Winning the World Series is the pinnacle of most MLB careers. Players overcome and sacrifice so much to even make it to the major league level, and being on the field for the greatest accomplishment in the sport can feel like climbing a mountain.
The excitement is only amplified when those players are able to win after long championship droughts. We’ve seen it happen for teams like the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox, who captured the ultimate crown after several decades of heartbreak.
No team in baseball exemplified the wait for a World Series quite like the Chicago Cubs. Cubs fans suffered through 108 agonizing years of defeat before finally winning the World Series in 2016.
One of the stars of that team – the man who helped record the final out – is seen as a hero among Cubs fans, but he says he nearly lost a piece of history from that incredible run.
Which Player Lost His World Series Ring?
During an interview with Block Club Chicago, scuba-diver-for-hire Yohei Yamada explained how he crossed paths with a World Series hero in need of some serious assistance.
“Somebody gave him my number,” Yamada said, referring to former Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo.
Yamada believes Rizzo went swimming with his wife in Lake Michigan, and shook his hands dry after coming out of the water. The 36-year-old first baseman recently lost weight, and his championship ring slipped off his hand in the process.
Yamada says he was able to retrieve the ring from the depths of the lake, in exchange for a few hundred bucks. The scuba diver says hunting for lost items has turned into a lucrative business opportunity.
He keeps a spreadsheet of the valuables he’s retrieved over several summers of diving, and the 49-year-old has come up with everything from keys, rings and wallets to cellphones and bikes.
The Perks of Finding Buried Treasure
“Rings are the hardest to find, but the phones are everywhere,” Yamada said. “They work after three days in the water, so it’s worth it. … If I’m already suited up, I’ll go get it for $100.”
Yamada says he receives “non-stop” calls for his services around Lake Michigan, which also include boat scrubbing, dock repair and private captaincy. He’s enjoyed perks of the job like time on private yachts and fancy dinners, but he says nothing compares to the thrill of the chase.
“Being underwater is the most peaceful place to be. No one is bothering you,” Yamada noted. “Down there you never see the same thing twice.”
You certainly don’t see World Series rings twice, especially for a team that’s only won it once in 100 years. Anthony Rizzo is certainly thankful that Yamada was able to retrieve his ring from the bottom of the lake, and so are millions of Chicago Cubs fans around the world.
