Perhaps one of the reasons Anthony Rizzo has been loved in Chicago can be traced to a story his former teammate Ian Happ told.

Happ’s father, Keith, died of brain cancer in 2015 a little more than a month after the Happ family visited Wrigley Field while Ian was a prospect. On Father’s Day 2017, Happ, a suburban Pittsburgh native and a rookie at the time, hit an emotional home run.

“Anthony and (former strength director) Tim Buss were the two guys who could not have been more happy,” Happ said. “They knew exactly what was going on. They were aware. He (Rizzo) gave me a big hug and it was really a cool moment.

“He always knew what was going on around him, regardless of what was happening with himself.”

Yes, the Cubs loved the first baseman’s hitting and fielding during his 10 years in C

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