Chicago Cubs star Anthony Rizzo has made plenty of history during his time with the team, and he did it again on Tuesday night against the Cincinnati Reds.
In the ninth inning of the game, Rizzo moved away from his traditional spot at first base and played an inning at third base, and even though he didn’t get to field a ball at the hot corner, he became the first Cubs left-handed player to play the position in over a century.
According to Ryan Spaeder of The Sporting News, Rizzo is the first lefty to play third base for the Cubs since George Decker did it in 1895. He’s the third Cub to ever do it, joining Decker and Jimmy Ryan, who did it in 1886.
Overall, Rizzo is the first big leaguer to play third base as a lefty since 1997, when Mario Valdez of the Chicago White Sox did it, according to the Associated Press.
Rizzo replaced Kris Bryant at the hot corner after the slugger was hit in the hand by a pitch. Alex Avila shifted to first base to take over for Rizzo, and Rene Rivera took over behind the plate in the inning.
Rizzo has also played second base in 11 different games this season, as he takes over the position on sacrifice bunt attempts. He is the only Cubs lefty to play that position since at least 1913, according to Baseball Reference’s Play Index.
