CHICAGO — Over the course of their five years together as Cubs teammates, Anthony Rizzo and Ian Happ had many memorable moments.

But one moment in particular stood out to Happ — and made an emotional impact even eight years later.

[WATCH: Cubs honor Rizzo with special retirement ceremony]

Happ was a Cubs rookie in 2017 and roughly a month into his first big league stint when Father’s Day rolled around in mid-June. It always was going to be an emotional day for Happ, who lost his father, Keith, in October 2015 after a battle with brain cancer.

The Cubs also just so happened to be in Pittsburgh — where Happ grew up — playing the Pirates on Father’s Day.

Happ hit a solo homer in the ninth inning of the Cubs’ win that day, and he still vividly remembers the reaction from Rizzo and then-strength coach Tim Buss.

“We’re in Pittsburgh playing on Father’s Day, which was a lot for me,” Happ recalled Saturday morning. “I hit a home run on Father’s Day wearing those blue jerseys, and Anthony and Tim Buss were the two guys that were, they could not have been more happy. They knew exactly what was going on. They were aware.

“He gave me a big hug, and just a really, really cool moment that those guys were so in tune with. He just always had that ability to know what was going on around him, regardless of what was happening with himself.”

Rizzo remembered the moment, too.

“At the end of the day, we’re human beings,” Rizzo said as he met with the media Saturday at Wrigley Field. “This is just a game. I remember Happer getting drafted and having his dad come out really quick, Keith, to see him take BP because he was battling brain cancer.

“And Happer’s first Father’s Day, we were in Pittsburgh, and he’s from Pittsburgh, and he hits the home run on Father’s Day. It’s just an emotional day for him. His first Father’s Day in the big leagues. His dad watching down. It was amazing.”

Rizzo was one of the Cubs’ leaders during the best stretch in franchise history, when they made it to three consecutive National League Championship Series from 2015 to 2017. He was the longest-tenured Cubs player at the time, having endured losing seasons during the rebuild from 2012 to 2014.

Cubs fans grew to love Rizzo for the way he played the game and how he was able to have fun. His teammates loved that about him, too, but they also appreciated the way he made them feel.

“He’s type of guy that really gets to know his teammates and understands a lot about them,” Happ said. “We were pretty close from Day 1. I’m in this locker because he was two lockers over. When I debuted and we came back [to Wrigley Field], there was another nameplate up there, somebody else [was in the locker].

“And he grabbed it and chucked it across the locker room and made sure that I was in this locker. Pretty cool. Like, from Day 1, I was 22 years old and he’s had a couple All-Star games, and he wanted me to be right next to him. That meant a ton.”

Happ and Rizzo shared some fun moments together Saturday as Rizzo was honored at Wrigley Field.

Happ caught the first pitch from Rizzo before the game and then threw a ball into the bleachers with a $100 bill attached to it to buy some of the “adult beverages” Rizzo was looking forward to enjoying during his afternoon as a fan.

Rizzo, 36, said he misses a few things about being a big leaguer, but what he will miss the most is the connection with his teammates.

“The impact that you have on other people’s lives as a teammate, as a leader, is the best thing you can do,” Rizzo said. “We’re going to struggle, have good times and bad times. But now when I come back, I just hope the guys are excited to see me.

“And not because I did some cool things on the baseball field, but because of moments like that [with Happ in Pittsburgh], because of the late nights we had in the hotel rooms, or the experiences we shared in the clubhouse. All the off-the-field stuff makes the journey so much more fun when you can share that with your teammates.”

Catch the in-game interview with Rizzo on the Marquee Sports Network app.