Emma: Rizzo, Bryant Enjoying All-Star Success Together
By Chris Emma--
CHICAGO (CBS) -- When Kris Bryant was drafted two summers ago, Anthony Rizzo wasn't known as one of baseball's best first basemen, and the Cubs sure were anything but a contender.
A friendship formed between two of the Cubs' franchise faces and newly named All-Stars. While Bryant and Rizzo attempt to make the Cubs a perennial contender, they're having fun along the way.
"I've been having a blast with him," Bryant said of Rizzo. "I really can't say enough about him."
Nicknames are needed for the Cubs' version of the Bash Brothers.
In spring training, Bryant and Rizzo grew to be friends and stayed in touch throughout Bryant's brief stint at Triple-A Iowa. When Bryant got to the majors, Rizzo was one of the first to greet him at Wrigley Field.
The tandem has explored Chicago together, sat against the glass for a Blackhawks playoff game and even worked excellence in the form of Instagram.
"He's taken me under his wing," Bryant said. "I'm proud to call him a friend."
For all the fun Bryant and Rizzo share off the field, there's been plenty on the field, too. The Cubs entered Monday's contest with the Cardinals sitting 44-36 on the season and currently in the second National League wild-card spot. By comparison, the day Bryant was drafted with the second overall pick in 2013, the Cubs were 24-34, en route to a miserable 66-96 season.
Led by Bryant and Rizzo, the Cubs have garnered national respect -- coming a long way from two years ago. Now, they're both All-Stars.
"It just shows that we're on the pace," Rizzo said. "I know everyone believes in us. The city is really rallying behind us. We really do have a good thing going."
Last summer, Rizzo earned his first All-Star berth at the ripe age of 24 by way of the Final Vote contest held by MLB. It took excessive promotion from the Cubs' PR staff and constant hashtags to fill up Twitter timelines. This time, he was voted by the players, a true honor to reflect his work in making the Cubs a contender.
In 79 games this season, entering Monday, Rizzo has a .292 average with 15 home runs and 45 RBIs, compiling a WAR of 3.2.
What Rizzo was thrilled about upon initially learning of his All-Star selection was that he could share it with Bryant, the rookie phenomenon who's hitting .279 with 12 homers and 49 RBIs, putting together a WAR of 3.3, just recently jumping ahead of Rizzo for the team lead.
As one of baseball's most heralded prospects, Bryant hasn't disappointed.
"It's amazing," Rizzo said of Bryant. "Very deserving, he is. He's come up with all the hype, all the pressure that people try to put on him, and he's never fazed, not one bit. He's very deserving."
Next week, Bryant and Rizzo will depart for Cincinnati and enjoy the All-Star experience. Rizzo is hoping to take in the experience even more than he did during the first time, and he'll ensure Bryant soaks it up, too.
Bryant even has the desire to participate in the Home Run Derby -- "Homers are fun," he said -- if an invitation is extended. His favorite All-Star memory as a kid growing up in Las Vegas was seeing Torii Hunter rob Barry Bonds of a home run, then Bonds running over and hoisting Hunter over his shoulder.
Just a short time past Bryant's debut in the majors, he's considered among baseball's best.
"It's all happened so quick," Bryant said. "But I've been having so much fun with my baseball career so far -- the people I've met, the relationships I've formed. All that plays a big part to where I am now. I'm just so thankful for the opportunity I've been given to play for a team like this and go out and help them win. Right now, it's a pretty special feeling for me."
Special things are progressing in Wrigleyville, where the Cubs have become a playoff-caliber team in 2015. When Bryant was drafted by Chicago two years ago, the Cubs seemed a long way from even being close to contention. It's only fitting that Bryant and Rizzo earned this All-Star honor together.
"This is going to be unbelievable for him to experience, it's going to be an unbelievable experience for us together," Rizzo said. "I'm really looking forward to it."
Follow Chris on Twitter @CEmma670.
