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Chicago Tribune
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Vintage Chicago Tribune: Remembering Ryne Sandberg, the Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer
'Big career ahead.' That's how longtime Tribune reporter Jerome Holtzman described a recently acquired Chicago Cub Ryne Sandberg in April 1982. 'Outstanding all-around athlete, with excellent instincts in all departments,' Holtzman wrote about the then-third basemen who was named for New York Yankees pitcher Ryne Duren. 'Good base-stealer and baserunner. Beneath seemingly calm exterior beats the heart of a tiger, or so it seems.' Column: Ryne Sandberg left a legacy at Wrigley Field — and the Chicago Cubs and their fans were better for it'Ryno,' as he was dubbed by Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray, rebounded from an 0-for-31 start with the franchise to earn nine Gold Glove awards, 10 All-Star Games, seven Silver Slugger awards and the 1984 National League MVP. 'But the real legacy of Sandberg's career is reflected in the respect a laughable organization suddenly earned when he morphed into 'The Natural,' a real-life version of Robert Redford's movie character,' Tribune columnist Paul Sullivan wrote earlier this week about the June 23, 1984, event known as 'The Sandberg Game.' 'Sandberg helped usher in an era in which the Cubs were no longer a team that could be ignored and showed the world how magical a ballpark could be when everything worked.' Sandberg died Monday at 65, surrounded by family at his home in Illinois. He battled metastatic prostate cancer and shared news of his remission in August, but four months later he provided an update that the cancer had returned and spread to other organs. No. 23's legacy, according to Sullivan, is that he made it cool to go to Wrigley Field again: 'That's just what legends do.' Here's a look at highlights from Sandberg's 15-year career in Chicago. Larry Bowa, left, and Chicago Cubs coach Gordy MacKenzie (5) congratulate Ryne Sandberg, whose two-out single in the 13th inning gave the Cubs a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 29, 1982. (Dave Nystrom/Chicago Tribune)The Cubs traded Ivan DeJesus to Philadelphia for 'aging but feisty veteran' Larry Bowa and Sandberg — 'an untested minor leaguer' — who had been drafted by the Phillies in the 20th round of the 1978 summer draft of free agents. Sandberg spent his first three full seasons in the minors. In 1981, at the Phillies' top farm club in Oklahoma City, he was the American Association's All-Star shortstop. Obviously a promising prospect, Sandberg was a September callup and finished the season with the Phillies. Sandberg appeared in 13 games and recorded just six plate appearances — with his first MLB hit coming on a single at Wrigley Field during the second game of a doubleheader on Sept. 27, 1981. (The Cubs won 14-0.) Aware he needed more experience, the Philadelphia brass recommended Sandberg play winter ball in Venezuela. How Sandberg got here nearly as classic as careerBobby Wine, then a Philadelphia coach, also was dispatched to Venezuela. A former big-league infielder, Wine would manage the club and watch over Sandberg, along with four or five other Phillies farmhands. 'He wasn't too happy about playing winter ball,' recalled Wine. 'He wanted to go home. A lot of guys wanted to go home. He struggled and didn't play that well.' When Wine returned to Philadelphia, he was convinced Sandberg wouldn't be a successful major-league shortstop. Ruben Amaro, the general manager at Venezuela, who also had been a big-league shortstop, agreed. 'That's when the Phillies decided to move him,' Wine said. New Cubs general manager Dallas Green — who was also acquired from the Phillies — made Sandberg the opening-day starter at third base following an excellent spring training. The Tribune called Sandberg, 'definitely a rookie-of-the-year candidate.' Sandberg had four hits and scored his 103rd run — setting a team record for a rookie — in the Cubs' last game of the season. He placed sixth in rookie-of-the-year voting and concluded the year with a .271 batting average. 'The Sandberg Game.' Sandberg hit a pair of late-inning, game-tying home runs off St. Louis Cardinals closer Bruce Sutter in the Cubs' 12-11, 11-inning win before a crowd of 38,079 at Wrigley Field. It signaled his rise to stardom — setting the second baseman on a course that would earn him the National League Most Valuable Player Award. The wild, comeback win gave notice to the rest of America that the 1984 Cubs were for real despite a 39-year World Series drought and not a single championship since 1908. That game ignited an unforgettable summer run that ended with a postseason collapse in San Diego, only one game shy of the World Series. 'Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog already had dubbed him 'the best player I have ever seen' and 'Baby Ruth,' so it seemed almost anticlimactic when Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg was formally anointed the National League's Most Valuable Player,' Tribune reporter Fred Mitchell wrote. (Mitchell also helped Sandberg write his first autobiography, 'Ryno.') Sandberg — who hit .314 in 156 games for the fourth-best mark in the league, and got 22 of the 24 first-place votes — was the first Cub since 'Mr. Cub' Ernie Banks in 1959 to receive the honor. But Sandberg wasn't present at Wrigley Field to receive the award — he was at sea as part of a team cruise. He disembarked at Guadalupe to speak to the press via a ship-to-shore phone hookup that cost the Cubs $104 for 20 minutes. Two weeks later, Sandberg also received his second of nine consecutive Golden Glove awards at second base. Stolen bases — 54 — his career best. After he received 2.26 million votes (second overall to Jose Canseco) and earned National League Player of the Month honors for June, Sandberg hit three home runs to help the National League beat the American League 4-1 in the home run contest. The next day, Sandberg and fellow Cubs Andre Dawson and Shawon Dunston went 0-for-7 at the plate as the American League shut out the National League 2-0 on a windy, rainy night. Sandberg retired, saying he wanted to devote more time to his family and adding he had 'lost the edge it takes' to play. After resolving matters in his personal life and remarrying, the future Hall of Famer returned to the Cubs after the 1995 season and hit 25 home runs with 92 RBIs in his comeback year. Sandberg was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He delivered a stirring speech that criticized the products of the steroid era. 'When did it become OK for someone to hit home runs and forget how to play the rest of the game?' he said. Sandberg spoke about playing the game 'right because that's what you're supposed to do' and said if his election into the Hall validates anything it's that 'learning how to bunt, hit-and-run and turning two is more important than knowing where to find the little red light (on) the dugout camera.' Sandberg mentioned nine of his former Cubs teammates during his speech. Sammy Sosa, who was on the rise in Sandberg's final season in 1997, wasn't among them. 'You hit a home run, you drop the bat, put your head down and run around the bases because the name on the front of your uniform is a lot more important than the name on the back,' Sandberg said. 'That's respect.' He also had his No. 23 retired by the Cubs on Aug. 28, 2005, at Wrigley Field. Sandberg disclosed his diagnosis of metastatic prostate cancer. He shared news of his remission that August, but four months later, he provided an update that the cancer had returned and spread to other organs, prompting more intensive treatment. 'The support has been tremendously overwhelming right from the first week, and it's continued throughout,' he told the Tribune in June 2024. 'It's just been incredible and I think that's been as much medicine to me as anything really.' Sandberg's 11 grandchildren pushed a button together that unveiled a statue of his likeness outside Wrigley Field — 40 years after the 'Sandberg Game.' 'Some of the things I wanted on the statue was being on the balls of the feet, being ready for every single pitch,' Sandberg told reporters after the statue dedication ceremony at Gallagher Way. 'My defense was very important for me. I thought, for me, it was 'Bring your glove every single day.' You might go into some hitting slumps, but as far as defense goes, as long as I did my pregame work I wanted to play defense every day for the pitcher, for everybody on the field.' 'I'll never forget that day and what that all means,' Sandberg told the Tribune in February. 'It's incredible to see. And oftentimes I see a few fans around there posing for pictures. On occasion, I've walked up to them and said, 'This is pretty cool, isn't it?'' Thanks for reading! Subscribe to the free Vintage Chicago Tribune newsletter, join our Chicagoland history Facebook group, stay current with Today in Chicago History and follow us on Instagram for more from Chicago's past.
Chicago Tribune
30-07-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
‘A generation connector': Ryne Sandberg's statue brings Chicago Cubs fans together following Hall of Famer's death
Chicago Cubs fan Janet Falcone knew where she needed to be on Tuesday. Making the short walk with her husband, Paul, from their home on Addison Street to Wrigley Field around noon, the Falcones, dressed in their Cubs gear, stopped by Ryne Sandberg's statue to take in the scene. Throughout the day, fans and team employees visited monument row in Gallagher Way to pay their respects to Sandberg, who passed away at age 65 on Monday following a battle with prostate cancer. By Tuesday afternoon, the roped-off area around Sandberg's statue featured piles of flowers already stacking up. Visitors also left Cubs hats, baseballs with written messages, notes, and even a Sandberg baseball card. 'He meant so much to everybody in the city that we just wanted to pay tribute to him,' Janet Falcone, 67, said. 'He was a Cub through and through. He loved Chicago. He loved the fans. He stayed connected all these years, and that's what I look for in the players, the players who really see themselves as a lifelong Cub. And he did, and he was a great role model to the kids, he played so well. I just liked everything about him, what he stood for.' Despite his status as a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan, David Cort, 71, felt it was important to bring his granddaughter Marnie, 7, who is a Cubs fan. Cort was watching the Cardinals game Monday night when he learned the news of Sandberg's passing. He tuned into WGN and NBC 5 to watch the tributes to Sandberg's career. Cort noted how even Cardinals fans call it 'The Sandberg Game,' a testament to the lasting impact Sandberg's memorable performance in a 1984 regular-season game had on his legacy and the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry. 'I thought it's historic, and I feel sad,' Cort said as he became emotional. 'It's a sad day for baseball and a sad day for the city of Chicago.' Andrew Woodruff, 38, is a third-generation Cubs fan whose dad, Steve, loved watching Sandberg and considered the Hall of Famer his favorite player. His father and grandfather, Russell, owned a rooftop on Sheffield Avenue for a couple of decades, 'so it's been in my DNA.' Woodruff felt compelled to visit the statue, bringing his aptly-named dog, Ivy. Photos: Remembering Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg'There's no better ambassador for both the game of baseball and someone that you could have representing the city of Chicago, and it's so sad that he's gone, but just have to be grateful that we had him,' Woodruff said. 'He just is a generation connector. It's a generational sport. It is my grandpa's favorite sport, and he was a Cubs fan his whole life. Never got to see him win, he died a couple years before '16. 'Every generation gets to have their heroes, but Ryne was one that crossed generations.' Some fans approached Sandberg's statue and stood taking it in with a moment of silence or a sign of the cross. Others took a picture of the icon in his bronzed fielding pose with the No. 23 set up next to the statue. People stopped in front of Wrigley's marquee where his name — Ryne 'Ryno' Sandberg — was on display. A Chicago native, Greg Morris, 51, happened to be in town visiting family from Washington, D.C. with his 13-year-old son Sebastian. Now that his son is playing travel baseball, Morris wanted to give him a sense of baseball history. They went to the Cubs' City Series game Saturday at Rate Field and came to see Sandberg's statue Tuesday. Sebastian said he appreciated the exposure of understanding what Sandberg means to Cubs fans and the city. 'Genuine athleticism representing the spirit of Chicago, you couldn't ask for a better champion for the city and the sport of baseball and the Cubs,' Morris said. The distance from home to Wrigley wasn't going to prevent Michele Holifield, 61, from making the trek from Arlington Heights. She put on her Cubs shirt and took the train into the city to take in the scene. When her kids were younger, in the early 2000s, Holifield remembers always telling them about Sandberg, who became her favorite player during his 15-year career on the North Side. One year, she took her son to spring training where he got Sandberg's autograph. 'One of the all-time greats': Baseball world reacts to Ryne Sandberg's death at 65Kate Krasney felt pulled to bring her kids, Duke, 10, and Quinn, 8, to Wrigley on Tuesday. They often attend Cubs games, making the short trip from their home down the street. After seeing the videos the Cubs posted on Instagram in honor Sandberg, Krasney, 41, wanted to see how they honored him at the ballpark. 'What they did for him was pretty cool,' Duke said. 'I know pretty much all about him, he's my favorite player of all time.' The scope of Cubs fans' love and admiration of Sandberg is apparent from the diverse demographic who were drawn to Wrigley on Tuesday. Wearing a blue Cubs jersey, Alan Placek, 73, drove over from his home on the northwest side so he could take a moment at his statue to acknowledge one more time what Sandberg, his favorite player, meant. 'One of the best ever,' Placek said. 'Number 23, rest in peace.'
Chicago Tribune
29-07-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago Cubs drop to 2nd in the National League Central on an emotional night
MILWAUKEE — The somber mood in the Chicago Cubs' postgame clubhouse had nothing to do with a loss to their rival that dropped them into second place in the division. The Cubs were still digesting the passing of franchise icon Ryne Sandberg, who died Monday at age 65 following a battle with prostate cancer. Manager Craig Counsell shared the news with the team in the clubhouse following the Cubs' 8-4 loss to the Brewers. Counsell had been informed shortly before the 6:40 p.m. first pitch at American Family Field. Some Cubs players found out during the course of the game. 'We're saddened by the loss of a great man,' Counsell said. 'We were lucky as a group this year to have Ryno in spring training, and it was an honor to be around a man battling for his life but wanting to come to the baseball park and spend his day with us. And I know it meant a lot to everybody in there, and we're grateful that he was willing to spend that time with us when things weren't going great for him. 'What's so cool is that what we do for a living is about competing and beating people, but his presence was almost due to kindness. And that's so rare and he was probably living on a higher level than the rest of us, and I think that's what he was known for. That's what made him special, and that's why people like that make you better people.' Ian Happ, the current longest-tenured Cub, recalled one April when he was grinding through an offensive slump, Sandberg told Happ his career numbers in April — a career .230/.295/.365 slash line — and that he always came out of it. 'Just little things like that,' Happ said. 'And coming up as a second baseman, I was 21 years old in spring training and being able to give some advice and talk to me and not being above that, he just loved being around. He loved being there, and we knew how much he loved being a Cub. And we're really lucky in this organization to have legends that want to come back and want to be around. He was a special man, and we'll miss him very much.' Sandberg's statue unveiling outside Wrigley Field on June 23, 2024, the 40th anniversary of 'The Sandberg Game,' was a special experience for the Cubs, too. Players, coaches and personnel gathered above Gallagher Way to watch the ceremony and Sandberg's speech, something that continues to resonate for those who were there. Ryne Sandberg, Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer, dies at 65 after cancer recurrence'You get a sense of his place as a Cub, his place in baseball, that was an inspiring moment, just to be there, and the people for the people gathered there to honor Ryno,' Counsell said. 'Those are the moments that kind of connect you generationally as baseball players, and then they connect you to a city and you get an understanding of the impact that you can have on people if you live your life in a positive manner.' During the game, the Brewers overcame a shaky start from All-Star Jacob Misiorowski to win 8-4 and take sole possession of first place in the NL Central. After allowing a bloop single and walk to begin the game, Misiorowski took a line shot off the bat of Seiya Suzuki to his left knee. The 23-year-old rookie struck out Pete Crow-Armstrong but threw a wild pitch in the process, allowing a run to score. Then, after fielding a dribbler in front of the mound, Misiorowski threw wildly to first as two runners scored. Photos: Remembering Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne SandbergThe Brewers stormed back with four runs against Cubs starter Matthew Boyd (11-4) in the third to take a 4-3 lead. Christian Yelich had an RBI double, Isaac Collins a two-run single and Brice Turang a sacrifice fly. Andrew Vaughn hit a solo home run in the fifth and Sal Frelick hit another in the sixth to give the Brewers a 6-3 lead. After Kyle Tucker's run-scoring single in the seventh cut the margin to 6-4, Yelich hit a two-run shot to give the Brewers a four-run cushion. Misiorowski gave up three hits and three runs in four innings. He walked two and struck out seven while throwing 11 pitches of 100 mph or more. Trevor Megill got the last out with two runners on to notch his 24th save in 27 tries. Jackson Chourio went 0 for 3 with two walks, ending his career-high hitting streak at 20 games for the Brewers. Cubs RHP Colin Rea (8-4, 4.06 ERA) starts on Tuesday night against Brewers RHP Quinn Priester (9-2, 3.28).
