Chicago Cubs: Nothing stands test of time like the Ryne Sandberg game

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(Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images) /

Wednesday marks the anniversary of what I think is the greatest Chicago Cubs game ever. It was June 23,1984. I was fortunate enough to watch it live. I say this because back in the day, pre-cable, when, since I lived in Arizona, the only chance I had to see the Cubs play was if they were on the ‘Game of the Week’.

By some fortunate alignment of the stars, on this particular Saturday, the powers at NBC decreed that the game between the Cardinals and Cubs in Chicago would be that game. The upstart Cubs, under the direction of General Manager Dallas Green and field boss, Jim Frey, were a half-game out of first place, which made for a good reason to feature this game.

It’s worth looking at the complex history which made it so compelling.

Chicago Cubs: A trade that wasn’t what it seemed

Dallas Green became the General Manager of the Cubs in 1982. He was fresh off managing the the Philadelphia Phillies where he had spent most of his playing career as a pitcher. As manager of the Phils he led the team to a World Series championship in 1980

One of the actions he took upon becoming GM of the Cubs was to trade their young shortstop, Ivan DeJesus to the Phillies for aging infielder, Larry Bowa and a rookie, with the unlikely name of Ryne Sandberg.

I remember being outraged at the trade at the time wondering what in the hell Green was thinking? My younger brother, who was much more into the game at the time, assured me that it was a good trade and to keep my eye on the rookie.

In 1982 the 22-year-old Sandberg, playing mostly at third, performed well enough to finish sixth in the Rookie of the Year voting. And then fate (and Frey) stepped in. At spring training in 1983 Frey moved Sandberg full-time to second base. He responded by winning a Gold Glove. There was much more to come.

Chicago Cubs: A chance for a young team to make some noise

In 1984, the greatest closer in baseball was Bruce Sutter. Sutter had pitched for the Cubs, and pitched well, but when he was granted free agency the notoriously frugal North Siders weren’t willing to meet his price so Sutter was traded… to the Cards.

Of all the teams they could’ve traded him to – why did it have to be the Cardinals?

Perennial Eastern Division leaders, St. Louis wasn’t about to let Sutter go, and with them, he only got better. Sutter dominated the ends of games like no other pitcher could. His secret was ‘the split-finger fastball’. It was a pitch that looked like a fastball and moved like a knuckle ball. HIs split-finger was nearly unhit-able.

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Sutter had been successful in closing out nearly half of the Cards wins already by the time this game was played. Beating him and the Cards would be a tall order.

An important game for the young Cubs team

This was a pivotable game. If Chicago could beat the Cards, they would move into first place in the NL East.

After two innings, the Cardinals charged out to a 7-1 lead over the Cubs. With Willie McGee, Ozzie Smith, George Hendrick and Tommy Herr, among others, it looked like the Redbirds had finished the game almost before it got started.

McGee had an especially good game. By the end, he had hit for the cycle, was 4-for-6, had six RBI and scored three runs. Near the end of the ninth, NBC named McGee as Player of the game. They were a trifle premature.

Chicago Cubs: Moment after moment that no one will ever forget…

At the start of 1984 Frey asked the rangy 24-year-old Sandberg if he had ever thought of trying to hit the ball in the air. The young infielder said he would try. He went from eight homers in 1983 to nineteen in 1984, adding 28 doubles and a staggering 19 triples to his resume. By the end of the year, Sandberg raised his average by more than 50 points from the year prior and almost doubled his RBI total. This output led to Sandberg being named the Senior Circuit’s MVP.

But I am getting ahead of myself.

After eight innings on June 23, the Cubs had chipped away at the Cards’ lead and the game stood at 9-8 St. Louis. But Sutter had entered in the seventh and things looked bleak for the home team.

Ryne Sandberg steps up, and into Cubs history

Sandberg led off to face the vaunted reliever in the bottom of the ninth with the bases empty and the Cubs needing a run to extend the game. He had already had a good game, going 3-for-4 with four RBI but this was Bruce Sutter!

Sandberg later said, “I just aimed for the bottom of the ball and swung.” He homered! Tie game—blown save—extra innings!

Sandberg wasn’t done. Sutter was still pitching in the tenth, with two outs and a two-run lead. Bobby Denier had managed to scratch out a walk to get on base, but Sandberg was facing Sutter again, this time with the Cubs needing two runs to prolong the game.

I’ll let WGN Cubs radio broadcaster, Harry Caray handle the call on what happened next: “WAY BACK! It might bed outta here! It is! He did it again! He did it again! Holy Cow!”

Next. Ranking the 25 greatest Cubs in team history. dark

Ryne Sandberg had hit two consecutive game-tying homers against the best reliever in the game. It was up to little used, Dave Owens to get the game-winning hit for the Cubs, but Sandberg, with a line of 5-of-6, two homers, two runs scored and six RBI, was the hero of a game that NBC announcer Bob Costas pronounced, “The greatest game I’ve ever seen!”

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