Anthony Rizzo Rehab Interview in Portland

here in Portland with the Somerset Patriots Steven kusano joined alongside the gold Glover Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo joining us for the weekend Anthony it's great to have you here and first and foremost you're here for a reason how do you feel good really good uh excited to uh be playing here in Portland I I played here uh 2010 and it's been a summer here and have a lot of really good memories so it's uh funny how it works out uh that I'm ready to start going and and being here in Portland so uh definitely excited and not only did you play here you were the Team MVP you had 20 homers for this team almost 15 years ago now what is it like being back here uh nostalgic like you said almost 15 years ago that's crazy um but it's cool I got my wife here I didn't know her at the time at all um and my in-law so it's really cool for them to be able to be here too and just get a little slice of the uh the minor league grind and then the year before you got to Portland which actually was 15 years ago your manager was Chad erson who's the Sea Dogs manager this weekend um when you were in Salem what was it like catching up with him entering this week and just getting a chance to catch up with him a little bit really cool I saw him right when I came in today and uh was happy I got to catch up with him um I saw him this year in spring training when we went down to Fort Meer so but it's cool I I mean his son Drew now is graduating out of college so it's remember him as a as a little as a little kid running around so um like I said it's it's I'm happy to be back playing and uh it's cool to be here in Portland well hopefully soon you'll be back up in the Bronx with the team what's it been like just to and obviously watching them go through some growing pain since you left but but watching things back on the upswing a little bit uh does that make you a little bit more amped up to just get back in the lineup up there yeah definitely miss it um I mean we we're we're in a good position uh we've put oursel in a really good position and uh you know these last however many weeks is is going to be a grind and we know that but that's what this game's about and uh while you've been away one thing that's been very exciting for us in Somerset has been seeing Ben rice get up there and get his reps at first base and make an impression uh first off how well do you know Ben and what kind of impression do you feel he's made on the team over these past couple months once I think he's been great I think it was awesome that big smile when he got his first hit the three home run game um he's got a really good eye really good play discipline at the plate and that plays at the next level so um it's been fun watching him develop he's he's done really well at first base and uh you know for him to to come in and do what he's done has been been important for us and here in double A these guys aren't far from that level just one step away from Triple A and then a lot of them were non-roster invitees did you know any guys on this team from spring training do you remember working with anyone specifically on this roster in sumers Set uh I know Bert and and Spencer um but not too familiar with a lot of the guys but it's cool man these guys are they're they're going for their dreams right and I've I've lived an amazing dream that's not over yet so it's it's always fun to to talk and try to give my knowledge and wisdom and any way I can I want to be an open book for them while I'm here this weekend and uh next week when I'm in New Jersey it's going to be fun to have you there uh tonight the plan is DH bat second um further than that do you have a more detailed plan or idea of what's to come uh today probably off tomorrow back in there Sunday so we just got to get through today see how it goes I'm anticipating it being fine I feel great so uh just one day at a time though awesome stuff Anthony thanks so much for the time it's great to have you here and and we wish you the best of luck going forward cool thank you