees players showered him with popcorn, water and hugged him from behind. It was indeed a wholesome moment. Manager Aaron Boone also adored the moment as he said that the past two months were tough on the baseman. But the guys in the clubhouse always had his back, and it was great to see how everybody had each other’s back during these tough moments. For Rizzo, it was all about the right mindset. In his head, he knew the bad patch wouldn’t last. Overall, the baseman was the happiest man to leave Yankee Stadium on Sunday.
Rizzo Credits Yankees New Hitting Coach For Resurgence
It turns out Anthony Rizzo did a lot of things to execute his moment of redemption on Sunday perfectly. He batted without gloves for the first time in a while and also changed his walk-up song to Taylor Swift’s “Ready For It?” Apart from this, Rizzo credited Yankee’s new hitting coach, Sean Casey, for bringing out the best of him. He revealed that he and Casey had been friends for a long time, which helped in getting along very quickly.
Anthony Rizzo said that Sean Casey’s old baseball mind blended well with his new school mind. He talked to the coach about feelings, mechanics, and something just clicked. Overall, the first baseman feels the home run was a step in the right direction. He intends to carry forward this form for the rest of the season to provide the Yankees a chance to contest for a playoff berth.
