Chicago Cubs: There’s one in every generation, but never another Mr. Cub

Chicago Cubs: Another future Hall of Famer steals the show

Ryne Sandberg held down second base for the Cubs for 15 years and he’s on my list for several reasons.  Nine consecutive Gold Gloves at second from 1983 to 1991, ten All-Star game appearances from1984 to 1993, seven Silver Slugger awards (’84-’85, ’88-92) and National League MVP honors in 1984.

His two clutch game-tying two-out home runs against the Cardinals and Bruce Sutter in 1984 in the Sandberg Game – I mean how many players have a game named after them?  Not sure which was better, Harry Caray’s call or Sutter’s reaction after the second long ball.

But it was perhaps his Hall of Fame induction speech that captured the player we as Cubs fans loved and admired.  He didn’t talk much, flip bats or admire home runs.  He played it by the book, and he played it clean.

There weren’t the preseason rhymes like Ernie came up with in Spring Training.  And certainly, there were other popular Cubs like Rick Sutcliffe, Mark Grace and Andre Dawson.  But if the mantle of Mr. Cub could be bestowed to another Cub of that era, it would be to Ryne Sandberg.