Ryne Sandberg means so many things to so many people that it’s impossible to wrap that up in one paragraph, or even one article. Nevertheless, I will try here to capture the love that Cubs fans feel for the man affectionately called “Ryno” for not only his play on the field, but his classy demeanor throughout his 15 seasons playing on the North Side.
For over a decade, Ryne Sandberg was the face of the Cubs franchise. Number 23 provided a legion of dedicated followers a glimmer of hope that one day
soon, their years of futility and suffering would end. His time as a Cub failed to provide a much-coveted World Series title — or even a National League pennant — to Cubs faithful. However, due in large part to the emergence of "Ryno" during the 1984 season, the Cubs participated in their first post-season series in 39 years.
Sandberg passed away Monday, July 28 from metastatic prostate cancer, far too young at age 65.
Let’s celebrate his career and life.
Ryne Dee Sandberg was born in Spokane, Washington on September 18, 1959 to a father who was, of all things, a baseball fan with a sense of humor. He named his sons after his favorite players — Ryne after Ryne Duren, a hard-throwing relief pitcher (and maybe it's a good thing Sandberg's father only knew the short version of Duren's name; his given name was "Rinold"), and Ryne's older brother was named Del, after 1950's era Phillies slugger Del Ennis.
Sandberg was a three-sport star in high school — basketball, football and baseball — and had been a highly recruited quarterback. In fact, he had committed to play that position for Washington State when the Phillies drafted him in the 20th round of the 1978 June amateur draft.
As Cubs fans, we can only be forever thankful that Ryne Sandberg passed up what likely could have been a successful career as an NFL quarterback to sign with the Phillies and start riding minor-league buses in the Pioneer League for their affiliate in Helena, Montana.
His minor league statistics are far from notable, though he did lead each of his minor leagues in OBP, and showed some speed. He hit 12 triples and stole 32 bases for the Double-A Reading Phillies in 1980.
Just before he turned 22 in September 1981, Sandberg was called up to the Phillies, with Dallas Green as his field manager. That team, the defending world champions, didn't have much space for a skinny rookie shortstop, so his month in their red pinstripes consisted primarily of pinch-running and being a defensive replacement. On September 27, 1981, ironically enough at Wrigley Field, Sandberg was sent in to play the last few innings of the second game of a doubleheader, a game the Cubs (a horrid team that year) were inexplicably leading 13-0 after five innings. In the eighth inning, with two out and a runner on first, Sandberg hit a little flare into short right field off Mike Krukow, his first major league hit and the only one he had in a Phillies uniform:
Speaking of which, here's a rare photo of our hero in said uniform:
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Photofile/MLB Archives via Getty ImagesAfter the 1981 season, Green was hired as Cubs general manager. Knowing Sandberg's potential and talent, Green set out to acquire him without letting on how badly he desired him. Green also wanted Larry Bowa's veteran leadership for a young Cubs team, so he arranged a swap of shortstops, Bowa for Ivan De Jesus, a younger, faster player. But Green insisted on Sandberg as a "throw-in," and wouldn't do the deal without him. Eventually the Phillies agreed. Here are more details from a BCB article on the trade’s 40th anniversary in 2022.
It was one of the best deals in Cubs history. Bowa gave the Cubs three decent years, and was the starting shortstop for the 1984 NL East division champs. De Jesus fizzled out, and you all know about Sandberg.
Green had also acquired Bump Wills to play second base, so with both second and short covered, Sandberg was installed at third base to begin the 1982 season. He promptly went 1-for-32. Other managers might have given up on "the kid," but to Lee Elia's credit, he stuck with him and over his next nine games Sandberg would bat .342/.357/.537 (14-for-41), including his first two major league homers. His 1982 season finished well, with a .271/.312/.372 line and 32 stolen bases, along with a sixth-place finish in Rookie of the Year balloting.
In the ensuing offseason the Cubs signed veteran Ron Cey to play third base, and with Wills departing to play in Japan, Sandberg relocated to second base. As a full-time starting second baseman for the Cubs in 1983, Ryno was awarded the first of his nine consecutive Gold Gloves. While his defensive prowess earned him national recognition, Ryno's offensive skills failed to flourish as quickly. From his Major League debut in late 1981 through the 1983 season, Ryne only managed a .265 batting average with a .312 OBP. The Cubs finished their 1983 season with a 71-91 record--fifth in the NL East.
The following offseason, Jim Frey was hired as Cubs manager, and the former batting coach worked with Sandberg on his hitting, suggesting Ryno drive the ball more and try to hit more for extra bases.
And on June 23, 1984, Ryno's status changed from rising Cubs superstar to baseball legend.
Heading into the bottom of the ninth that afternoon, the Cubs trailed the rival Cardinals by a score of 9-8. Baseball's most dominant closer at that time, future Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter, was on the mound, in the midst of arguably his greatest season. In 1984, Sutter finished the year with a 1.54 ERA and a career-best 45 saves. According to NBC’s broadcaster Bob Costas, the game had ended. As Sandberg approached the plate, Costas prematurely named St. Louis' Willie McGee, who had hit for the cycle, “Player of the Game.”
Immediately following Costas' praise of the Cardinals outfielder, Ryno proceeded to extend the game with a solo home run to left field. In heroic fashion, Sandberg tied the game up yet again in the 10th inning with a two-run shot, after Bob Dernier had extended the Cubs' chances with a walk drawn on a 3-2 pitch that might very well have been a strike, once again off Sutter, finishing his day 5-for-6 with two home runs and seven RBI.
Here are both of Ryno’s homers that afternoon:
That 1984 Cubs/Cardinals contest at Wrigley Field will forever be remembered as "The Sandberg Game." After the game, Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog paid Sandberg the ultimate compliment, terming him "Baby Ruth" and calling him "the greatest player I've ever seen."
Ryno finished the 1984 season with a slash line of .314/.367/.520, and also contributed 19 home runs, 19 triples. 36 doubles, 84 RBI, 32 stolen bases and 200 hits, winning the National League's MVP Award and compiling 8.6 bWAR. Although the Cubs lost to the San Diego Padres in the NLCS, Sandberg's 1984 is forever immortalized as one of the greatest seasons ever by a Cub.
In 1985, Sandberg's speed and power numbers increased over the previous year’s totals. Although the team regressed, finishing in fourth place in the NL East with a 77-84 record, Ryno stole a career-best 54 bases, becoming the first Cub to steal 50 or more bases in a season since Frank Chance stole 57 in 1906, and added 26 home runs.
In 1989, the Cubs rebounded from a terrible three-year stretch, winning the NL East title with a record of 93-69. Ryno continued to flourish offensively, posting a line of .290/.356/.497 with his first 30-homer season as the Cubs reached the NLCS for the second time in six seasons. All of that got him a fourth-place finish in MVP voting. Despite an outstanding offensive effort by Sandberg in the NLCS, where he hit .400/.458/.800 with a home run, four RBI and six runs scored, the Cubs suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Will Clark and the San Francisco Giants. This postseason series would ultimately turn out to be Ryno’s last real shot at a World Series championship.
Sandberg continued to hit well in 1990. That year, he had his only 40-homer season, leading the NL, and drove in 100 runs, a feat he would repeat in 1991. He again finished fourth in MVP balloting, despite the Cubs having yet another losing season.
During spring training in 1993, Sandberg was hit in the hand by a pitch from the Giants' Mike Jackson. The resulting broken bone caused him to miss the first month of the season and robbed him of much of his power. Though he batted .309, he hit only nine home runs, his lowest total in 10 seasons, and he was shut down in mid-September, playing in only 117 games, his fewest in a non-strike season. He was never really the same after that injury.
Sandberg remained the Cubs' second baseman into the 1994 season. Off to a poor start (.238/.312/.390 in 57 games), he decided to retire from baseball, a decision that surprised almost everyone. He held a retirement press conference at which his wife Cindy appeared wearing what was immortalized forever as the "corncob dress":
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At the presser he was asked why he was retiring at the relatively young age of 34:
“The reason I retired is simple: I lost the desire that got me ready to play on an everyday basis for so many years. Without it, I didn’t think I could perform at the same level I had in the past, and I didn’t want to play at a level less than what was expected of me by my teammates, coaches, ownership, and most of all, myself.”
From his first season with the Cubs in 1982 through those first 57 games into the 1994 season, Ryno played 1,866 games (7,378 at bats), hitting .289/.348/.455 with 2,132 hits, 245 home runs (including the aforementioned NL-best 40 in 1990), 905 RBI, 1,179 runs, 325 stolen bases and 349 doubles.
Although Sandberg put forth the notion that his retirement was simply due to his fading desire to play the game and to spend more time with his children, it is hardly a secret that some personal problems might have factored into his decision. According to many sources, Cindy, his high school sweetheart and wife of 15 years, was unfaithful. Rumors circulated for years that Cindy's behavior played a large role in the decision by management to trade both Dave Martinez and Rafael Palmeiro, though Palmeiro's trade was more likely due in large part to his lack of power at the time and the fact that management envisioned Mark Grace as their future first baseman. Only 10 days after the retirement announcement, Cindy filed for divorce.
In the midst of his retirement, Sandberg met his second wife, Margaret Koehnemann. She and her family were Ryno's neighbors in the Phoenix area, and they married and blended their families, five children in all. Late in the 1995 season, Ryne and Margaret were attending a game at Wrigley Field as guests of the Cubs. Margaret would later report that Ryne had "that look in his eyes" and asked him if he wanted to play again. Knowing that his new bride would approve of his return to the Cubs, on October 31, 1995 Ryne Sandberg held another press conference, announcing that he would return to the Cubs for the 1996 season.
Despite hitting 25 home runs with 92 RBI, Sandberg was clearly past his prime in 1996. Ryno posted a .244 batting average that year, his lowest average in a full season, though he still put together 3.2 bWAR. After struggling offensively again in 1997, Sandberg decided to retire for good.
On September 21, 1997, just three days after his 38th birthday, Ryne Sandberg officially played in his final game at Wrigley Field, an 11-3 win over the Phillies. Here’s his final hit at Wrigley, after which he was removed for a pinch-runner:
You know, it’s been very rare for a Cubs superstar to get a sendoff like that at Wrigley. Ron Santo, Billy Williams, Andre Dawson, Lee Smith and Greg Maddux all finished their careers with other teams, though Maddux did get an ovation in his final game as a Cub in 2006 before he was traded away. Ernie Banks just kind of faded away in 1971, no ceremony was held, and there was even talk he might return as a player-coach in 1972, which didn’t happen. And Fergie Jenkins, though he did return to the Cubs for two final seasons in 1982 and 1983, was unceremoniously released in March 1984.
Ryno got that ovation in 1997, well deserved, and was able to end his career as a Cub on the field. I just watched that video again this morning and it got... a bit dusty in the room.
During his distinguished baseball career, Sandberg won nine straight Gold Gloves and appeared in 10 consecutive All-Star Games, winning the 1990 Home Run Derby at Wrigley Field. He won eight Silver Slugger Awards and in 2,164 games, Ryno accumulated 2,386 hits in 8,385 at bats with 403 doubles, 76 triples, 282 home runs, 344 stolen bases, 1,318 runs and 1,061 RBI. The 344 steals are the most for any Cub in the Modern Era, and fourth on the all-time team list. His other Cub rankings include third in runs, fourth in hits, fourth in doubles, and fifth in total bases and home runs.
In 2005, his third year of Hall of Fame eligibility, Sandberg earned proper recognition for his career achievements, as he was elected as the 17th second baseman to get a plaque in Cooperstown, receiving 393 votes out of 516 ballots cast (76.2 percent).
Ryno's critically-acclaimed induction speech provided a revitalizing message for every baseball fan, reminding us why the game we love remains one of our national treasures. In an age consumed with astronomical power numbers, many times we fail to realize the fundamental aspects of the game. Sandberg's speech reminded us that things such as turning a simple double play are just as important as the long ball. In a veiled swipe at the players accused of bulking up with steroids, Sandberg said in his induction speech:
If there’s a single reason I’m here, it’s because of one word: respect. I was taught to respect the game above everything else. I was in awe every time I walked on the field. That’s respect. I was taught you never, ever disrespect your opponents or your teammates or your organization or your manager. And never, ever disrespect your uniform.
Here’s Ryno’s complete induction speech:
A few weeks after that Hall induction ceremony, Sandberg’s No. 23 was retired by the Cubs at Wrigley Field on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, August 28, 2005:
Not content with sitting in retirement in Arizona, Sandberg threw his hat in the ring to become Cubs manager after Dusty Baker was let go after 2006. General manager Jim Hendry hired the experienced Lou Piniella, but offered Sandberg a managerial slot in the Cubs' farm system, telling him that after some experience, he could work his way up toward a major league coaching or managing job. Sandberg accepted that position and managed four years in the Cubs system, including being named Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year at Triple-A Iowa in 2011.
Sandberg then hoped to be named Cubs manager for 2012, but President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein chose Dale Sveum instead, and Sandberg left the Cubs organization to manage in the minors for his original team, the Phillies. After two years managing at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Sandberg replaced Charlie Manuel as Phillies manager with 42 games remaining in the 2013 season. He managed in Philadelphia all of 2014 and then resigned 74 games into 2015:
“In a lot of ways I’m old school, and I’m very much dissatisfied with the record and not pleased at all with that,” Sandberg said. “I think that goes hand in hand with being a manager. So it’s been a difficult thing to swallow, but I have thought about it for some time and we’ve come to this day. The accumulation of losses was something that I take responsibility for and something that really took a toll on me.”
Sandberg returned to the Cubs fold after that as an ambassador and often made appearances at Wrigley Field. Along with other legendary Cubs, he was given a World Series ring after the team won it all in 2016.
And on June 23, 2024, on the 40th anniversary of what will forever be called “The Sandberg Game,” the Cubs unveiled a statue of Sandberg in Gallagher Way next to Wrigley Field:
It’s sad when any of our sports heroes passes away, but Sandberg is gone far too young. He’ll always be remembered for his prowess at the plate, on the bases and in the field and as a man who played baseball — and indeed, lived his entire life — with grace, kindness and style.
If you didn’t see this in today’s game recap, Cubs manager Craig Counsell had these thoughtful comments about Sandberg and his impact on the team [VIDEO].
Sandberg is survived by his wife, Margaret, his children, Justin (Ashley), Lindsey (Adam), Steven (Megan), BR (Katie), and Adriane, and his 11 grandchildren: Joshua, Micah, Eli, Brooklyn, Owen, Nathan, Weston, Adalyn, Bode, Stella, and Roman.
We as Cubs fans, the baseball world, and humanity are better because Ryne Sandberg passed our way.
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