Jon Lester and Anthony Rizzo spent six seasons together in Chicago. They won a World Series in 2016. They know each other well enough that a little trash talk comes with the territory.
Lester recently appeared on North Side Territory and was asked about Rizzo’s new gig as a baseball analyst for NBC and the Netflix Home Run Derby broadcast. He didn’t hold back.
“For somebody that is a complete moron, he does a great job on TV,” Lester said.
That is the kind of compliment that only works between old teammates. And Lester meant it. He explained how he first noticed Rizzo during a broadcast in Philadelphia, with Rizzo stationed in that little cubby spot near the dugout. Lester was watching at home, heard a familiar voice, and texted him a few innings later.
“Dude, you’re doing a good job, man,” Lester wrote. “You sound good. You’re being self-deprecating at the right times, and you’re giving it back to the other guys.”
Lester went on to praise Rizzo’s quick wit and storytelling. He said Rizzo nailed the Home Run Derby broadcast too. For a guy who spent 12 years in the big leagues and retired as a Cub after a brief Yankees stint, Rizzo has made a surprisingly smooth transition to the media side.
The old teammates keep it real
Rizzo and Lester were a big part of that 2016 Cubs team that finally broke the curse. They were teammates from 2015 through 2020. Now they’re both doing media work in some capacity. Lester pops in as an analyst on Marquee Sports Network for Cubs games, so he knows what goes into sitting in that chair.
That probably makes Rizzo’s review even more meaningful. It’s one thing to get compliments from strangers. It’s another to get them from a guy who watched you play every day for six years, who knows when you’re faking it.
Lester clearly thinks Rizzo is the real deal in this second act. He just had to get the moron jab in first. That’s what friends are for.
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