The Chicago Cubs are struggling to get to 85 percent vaccinations and Anthony Rizzo isn’t willing to help.
As the Chicago Cubs go to full 100 percent capacity at Wrigley Field, the team is struggling to get to 85 percent vaccinations.
Anthony Rizzo apparently won’t be helping that cause.
The Cubs first baseman and clubhouse leader was on ESPN1000 on Friday and said he was among the players who had not been vaccinated. He didn’t sound make it sound like that would be something that changes anytime soon.
“We’ve all talked about it, and talked about it at great lengths,” Rizzo said, mentioning that the Cubs had respectful discussions about whether to get vaccinated or not. He equated it to any other thing that the team would discuss in the clubhouse together.
“The guys who are not vaccinated still feel very safe doing normal things. It’s everyone’s own opinion and own decision. There’s so much more to the story than someone just not being vaccinated. [Calling] someone an anti-vaxxer, there’s so much more to an individual’s story.”
Anthony Rizzo’s individual story involves a battle with cancer. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma back in 2008 but was able to battle and beat it with the help of well-researched medical science.
“I actually decided not to get the vaccine,” Rizzo said. “There’s just a lot that went into it, talking to all the doctors, and it was a really hard decision on all ends. But it’s just one of those things where we just continue to be safe and continue to go on and live life.”
Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Ian Happ, and Willson Contreras — essentially every Cubs leader outside of Rizzo — have all gone on record as being vaccinated.
Rizzo’s comments didn’t go over well once fans in Chicago got a hold of them.
David Ross reacts to Anthony Rizzo’s refusal to get COVID-19 vaccine
For what it’s worth, the outside chatter that goes on about how Rizzo isn’t vaccinated won’t be affecting the Cubs chemistry. At least, that’s not the perception that manager David Ross is telegraphing in the wake of the Rizzo interview on Friday.
Rizzo isn’t the only member of the Cubs who is against the life-saving COVID vaccine, either adamantly or hesitantly. Jake Arrieta, Jason Heyward, and Eric Sogard have all gone on record as saying they’re not going to get vaccinated and do not believe in doing so.