The Chicago Cubs continue to pay tribute to one of their greatest stars in the late Ryne Sandberg. The Hall of Famer and one of the best second basemen of the last 50 years died Monday after his battle with prostate cancer. The baseball world has paid tribute to Sandberg since his passing, and the Cubs honored him Saturday as all of the team members wore No. 23 — Sandberg's number — on the back of their uniforms. They also wore the blue uniform shirts that Sandberg wore throughout the majority of his career.
Fox pregame shown analyst Alex Rodriguez spoke about Sandberg after the game and the impact that he had on his career as well as other Latin players.
“I was 18 years old playing spring training in Arizona,” Rodriguez said. “I got to second base, I don't know how I got there. He comes up to me and says, ‘You're going to be a big star in this league.' I almost started crying.
“I called my mom, I called my sister, I called my brother. ‘You're not going to believe what Ryne Sandberg said to me.' When you talk to all the Latins, Puerto Ricans, Colombian and Dominicans, they all rave about what a great human being he was. What that does to a young man's self-esteem and how much it helps him get better and feel like he's part of that clubhouse. Not only a great player but a great human being.”
Sandberg became a Cubs legend during memorable 1984 season
The Chicago Cubs played in the 1945 World Series against the Detroit Tigers and lost in seven games. They did not make another postseason appearance until the 1984 season.
The Cubs rallied behind Sandberg, pitcher Rick Sutcliffe, first baseman Leon Durham and outfielder Gary Matthews and Chicago won the National League East. Sandberg was the best player on the team and he would win the National League Most Valuable Player Award. Sandberg hit .314 with 36 doubles, 19 triples and 19 home runs while driving in 84 runs and scoring 114 runs.
He became a well-known superstar that season, and his coming out party was a Saturday afternoon Game of the Week televised nationally by NBC. Sandberg hit two game-tying home runs off of ace St. Louis Cardinals reliever Bruce Sutter in the 9th and 10th innings. The Cubs finally won it by a 12-11 score in 12 innings. The spectacular performance would become known as “The Sandberg Game.”
His legacy on the field as one of the Cubs' all-time great players is unchallenged, and the stories of respect from multiple individuals inside and outside the sport indicate how beloved Sandberg was off the field.
