Chicago Cubs: The Heroes of Wrigley Series presents Ryne Sandberg

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One of the greatest steals in Major League history introduced Chicago to one of the most lovable and revered Cubs of all-time.

As one of Washington’s premier and notable athletes of the 1970s, Ryne Sandberg was a highly sought after prospect after graduating from North Central High School in Spokane. With numerous offers from NCAA Divison I colleges to play quarterback, he ultimately reneged his letter of intent to attend Washington State University, opting to play professional baseball and try his chances in the 1978 Major League Baseball amateur draft.

After being passed through nineteen rounds, the Philadelphia Phillies drafted Sandberg in the 20th round.

Sandberg made his Major League debut for Philadelphia in 1981, playing in just 13 games and gaining only one hit. The hit, however, auspiciously occurred at Wrigley Field.

His lone hit of the ’81 season would be the first of many in what would be his future home for the next 15 seasons.

With the Phillies having an already stacked infield, which included the likes of Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia couldn’t make room for the 21-year old infielder. Before the start of the 1982 season, the team traded Sandberg, along with Larry Bowa, to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for shortstop Ivan DeJesus.

It would go down in history as one of the most significant trades, and steals, in Major League Baseball history.

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

One team’s scrap is another team’s legend.

Sandberg quickly became one of the league’s budding rising stars after being acquired by Chicago. Initially being used as an outfielder and then a third baseman, Cubs manager eventually penciled him full-time at second base, a position he revolutionized.

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By 1984, he became one of the league’s best defensive second baseman. His talents didn’t stop there though. Ryno proved to be a multi-dimensional player, breaking out with a mammoth hitting season, as well.

For the first time in his young career, Sandberg reached the 200 hit plateau, hitting for a .314 batting average, scoring 114 runs with 36 two-baggers,19 triples, 19 home runs and driving in 84 runs.

As the Cubs magical ’84 ended in heartbreaking fashion in the playoffs against the San Diego Padres, the National League Eastern Division Champions found their leader for the future.

Outside of Chicago, Sandberg began to garner national attention as he was awarded the 1984 National League Most Valuable Player.

Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel /Allsport /

As the Cubs were in the midst of a dark time with very little “W’s” being raised at Wrigley, fans of the loveable losers still flocked to see their beloved Ryno in action.

At a time when second baseman weren’t generally known for their hitting, let alone their power, Sandberg entered in the decade of the ’90s revolutionizing the position and being a perennial All-Star for ten straight seasons.

In 1990, Sandberg became only the third second baseman in Major League history to hit 40 home runs in a single season (Rogers Hornsby and Davey Johnson).

During his power surge, his defense didn’t suffer or miss a step either, setting a record by a second baseman of 123 straight games without a fielding error.

Despite batting second in Chicago’s lineup, the 1991 season saw Sandberg knock in 100 runs for the second straight season.

However, by 1994, the notoriously slow-starting Sandberg began to show signs of slowing down. After hitting just .238 by June, a career low, Ryno announced his shocking and abrupt retirement from the game of baseball.

Citing his inability to play at the competitive level he grew accustomed to and not wanting to let his team down, the Wrigley faithful were left with a void in their hearts and at second base.

Mandatory Credit: Jed Jacobsohn /Allsport /

A year after a beloved Chicago No. 23 returned to the hardwood; another No. 23 triumphantly returns to Wrigley.

After remaining retired through the 1995 season, fans rejoiced as Sandberg returned to the team for the ’96 season.

While the Cubs managed to win only 76 games in his comeback season, Wrigley was undoubtedly glad to have No. 23 back on the field. Ryno didn’t disappoint either, smashing 25 home runs and driving in 92 RBIs.

Raising his batting average to .264 and still providing a productive season with 12 home runs and 64 RBIs, 1997 proved to be Ryno’s swan song season, again retiring from baseball.

During his career, Sandberg had a .285 batting average and a then-record of 277 home runs by a second baseman, which wasn’t broken until Jeff Kent in 2004.

In 2005, Sandberg was inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. Always being a good teammate, he couldn’t help to campaign for calls for former Chicago favorites, Andre Dawson and the constantly overlooked and snubbed, Ron Santo.

The same year, the Chicago Cubs retired Sandberg’s No. 23. He was just the fourth Cub ever to receive the honor behind Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, and Santo.

(Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /

Impossible to stay away from the game he loved, Ryno suits up once again but solely from the view of the dugout.

Sandberg tried his hat managing in 2006, leading the Cubs’ Class A affiliate, the Peoria Chiefs, to the championship game. In rapid succession, the organization promoted him to Double-A manager in 2008 then Triple-A the following year in 2009.

After winning the 2010 Manager of the Year for the Pacific Coast League, Sandberg campaigned to be the next manager of the Chicago Cubs after the team’s former manager, Lou Pinella, retired.

The Cubs eventually passed up on Sandberg and caused a bit of the strain between the organization and himself. He opted for better opportunities, returning to the organization that drafted him, the Philadelphia Phillies. After a few years managing in the minors, he became manager of the Phillies in 2013.

Sandberg and the Phillies eventually went their separate ways and he returned to the Cubs as a goodwill ambassador in 2016. A great year to do so, as the team ended their 108-year drought, finally capturing a long-awaited World Series title.

Ryne Sandberg, Wrigley Field, and second base are all synonymous with each other, and all is right within the vines with No. 23 back home where he belongs.

Sandberg is the epitome of what Chicago Cubs baseball is all about, and we need to thank the Phillies organization every day for making one of the worst trades in baseball history.

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With the arrival of the legend, it made up for the 1963 Lou Brock trade and the murmurs and laughter about Ernie Broglio all blew away in the Wrigley wind every afternoon when we witnessed this Hero of Wrigley man his position at second base.

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