FanPost

Anthony Rizzo reminds me of Johnny Mize who was known as "The Big Cat."

Since I have been following baseball since the 1930's, I have a vast recollection of players from the past who remind me of those in the game today, and watching Anthony Rizzo, he reminded me of Johnny Mize, known as "The Big Cat," both in stature and the way he stands at the plate and handles the bat. Mize played for the Cardinals, Giants and Yankees and had an outstanding career which got him into the Hall of Fame.

Since my father was both a Yankee and New York Giant fan, he would take me to both the Polo Grounds and Yankee Stadium where I would watch Mize play. Mize held his bat in a similar position as Rizzo and was able to drive the ball out of the park with his short and compact swing or hit the ball to the opposite field in left for a clutch single to drive the runners in. When Mize came to the Yankees at the end of his career, he still was able to help them to a string of championships even hitting 25 homers in one of the years in a platoon system. Mize was an adequate 1st basemen and did not handle the glove as well as Rizzo but few do.

I think that Rizzo should be a keeper, and the Yankees should give him a similar contract to the one that they gave to LeMahieu for someone in his 30's, and except for Moose Skowron during their championship years, the Yankees have always had a dominant left-handed bat at 1st base even those that they brought in from other teams with players starting with George McQuinn, Mize, Chris Chambliss, Tino Martinez and Mark Teixeira. The handwriting is on the wall for the Yankees to sign Rizzo and give us another "Big Cat."

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