CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs have reportedly approved a $2 million iconic project to immortalize the greatest moment in the franchise’s history: Kris Bryant’s final throw to Anthony Rizzo in the 2016 World Series, ending a 108-year championship wait.
According to multiple internal sources within the Cubs, the project is being implemented as part of a “2016 Generation Legacy” strategy, focusing on transforming the final out moment in Cleveland into a permanent work of art outside Wrigley Field. This is seen as the team’s biggest step yet in honoring the roster that changed Chicago history.
The moment chosen for the statue is the fateful play in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series. Kris Bryant handled the final groundball, throwing the ball to Anthony Rizzo at first base, and Rizzo completed the catch to close out the game. Shortly afterward, the Chicago Cubs officially became MLB champions for the first time since 1908.
Sources described this moment as “the culmination of Chicago’s history, pressure, and centuries-long wait.”
The statue project is said to have a total budget of approximately $2 million, including design, construction, and surrounding display space. The statue will recreate Bryant’s throw and Rizzo’s receiving moment, preserving the precise movements from the historic play. The sculpted base is expected to bear the inscription “The Final Out of 108 Years” as a central marker.
An official involved in the project described it not just as a work of art, but as “a cultural landmark for the city of Chicago,” where baseball transcends the sport to become a collective memory.
Within the Cubs, the 2016 moment has long been considered the foundation of the entire modern era. Kris Bryant, who won the MVP title that season, is seen as an icon of youth and explosiveness. Meanwhile, Anthony Rizzo was the spiritual leader, maintaining stability in the locker room and leading the team through the most stressful moments.
Although they didn’t directly score the game-winning points in Game 7, both played central roles in the series of moments leading up to the championship, from the NLCS victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers to the tense final innings in Cleveland.
A former Cubs coaching staff member once remarked, “Without Bryant and Rizzo, the Cubs might never have overcome the pressure of history.”
News of the statue project immediately garnered attention within the fan community. Many fans see it as a well-deserved recognition for the generation that broke a century-long curse, while others argue that this moment transcended the value of a single game and became a cultural icon of the city.
The planned location for the statue is within the expansion area near Wrigley Field, which has become a memorial center for Cubs legends. The surrounding space will be designed to recreate the atmosphere of the 2016 season, including lighting and architectural elements reminiscent of that rainy night in Cleveland during Game 7.
If completed, this project will join the ranks of Wrigley Field’s greatest icons, alongside the legacies of legends like Ernie Banks and Ryne Sandberg.
The Bryant and Rizzo statue project is not just a tribute to two individuals, but also a commemoration of a moment that changed the entire history of the Chicago Cubs. A pitch, a catch, and a moment that ended a 108-year wait—now poised to become immortal in bronze and stone, right in the heart of baseball city.
