Two of the best to ever pick it at first base got together at the Cubs complex in Arizona this spring.

Marquee Sports Network analyst and Cubs legend Mark Grace had the opportunity to chat with Anthony Rizzo about fielding at first base, including working with pitchers to cover the bag on grounders to the right side.

“The pitchers know — I fire ’em,” Rizzo said.

“If you can, at all, take it yourself. Take the pitcher out of it,” Grace said.

The two lefties — who have 7 Gold Gloves combined — also got into the art of the scoop and bailing our their fellow infielders.

Grace said he often took a two-handed approach to corralling the ball while Rizzo typically scoops with only his glove hand.

“A lot of it is situational,” Rizzo said. “There’s times, if there’s a runner on second, I can’t really go for the do-or-die one. I gotta make sure I knock it down and keep the run from scoring.

“My biggest thing with picks is I try to get under the ball. I try to make sure I’m low enough.”

What does he mean by “under the ball.”

“I guess I’ll never get under the ball,” Rizzo explained, “but I want my eyes to get with the ball on that plane.”

The duo also gave some of their secrets to playing the position, including how Rizzo tries to inspire his infielders by not stretching for some balls and why he feels it’s the most underrated aspect of first base defense.

“We’re like offensive linemen, sometimes,” Rizzo said. “Because the infielders will make these dazzling plays and on the highlight, you see the dazzling play, but nobody’s highlighting the pick we made on the in-between hop because that play is so nice. But nobody gets on TV unless the linemen are blocking.”

Grace loved the analogy.

“We’re like the O-linemen,” Grace joked, “so buy us dinner every once in a while, all you infielders.”