Not sure if Cafe Society is the place for this, or The Game Room. Mods, move if necessary please.
It’s a sad day for Chicago Cubs fans. Ryno has died.
That 1984 team, and the Boys of Zimmer in 1989. Such ecstasy and heartbreak.
Ryne Sandberg was such an unassuming player, no boasting, no drama. Just solid artistry on the field.
He was drop dead gorgeous too, back in the day.
An article on Sandberg, his passing, and his career as a Cub, from one of the local Chicago TV stations. He was such a great player, and was absolutely an icon here in Chicago.
https://wgntv.com/sports/cubs/cubs-icon-ryne-sandberg-dead-at-65/
It’s a real bummer. I became a Cubs fan in 1986 when he was easily the best player on the team. Shortly afterwards, Greg Maddux, Andre Dawson, and Mark Grace joined the team, and it was such a pleasure to watch the games on WGN every day.
Yeah WGN let me follow most of his career-helluva player, one of the most enjoyable to watch. I wonder how much he missed out on solidifying his status in the pantheon by bailing for 18 months; he came back, had one mediocre seasion (by his former standards), a real awful one, then retired.
People get on Bull Durham for the grounder between his legs in game 5 of the ‘84 NLCS, but the very next hitter Alan Wiggins smashed a one hop liner right at Ryno’s feet-he attempted an ole-style snag but came up empty. I always wondered what would have happened if he had come up with that ball, because it would have been an easy double play (even with the fast Wiggins running) if he had, because it would have kept Tony Gwynn from coming to the plate with people on (he promptly got a 2-run double). Hard to believe that season was 41 years ago.
When people mention #23, he’s the first one I think of. He was the first jersey number I memorized, or at least at the same time as Chet Lemon (44).
I don’t normally get too upset over celebrity deaths but this one hurts. Ryne Sandberg was my first celebrity crush, but it goes beyond that. Cubs games were one of the things I connected with my dad over. I spent many a summer afternoon watching games on TV with him starting about 1984. We made it to Wrigley a handful of times too. My dad’s been gone for 16 years and this feels like losing part of him again.
I can kinda relate. I became a diehard Cub fan because of my dad, even all the way down here in Kentucky, where most locals root for Cincinnati. And Dad died back in 2001. And Sandberg was my all-time favorite Cub player, though I didn’t have a crush on him.
It’s not just losing an icon. In a way, it feels like losing a friend.
I follow a page on Facebook that shares information on how to get sports cards/collectibles signed by athletes. I’m not even sure why I follow it - I’ve never done it before.
Anyway, Sandberg was a consistently reliable signer. For just $10 and a SASE, he’d sign anything you sent him. He tailed off for a while early in the year, but then there was a big influx of successes reported in the last month. He was clearly dedicated to his fan base, and wanted to clear that off his plate.
It seems like really small potatoes in the grand scheme of things, but it shows what sort of person he was.
Excerpt from his HoF Induction Speech:
Classy guy.
Just came across this statement on the Cubs’ official Facebook page:
#23 for all Cubbies in tomorrow’s game with the Orioles in town.