The best day at Wrigley since Ferris
On Betty White, good causes, and why it's nice to see Anthony Rizzo have such a pleasant day at the ballpark
Every era needs heroes who distinguish themselves with displays of bravery and self-sacrifice. But a good society that treasures what's good for the individual should reserve a place for some characters who publicly walk an unashamedly joyful path.
■ For a long time, America had Betty White, a person so popular she only accrued a 3% disapproval rating (presumably concentrated among people who misunderstood the question). The seat has been vacant since her passing at the end of 2021.
■ Perhaps, though, her crown can be perched atop the head of Anthony Rizzo, the Major League Baseball player who just retired as a Chicago Cub. Rizzo, who will forever be featured on the highlight reels of the Cubs' 2016 World Series win, managed to have the most charmed day at Wrigley Field since Ferris Bueller.
■ He threw the first pitch. He sat right in the path of a home run ball drilled into the bleachers. He led the Seventh Inning Stretch alongside Eddie Vedder and Cindy Crawford.
■ But in addition to having one of the best days ever at a ballpark, he managed to shed a little light on a good cause, too, wearing a jersey bearing the signatures of child cancer patients. Betty White had the cause of animals; Anthony Rizzo, himself a cancer survivor, has a long life ahead to model joy and be an ambassador for the indisputably worthy cause of children facing cancer. His popularity will probably always lag a bit in Cleveland, but even Betty had a tiny contingent of detractors. For the rest of us, though, it's good to have sincerely likeable people to remind us that "the pursuit of happiness" is a worthwhile thing in its own right.
