Remembering Ryne Sandberg
Very sad to hear that the great Chicago Cub Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg passed away yesterday of cancer. He was 65.
Ryno had previously had treatment and been declared in remission. But a few years later, it sadly returned.
A great player, but by all accounts, an even better person. He was an incredibly popular Cub.
After writing that last night and saving the article for posting today, I got an email from my cousin in Chicago. All he said was how sorry to hear about Ryne Sandberg passing, and then adding "A real Cub legend and first class individual." Almost the exact same thing.
There's so much that I'd like to say, and so little that I will -- just like my cousin Peter. Sandberg was in 10 All Star Games, won nine Gold Gloves for defense, received the Most Valuable Player Award in the National League in 1984, and was elected into baseball's Hall of Fame. With Ryno, who was so low-key, it almost seems best to just leave it at this, and a couple videos to speak louder and better.
There are few games in baseball history that have a "name." But most baseball fans know "The Sandberg Game." It was a nationally television Saturday game on NBC with Bob Costas as the microphone -- on June 23, 1984. The season that Sandberg won the MVP Award. The Cubs were playing their top rival, the St. Louis Cardinals. Ryno came to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Cubs down by a run, facing future Hall of Fame reliever Bruce Sutter -- a former Cubs. And he hit a home run to tie the game. Then, in the 10th inning, with the Cubs down by two runs, with a runner on base...and with two outs -- and again facing the great Bruce Sutter...Ryne Sandberg did it once more, getting another home run, to tie the game. His fifth hit of the day. The Cubs went on to win.
This is the Cubs Hall of Fame Announcer Harry Carey (who earlier in his career announced for the Cardinals -- lots of Hall of Fame overlaps in this game, helping make it even more legendary...) with the call. All edited down to about four minutes.
And second, we'll go out with this. It's Ryne Sandberg's Hall of Fame induction speech in 2005. It'll give a good idea on who he was. There have been many great Hall of Fame speeches -- this is considered one of the best.
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