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MIAMI – Anthony Rizzo was born and raised in Florida, but like Jerry Lanzerotti, the owner of Lyndhurst Pastry Shop in Lyndhurst, NJ, said Friday, “His roots are here.
That’s because Rizzo, who was traded from the Cubs to the Yankees on Thursday, has spent many summers with his family in the Garden State. His parents, John and Laurie, are both natives of Lyndhurst.
Rizzo, who went 2-for-3 with a key 449-foot homerun in the Yankees’ 3-1 win over the Marlins, said of his trade that he went “from one historic franchise to another.”
He knows the Yankees well, having gone to games at Old Yankee Stadium as a child, between trips to the Jersey Shore, hanging out with his grandparents and playing stickball in New Jersey.
“I spent almost every summer there as a kid,” Rizzo said. “I have a lot of memories and can’t wait to do more.”
His best moment in the Bronx came in 1999, when he witnessed David Cone’s perfect match.
“I was lucky to be there for that,” said Rizzo.
This is one of the reasons he is eagerly awaiting his first game at the new stadium.
“Being able to put on the Yankees uniform and play there is definitely special,” said Rizzo.
He said he would visit the area when the Cubs are in town to take on the Mets or the Yankees.
These trips would include, according to Lanzerotti, an Anthony Rizzo Special, Italian “half yum yum, half chocolate” ice cream, which is always served at the store.
Rizzo, who turns 32 in August, has the next two months to create his own legacy with the Yankees. He is expected to become a free agent after the season, but he is focused on 2021.
“I’ve only heard good things about the Yankees,” Rizzo said, adding, “It’s just about winning baseball games.”
Rizzo isn’t the only new Yankee with New York ties in his family.
Joey Gallo, who was acquired from the Rangers on Thursday, also arrived in Miami on Friday and made his debut for the Yankees.
Gallo grew up in Las Vegas, but his father, Tony, was born in Queens and went to East Rockaway High School. The Gallos moved to Nevada in 1988.
Gallo and Rizzo add two powerful left-handed bats to a Yankees lineup that lacked left-handed hitters.
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