Anthony Rizzo announces retirement hours after chugging beer at Yankees game

Anthony Rizzo announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on Wednesday, hours after being pictured chugging a beer beside his wife during a New York Yankees game.

The 36-year-old first baseman played 14 seasons in the majors, including roughly a decade with the Chicago Cubs, and was a member of the Cubs’ 2016 World Series championship team. The team confirmed Rizzo’s decision in a statement by Cubs Executive Chairman Tom Ricketts, who said the first baseman "was the face of one of the most successful eras in Chicago Cubs history" and that the organization is "so excited he will be a part of our organization for many years to come." Ricketts highlighted Rizzo’s on-field achievements and leadership, noting multiple All-Star appearances, Gold Glove awards, the Roberto Clemente Award and his role on the 2016 title team.

Rizzo will formally retire as a Cub during an on-field ceremony at Wrigley Field before Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays and will join the organization as a team ambassador. He spent the final four seasons of his playing career with the Yankees after being a mainstay at first base in Chicago, where he was acquired in a 2012 trade and quickly became a central figure for the franchise.

Television cameras showed Rizzo in the stands at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night during New York’s 12-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers. The former first baseman, seated alongside his wife, was shown taking a long drink and then downing the beer, gestures that drew cheers from fans visible on the big screen.

Rizzo’s time with the Yankees was disrupted by a series of injuries. Over the past two seasons he suffered a concussion following a collision at first base, a fractured forearm and two broken knuckles after being hit by a pitch. He called those setbacks largely outside his control and said in February that he still felt healthy enough to play but acknowledged the realities veterans face in free agency. "I've definitely thought about it. I think I have a lot to give to the game still," Rizzo told The Athletic. "But at the same time, if teams are not going to want to pay a few million dollars for veterans, I've seen it the last 10 years of my career. It's what happens to the older guys. They kind of get squeezed. You've seen it happen more and more. I'm not naive to it. It could be it."

Rizzo finished his career as a three-time All-Star and a four-time Gold Glove winner at first base. He received MVP votes in five consecutive seasons and hit 30 or more home runs in four of those years. Off the field, Rizzo was noted for his charitable efforts during his time in Chicago, including founding the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation.

The club did not immediately provide details on the format or timing of the on-field ceremony beyond confirming it would take place before Saturday’s game. Rizzo’s move to a front-office and ambassadorial role continues a trend of recent players transitioning to organizational positions after retirement, and it ensures his public association with the Cubs will continue following a career that included both high-profile accomplishments and late-career injury struggles.

Rizzo’s retirement concludes a major-league tenure that began in the early 2010s and included both individual accolades and a franchise-defining championship for Chicago. The Cubs and the Yankees did not offer further comment beyond the team statement and the confirmation of the Wrigley Field ceremony.