Ryne Sandberg, one of the greatest players in Chicago Cubs history and author of one of the most memorable regular-season games ever played at the Friendly Confines, was immortalized in bronze Sunday with a statue outside of Wrigley Field.
The Hall of Famer was honored by former teammates Shawon Dunston and Larry Bowa along with broadcaster Bob Costas as the statue was dedicated prior to the Mets-Cubs game Sunday night. The statue depicts Sandberg in the field, with his hands in the ready position as he is getting ready to make a defensive play for the Cubs.
Dunston, a strong-armed shortstop who played for more than a decade with the Cubs, explained that Sandberg had shown him what it took to be a big-leaguer by playing hard on an every-day basis. Bowa came to the Cubs after playing the bulk of his career with the Philadelphia Phillies, and he helped Sandberg understand the nuances of playing consistently at the Major League level.
The current members of the Cubs lined up on the ramps of Wrigley Field to see the ceremony that honored Sandberg.
Sandberg was a brilliant athlete, a wonderful hitter and a sensational fielder throughout his 16-year Major League career. He was a 10-time All-Star, a 9-time Gold Glove winner, a 7-time Silver Slugger recipient, an MVP winner and a Home Run Derby champion in addition to his Hall of Fame status. Sandberg was voted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.
“The Sandberg Game”
Sandberg became a prominent headliner in the baseball world during a legendary “Game of the Week” broadcast in June of 1984 that was televised by NBC. In the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cubs, the two teams went back and forth in a slugfest, but the Cardinals appeared to have the edge in the 9th inning when they took a 9-8 lead.
St. Louis ace closer Bruce Sutter was entrusted with closing out the game, but Sandberg opened the bottom of the 9th inning with a home run into the left field bleachers. One inning later, the Cardinals had a 2-run lead when Sandberg came to bat with two outs and a runner on base. The superstar second baseman cracked another home run off the shocked Sutter to tie the game at 11-11.
The Cubs would win the game 12-11 in the 11th inning. Costas called it the greatest regular-season game he has ever seen and he has said it was an honor to broadcast that game.
Sandberg says no signs of cancer after recent diagnosis
In addition to celebrating the 40th anniversary of Sandberg's heroic game, the player, his family, his former teammates and his fans have been relieved to learn that the Hall of Famer has no visible signs of cancer. Sandberg was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer in January.
However, after undergoing four rounds of chemotherapy, Sandberg announced in May that there were no detectable cancer cells in his body. He has continued his treatment of chemotherapy and radiation, and Sandberg said that he continues to feel strong. That positive news added to the celebratory aspect of his statue dedication.
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