Cubs News: Rizzo on illegal slide: "I am not trying to hurt anyone" |
The controversial slide by Cubs first baseman
Anthony Rizzo in the 8th inning of Monday's game against the Pirates has now been deemed 'interference' by Major League Baseball on Tuesday.
Rizzo had the following comments to the media before Tuesday night's game against the Pirates. "I'm going in to break up a double play. I am not trying to hurt anyone," he said. "Look at all my double plays that I have ever broken up at second base; they are pretty much the same way as you go to one side. Those guys know me over there. I am not trying to hurt anyone. I am not doing it with intent to hurt someone. Talking with the league through Theo and Joe, 100 percent made it clear that it was not a dirty play. It is what it is and move on from it. Rizzo seems to think that he will get hit by the Pirates in the near future. "I could sit here and probably make a promise to everyone that I will be hit by the Pittsburgh Pirates again in my career at some point. They've probably hit me the most in my career up to this point. If I get hit tonight, tomorrow when we play them again, hopefully, it's in the right spot." Rizzo echoed the comments from Albert Almora Jr. earlier that most players aren't sure what to do with breaking up a double play anymore. "I don't think anyone has real clarity on the rules," he said. "It's been a question for years. Even when you go into second base. I'm strictly talking about breaking up a double play here, not colliding with the catcher."
