When you think of Ryne Sandberg, you picture him at second base — balanced, ready, and quietly commanding the field at Wrigley. A reluctant star, his play still demanded attention. Cubs manager Craig Counsell called him a “quiet man, but he still somehow lit up a room.” That quietness wasn’t emptiness; it was focus, preparation, and respect for the game. His statue outside Wrigley captures not celebration, but “balance and preparedness” — the essence of “Ryno.”
He was born in Spokane, Washington, on September 18, 1959. His father, Derwent (“Sandy”), a mortician, and his mother, Elizabeth, a nurse, instilled discipline and humility. His father’s advice: “Keep your mouth shut and eyes and ears open. Then you might learn something.” Even his name came from a ballplayer — Yankees pitcher Ryne Duren. Baseball was in his blood. But Sandberg also starred in football and basketball at North Central High, once going head-to-head with a young John Stockton. As a quarterback, he broke records and signed to play for Washington State. But when the Phillies drafted him in the 20th round of the 1978 MLB draft, he chose baseball saying.
With encouragement from scout Bill Harper, he signed for $20,000. Sandberg rose through the Phillies’ system, but with stars like Mike Schmidt and Manny Trillo ahead of him, opportunities were limited. He debuted on September 2, 1981, and got just one hit in 13 games. That lone hit came at Wrigley Field, using a bat borrowed from Larry Bowa. Months later, in January 1982, both were traded to the Cubs. On paper, it was a swap of shortstops — Iván de Jesús for Bowa. But Cubs GM Dallas Green, who had managed the Phillies and helped draft Sandberg, demanded Sandberg be included. The Phillies, thinking he was a “utility infielder,” agreed. It became one of the most lopsided trades in history. “Never mind me,” Bowa told the Baseball Hall of Fame, “I can’t believe the Phillies gave up Sandberg.”
With the Cubs, Sandberg began at third base in 1982, hitting .271 with 32 stolen bases. In 1983, he moved to second and won the first of nine consecutive Gold Gloves. He was reliable — but on June 23, 1984, he became a legend. The “Game of the Week” on NBC featured the Cubs and rival Cardinals. Down 9–8 in the ninth, Sandberg homered off closer Bruce Sutter. The Cardinals scored twice in the tenth, taking an 11–9 lead. With two outs in the bottom of the tenth, Sandberg homered again off Sutter. Broadcaster Bob Costas shouted, “Do you believe it?!” The Cubs won in the 11th.
Sandberg’s greatness extended beyond one game. A 10-time All-Star and seven-time Silver Slugger, he combined power, speed, and elite defense. In 1985, he hit 26 home runs and stole 54 bases. In 1990, encouraged to hit for power, he led the league with 40 homers — almost unheard of for a second baseman. Only five players in history have had both a 40-homer and 50-steal season. His work ethic was unmatched. “You would never see Ryne Sandberg not prepared to play a baseball game,” Bowa said. Greg Maddux remembered him as a leader: “He led by example on the field and a mentor off.”
Behind the scenes, he had a playful side. While fans saw a stoic figure, teammates knew a prankster who rigged exploding cigarettes and messed with Gary Matthews’s director’s chair. Darrin Jackson called him “the last guy you’d suspect but always the one behind the laugh.” His dual nature — serious pro, secret joker — made him a unique leader.
Then, on June 13, 1994, Sandberg retired midseason, leaving $16 million on the table. “I am certainly not the type of person who can ask the Cubs organization and the Chicago Cubs fans to pay my salary when I am not happy with my mental approach and my performance,” he said. He was also going through a divorce and wanted to be there for his children. In his book Second to Home, he criticized GM Larry Himes for tearing the team apart and disrespecting the game. His departure was about principle.
He returned in 1996, remarried and reenergized, with a new Cubs front office in place. He hit 25 home runs and mentored younger players before retiring for good in 1997.
In 2005, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. His speech was a love letter to the game. “I had too much respect for the game to play it any other way,” he said. And famously: “Hit a home run — put your head down, drop the bat, run around the bases, because the name on the front is more a lot more important than the name on the back.”
He managed in the Cubs’ system but was passed over for the top job. He returned to the Phillies and eventually became their manager, resigning in 2015. Phillies owner John Middleton said, “Not only was he a Hall of Famer, he was a man who personified class and dignity.”
In his final years, he served as a Cubs ambassador, mentoring players like Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ. Even while battling metastatic prostate cancer, he showed up at spring training to offer wisdom. His legacy lives on — not just in stats like 282 home runs, nine Gold Gloves, and a .285 average — but in how he played and led.
At his statue unveiling just over one year ago, his health declining but spirit intact, he looked at the crowd and said, “My life changed a lot in 1984, but that’s nothing compared to what had happened six months ago. My thoughts today are instead about love, life, family and friends.”
For many generations of fans, the feeling was always mutual.
Ryne “Ryno” Sandberg
September 18, 1959 to July 28, 2025
Rest In Peace Ryno!