Ryne Sandberg

Early life

Ryne Dee Sandberg was born on September 18, 1959, in Spokane, Washington, to Elizabeth, a nurse, and Derwent D. "Sandy" Sandberg, a mortician. He was named for relief pitcher Ryne Duren.

Sandberg was a three-sport star at North Central High School and graduated in 1978. In the fall of 1977, he was named to Parades High School All-America football team, one of eight quarterbacks listed and one of two players from Washington. The school's baseball field was named in his honor in 1985 as "Ryne Sandberg Field," and his varsity number was retired in both football and baseball.

Sandberg was recruited to play quarterback at NCAA Division I colleges, and eventually signed a letter of intent with Washington State University in Pullman.

Professional career

Draft and minor leagues

Sandberg opted not to attend after being selected in the 20th round of the 1978 baseball amateur draft by the Philadelphia Phillies.

Sandberg was reportedly drafted after Bill Harper and Wilbur "Moose" Johnson, both Philadelphia Phillies scouts, persuaded Phillies director of scouting Dallas Green to draft Sandberg, despite his college football commitment. After the Phillies drafted Sandberg, Harper reportedly met with Sandberg, his parents, and brother Del at the their home. "His parents, particularly his mother, were very concerned about Ryne going to college and getting an education," Harper recalled. Sandberg reportedly received a $20,000 bonus, accepting the offer after taking a walk with his brother during the meeting.

In 1978, at age 18, Sandberg began his professional career with the Helena Phillies in the rookie-level Pioneer League. In his first professional season, Sandberg played exclusively at shortstop and hit .311 with a .390 OBP, one home run, 15 stolen bases, and 23 runs batted in (RBIs) in 56 games. Among his teammates at Helena were George Bell, a future MVP, and Bob Dernier, who later formed the "Daily Double" with Sandberg in Chicago. The three advanced through the Phillies system as teammates.

Playing shortstop in 1979, Sandberg played for the Class A Spartanburg Phillies in the Western Carolinas League. In 138 games, he hit .247 with seven triples, four home runs, 21 stolen bases, and 47 RBIs. Sandberg played for the Class AA Reading Phillies of the Eastern League in 1980. With Reading, Sandberg hit .310, with a .403 OBP, 12 triples, 32 stolen bases, 11 home runs, and 79 RBIs. Playing in 129 games for Reading, he drew 73 bases on balls against 72 strikeouts. In the field, he played 120 games at shortstop and four at third base. Sandberg was selected to the Eastern League All-Star team.

Advancing to the Class AAA level Oklahoma City 89ers in 1981, Sandberg played 133 games before being called up by the Philadelphia Phillies. With Oklahoma City, he remained primarily at shortstop, while playing 17 games at second base. Sandberg hit .293, with a .352 OBP, 32 stolen bases, 9 home runs, and 62 RBIs.

Philadelphia Phillies (1981)

Sandberg made his major-league debut as a shortstop for the Phillies in . Playing in 13 games, Sandberg had one hit in six at-bats for a .167 batting average during his brief stint with the team. The one hit occurred at Wrigley Field using a bat borrowed from starting shortstop Larry Bowa.

The Phillies soon concluded that Sandberg was not a successor to Bowa at shortstop. While Sandberg had played both second and third base in the minor leagues, he was blocked from those positions by Manny Trillo and Mike Schmidt. He was traded along with Bowa to the Cubs for shortstop Iván DeJesús prior to the season. The trade came about after negotiations for a new contract between Bowa and the Phillies broke down. Cubs general manager Dallas Green wanted a young prospect to go along with the aging Bowa. Green had been instrumental in the drafting of Sandberg in 1978, while working in the Phillies front office. The two remained close over the years.

Years later, Phillies general manager Paul Owens said that he had not wanted to trade Sandberg, but Green and the Cubs were not interested in any of the other prospects he offered. Owens then went back to his scouts, who said Sandberg would not be any more than a utility infielder. However, Sandberg had hit over .290 in the minors two years in a row. The trade is now considered one of the best (if not the best) in recent Cubs history. At the same time, it is considered one of the worst trades in Phillies history. While DeJesús helped the Phillies infield on their way to the 1983 World Series, he lasted only three years in Philadelphia.

Chicago Cubs (1982–1994, 1996–1997)

1982–1983

The Cubs installed Sandberg as their third baseman, before shifting him to second base late in the season with the call-up of rookie third baseman Pat Tabler. Despite never having played third base before, he made just 11 errors in 140 games, and with 172 hits at a .271 batting average, he finished sixth in Rookie of the Year voting.

After the Cubs acquired veteran Ron Cey following the 1982 season, they moved Sandberg to second base full-time. Sandberg had 165 hits at a .261 average, to go along with 30 steals. He won the Gold Glove Award for second base, the first of nine consecutive such awards, becoming only the third National League player to win a Gold Glove in their first season at a new position.

1984

Sandberg emerged with a breakout season in , in which he batted .314 with 200 hits, 114 runs, 36 doubles, 19 triples, 19 home runs, and 84 RBIs. Bob Dernier was the leadoff hitter and Gold Glove center fielder for the Cubs in 1984, while Sandberg batted second. The pair was dubbed "the Daily Double" by Cubs announcer Harry Caray. In 1984, Sandberg's runs and triples totals led the National League. He was one triple and one home run shy of being the first player in MLB history to collect 200 hits, 20 doubles, 20 triples, 20 home runs, and 20 stolen bases in the same season, and led the Cubs to the National League's Eastern Division title for their first playoff appearance since 1945. The Cubs went on to lose in the National League Championship Series, 3–2 to the San Diego Padres. He was named the National League Most Valuable Player after receiving 22 out of 24 first place votes, the first Cub to do so since Ernie Banks' back-to-back honors in and , and the first for a second baseman since Joe Morgan in .

The Sandberg Game

Main article: Sandberg Game

In an NBC national telecast of a Cardinals–Cubs game on June 23, 1984, the Cubs trailed 9–8 in the ninth inning against future Hall of Fame closer Bruce Sutter, who would save a league-leading 45 games that season. Sandberg slugged a solo home run to left field, tying the game. After the Cardinals scored two runs in the top of the 10th inning, Sandberg hit a two-run homer against Sutter in the 10th inning to again tie the game. Cubs radio announcer Harry Caray described the home run:

Following the home run, NBC play-by-play announcer Bob Costas said: "Do you believe it?". The Cubs won the game in the 11th inning on an RBI single by Dave Owen. Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog later remarked: "Ryne Sandberg is the best baseball player I've ever seen, as far as I'm concerned." The game, commonly known as the Sandberg Game, is also memorable because the Cardinals' Willie McGee hit for the cycle.

1985

In , Sandberg batted .305 with 26 home runs, 83 RBIs, 113 runs scored, and a career-high 54 stolen bases, joining the 20–50 club with his combination of power and speed.

1990

In , Sandberg led the National League in home runs with 40, becoming only the third second baseman to reach that mark; Rogers Hornsby and Davey Johnson hit 42, and no American League second baseman had reached 40 until Brian Dozier in 2016. Sandberg also batted in 100 runs, despite batting second in the order. His batting average did not suffer from his new level of power, as he finished at .306 for the season.

Sandberg played 123 straight games at second base without an error, which was then a major league record. This record was later broken in 2007 by Luis Castillo of the Minnesota Twins. Sandberg played in front of his hometown fans in the 1990 MLB All-Star Game, which was held at Wrigley Field, home of the Cubs. Sandberg won the Home Run Derby with three home runs over the left-field bleachers. Not until the Cincinnati Reds' Todd Frazier in did another player win the Home Run Derby in his own home stadium.

1991

In , Sandberg batted .291 with 26 home runs and batted in 100 runs for the second consecutive season. He also won his ninth consecutive Gold Glove at second base, breaking a tie he had shared with Bill Mazeroski and Frank White for most Gold Gloves at that position. (Roberto Alomar later surpassed Sandberg, with ten.)

1992

On March 2, , Sandberg became the highest-paid player in baseball at the time, signing a $28.4 million ($ today) four-year extension worth $7.1 million ($ today) a season. He earned a spot on the NL All-Star roster and an NL Silver Slugger Award at second base with a .304 batting average, 26 home runs, 100 runs, and 87 RBIs.

1994

Sandberg, a notoriously slow early-season starter, found himself struggling even more so than usual early in the 1994 season. With his average at a career low .238 and having recorded only 53 hits in 57 games, Sandberg decided to step away from baseball, and on June 13, 1994, he announced his retirement.

1996–1997

Sandberg returned to the Chicago Cubs for the season, and re-signed with the Cubs for .

In his final season on April 26, Sandberg hit his 267th home run to pass Joe Morgan and set a new record for home runs by a second baseman.

Sandberg's final game at Wrigley Field and final career hit were on September 21, 1997. Sandberg retired with a career batting average of .285, and a record 277 home runs as a second baseman; this record was surpassed in by Jeff Kent.

Post-playing career

Initially, Sandberg kept a low profile after retiring. In , though, Sandberg accepted his first marketing deal since his retirement, agreeing to be spokesman for National City Bank. He also appeared on ESPN Radio 1000 as an analyst during the baseball season.

National Baseball Hall of Fame candidacy and induction

Sandberg first appeared on the National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot for its 2003 round of voting; he secured 49.2% of the vote, short of the 75% required for induction. He climbed to 61.1% in 2004, before being elected at the third time of asking, with 76.2% of BBWAA writers backing his candidacy.

Sandberg delivered his induction speech at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in August 2005. He spoke of the importance of playing baseball in the right way, saying "learning how to bunt, hit and run and turning two is more important than knowing where to find the little red light [on] the dugout camera," and the importance of respect for your team, while advocating for the election of former Cubs teammate Andre Dawson and Ron Santo. Dawson went on to be elected by the voters in 2010, while Santo was enshrined by the Veterans' Committee in 2012.

Number retirement

|}}[[File:Williams-Sandberg retired numbers.jpg|thumb|Retired number at [[Wrigley Field]]]]After his Hall of Fame induction, Sandberg had his number 23 retired in a ceremony at Wrigley Field on August 28, . He became only the fourth Chicago Cub to have his number retired, following Ernie Banks (#14), Billy Williams (#26), and Ron Santo (#10).

Managerial and coaching career

Sandberg spent seven years as a spring training instructor for the Cubs.

2007–2010

On December 5, 2006, Sandberg was named manager of the Cubs' Class-A Peoria Chiefs in the Midwest League. In December 2008, Sandberg was promoted to manager of the Class Double-A Team Tennessee Smokies in the Southern League. In December 2009, he was again promoted, to manager of the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. Upon leading Iowa to an 82–62 record, the Pacific Coast League named him its 2010 Manager of the Year.

Sandberg said that his ideal job was to manage the Chicago Cubs. Former manager Lou Piniella suggested that Sandberg, as manager of the Cubs' top minor-league affiliate, would be in the mix to replace him when he retired after the 2010 season, but the position was given to interim manager Mike Quade.

2011–2015

On November 15, 2010, Sandberg left the Cubs organization and returned to his original organization as manager of the Phillies' top minor-league affiliate, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

He led the IronPigs to their first-ever playoff appearance and the International League championship series. Baseball America named him its 2011 Minor League Manager of the Year.

After the 2012 season, Sandberg was promoted to third-base coach and infield instructor of the Philadelphia Phillies. He was promoted to interim manager of the Phillies after they fired Charlie Manuel on August 16, 2013. Sandberg earned his first win as a manager against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday August 18, 2013.

Philadelphia Phillies (2013–2015)

On September 22, 2013, the interim tag was removed, and Sandberg was named manager. He was given a three-year contract, with a club option for 2017. He became the third player to manage a team full-time after being inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player, following Ted Williams and Frank Robinson.

Sandberg resigned from the position of Phillies manager on June 26, 2015, with his team in last place in the National League East Division at a record of 26–48, the worst record in MLB. Sandberg ended his managerial tenure with a record of 119–159.

Cubs ambassador

In 2016, Sandberg joined the Cubs organization as a goodwill ambassador. In this position, he made public appearances at Cubs-related events, and attended Cubs games to meet and greet fans; he was an occasional color commentator for the team's telecasts on Marquee Sports Network.

Managerial record

Personal life

Sandberg married his high school sweetheart, Cindy White, and they had two children. They divorced in July 1995. Sandberg married Margaret Koehnemann in August 1995. She has three children from her former marriage. Ryne's nephew, Jared Sandberg, was a third baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2001 to 2003.

Illness and death

In January 2024, Sandberg announced that he had begun treatment for metastatic prostate cancer. After months of intensive chemotherapy and radiation treatments, he was declared cancer-free in August 2024, but on December 10, 2024, Sandberg announced that the cancer had returned and spread to other organs.

He died at his home in Lake Bluff, Illinois, on July 28, 2025, at the age of 65.

On August 2, 2025, every Cubs player and manager Craig Counsell wore number 23 to honor Sandberg.

Charity foundations

Sandberg and Margaret founded Ryno Kid Care to assist in the lives of children with serious illnesses. The organization provided anything from "big brothers" (mentors and older companions) to a home-cooked meal. Ryno Kid Care also provided massage therapists and clowns dressed up as doctors and nurses to brighten the children's day. Ryno Kid Care's mission was "dedicated to enhancing the lives of children with serious medical conditions and their families, by providing supportive, compassionate and meaningful programming." Ryno Kid Care is no longer in operation.

Awards

Sandberg was inducted as a laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois and awarded the Order of Lincoln (the state's highest honor) by the governor of Illinois in 2017.

He was honored by a statue which was dedicated in 2024. The bronze sculpture is located at Gallagher Way, a park outside of Wrigley Field. His baseball achievements are listed and the text of his Hall of Fame plaque is part of the sculpture.

References

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