Jameson Taillon shares hilarious story about Yankees teammate Anthony Rizzo's
Jameson Taillon shares hilarious story about Yankees teammate Anthony Rizzo's originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Former New York Yankees pitcher Taillon has faced much tougher challenges than pitching in big games. Now a Chicago Cubs starter, Taillon battled testicular cancer when he was with the Pirates early in his career. He bonded with former Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo, a Hodgkin's Lymphoma survivor, over that during their time in the Bronx.
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But it wasn't always a somber connection, Taillon admitted, telling a pretty hilarious story on the "Diggin Deep" podcast.
Former Yankees pitcher Jameson Taillon in 2022.© Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
Taillon recalled a game against the Tampa Bay Rays, somewhere around the eighth inning, when his velocity started to dip and he found himself behind a hitter. That's when Rizzo, spotting his struggling pitcher buddy, stepped in with some classic Rizzo wisdom.
'I think it was like the eighth inning and my velo starts dropping a little bit. I'm like, following behind the guy. Rizz comes out and, like, we had talked about how we both had cancer and stuff,' Taillon said. 'So he comes out, and he's like, 'Hey, I know you only have one nut, but like, I want you to pitch right here. Like you have two let 'em hang out.''
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Taillon said he was kind of stunned on the mound.
"I didn't know how to feel about that," Taillon said, laughing.
Rizzo was notorious for his pep talks on the mound with struggling pitchers. In fact, the Los Angeles Dodgers mocked the Yankees for it after the 2024 World Series.
Taillon's story, however, gives a glimpse of Rizzo's attempt to keep things light when the pressure was on. It's one reason he was so well-liked by his teammates. Rizzo was a beloved Yankee, and Taillon shows us why.
Related: Yankees Should Flip Struggling Closer at the Deadline
Related: Giancarlo Stanton's New Comeback Timeline Has Yankees Planning Lineup Changes
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
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