Chicago Cubs: The Heroes of Wrigley Series presents Ryne Sandberg

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.