A Tribune chart from June 22, 2012 showing Anthony Rizzo's arrival to the Chicago Cubs. (Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune)
Matt Mervis received a standing ovation Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field after striking out in his first major-league at-bat.
It was one of four big ovations the Chicago Cubs prospect received from the crowd of 31,181 while going 1-for-4 with an RBI single in his debut in a 4-1 win against the Miami Marlins.
“Wrigley does such a good job of the fans appreciating those moments,” Ian Happ said of Mervis’ debut. “Impressive. He comes out, a tough matchup (against) the starter (Edward Cabrera). For him to get punched out in that first at-bat and the fans still give him an ovation walking off, that’s just cool. That kind of support here is what makes it a really special place.”
It was the most anticipated debut by a Cubs prospect since Kris Bryant in 2015, though Mervis’ call-up more closely resembled that of first baseman Anthony Rizzo 11 years ago.
Rizzo’s Cubs debut on June 26, 2012, was one of the most hyped events in years and the unofficial start of President Theo Epstein’s rebuild.
“I’m here to stay,” Rizzo said before the game. “I’m just going to work hard every day, learn, get better, go through the ups and down of a baseball player, the nicks and bruises, and that’s about it.”
WGN-Ch. 9 hyped the arrival with a commercial promoting the broadcast. Newspapers added o the hysteria, including a Chicago Tribune graphic — with the headline of “The second coming” — comparing Rizzo’s arrival on the North Side with Babe Ruth going from the Red Sox to the Yankees.
“Anthony Rizzo hit one home run in 49 games with the Padres. Babe Ruth had a .981 OPS and 2.19 ERA in five-plus seasons with the Red Sox. Still, the hype for Rizzo’s first game on the North Side reached Ruthian levels. So we might as well start the comparisons. A look at the debuts of Ruth and Rizzo with their second teams.”
The Tribune regrets the error.
Rizzo turned out to be a special player in Cubs history, but any resemblance to Ruth was purely coincidental.
The 22-year-old Rizzo went 2-for-4 with an RBI double in the Cubs’ 5-3 win against the Mets and received a standing ovation before his first at-bat.
Ditto Mervis, who said after the game he was just trying “not to overthink it” and treat it like any other game.
“Obviously the biggest crowd I every played in front of, and for people to cheer for me like that was nothing I’ve experienced before,” he said. “It was a lot of fun.”
The Cubs shook off the lingering effects of a 1-6 trip and returned to .500 at 16-16. Happ hit a two-run home run and halted a potential fourth inning rally with a running catch with two men on. Justin Steele pitched seven strong innings, allowing one run on six hits while improving to 5-0.
But the day belonged to Mervis, the next big thing on a team that hopes to contend for a division title. Rizzo arrived in the first year of the Epstein rebuild and knew they were going nowhere.
Mervis arrives as Epstein’s replacement, Jed Hoyer, is in a key year in his rebuild — one that he steadfastly refused to call a rebuild.
Hoyer said Friday that he brought up Mervis because the first baseman was ready and the Cubs offense was in a rut. They hit .249 and scored 21 runs on the recent trip to Miami and Washington, losing five by one run.
“I don’t want to put too much pressure on him,” Hoyer said. “Certainly it’s a lever to pull to bring him up to play a lot, but at the same time we’re not expecting him to carry the lineup or do anything other than what he can do. We were really good on offense in the beginning of the season. Obviously we’re in a bit of a dip right now.”
Rizzo had the advantage of playing in San Diego in 2011 before being dealt to the Cubs, where he was immediately dubbed the savior.
“I was the savior last year (in San Diego) too,” Rizzo said that day in 2012. “And that’s why I think it’s easier this year to come up. Hopefully this is just a building block of what is to come here in the city and the organization. Hopefully we can look back and this is one of the first steps.”
Rizzo turned out to be one of the first steps in building a championship team, while Mervis moves into a complementary position behind Cody Bellinger, Dansby Swanson, Happ and Nico Hoerner.
Mervis said Friday morning that he “kind of blacked out” when he got the call but he regrouped and called his mom, who cried. He knows he’s going to be the focus of the lineup for a while to see if his power translates to the majors but insisted it wouldn’t affect him.
“I don’t really pay attention to it,” Mervis said of expectations. “I expect to come in and help us win right away. Whatever Twitter or the media is saying about me, I’m sure I’m thinking the same thing about my own performance.”
Manager David Ross inserted Mervis into the No. 7 spot against Cabrera. Rizzo made his Cubs debut in the No. 3 hole against the Mets, where manager Dale Sveum batted him in 82 of his 85 starts in 2012.
After striking out on a changeup in the first, grounding to second in the fourth and striking out on three pitches in the sixth, Mervis came to the plate in the eighth against left-hander Tanner Scott with two on and two out following an intentional walk to Trey Mancini. Mervis singled sharply to right, receiving his third standing ovation, and got one more after the inning ended as he walked to the dugout to get his glove.
“I took a second to look up in the crowd and take that one in,” Mervis said. “I think I got chills. My teammates were going crazy. The crowd was going crazy. That one was special.”
Mervis said he would give the souvenir ball to his dad to “present proudly in his office.” Both of his parents, as well as siblings and several friends, were on hand for his debut, one they will long remember.
Times change and players come and go. Rizzo thought he would be a Cub the rest of his career after helping lead them to a World Series title in 2016. But Hoyer dealt him to the New York Yankees at the trade deadline in July 2021 after the sides couldn’t agree to a contract extension, and Rizzo has embraced his new chapter in New York.
No one knows whether Mervis can make the same impact in Chicago as Rizzo did. Few players left their mark on Cubs fans as the popular first baseman. But if first impressions are lasting, this could be the start of a beautiful relationship.
“To watch a guy realize his dream is a special thing,” Hoyer said. “I love these moments. My hope is that not soon after (Mervis), people are clamoring for the next guy. And that’s when I know we’re good as an organization, when there is always a next guy.”
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Originally published at Tribune News Service