CHICAGO — On the 40th anniversary of his most famous game, Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg was immortalized outside Wrigley Field when the team unveiled a statue of him in a ceremony for Sunday afternoon.
Sandberg, 64, was feted in front of friends, family and former teammates, as the current Cubs watched from the second level of the stadium concourse. His two double-play partners at shortstop, Larry Bowa and Shawon Dunston, were present and spoke to the crowd, which included legions of Cubs and Sandberg fans.
“This guy wanted to win more than anyone I played with,” Bowa said.
Sandberg was a nine-time Gold Glove winner, seven-time Silver Slugger and ten-time All-Star. He hit 282 home runs at a time when second basemen didn’t have much power.
“I was an opposite-field hitter my first two years,” Sandberg said after the ceremony. “(Manager) Jim Frey wanted me to turn on some fastballs in the fastball count. ‘If it doesn’t work, you can go back on your way.’ I did that and learned to cover the infield and hit some home runs. It was instant results.”
Sandberg also had that rare combination of power and speed, as he stole 344 bases over his 16-year career. His entire game landed him in the Hall of Fame in 2005.
“All of us want to impact the game in every way,” Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner said Sunday. “I always wanted to do that. He’s someone who did that his entire career, which is incredible.”
There was some doubt that Sandberg would even be able to attend her own statue ceremony; Between the time the team announced he would be honoring him and Sunday’s inauguration, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. But last month he declared that he was cancer-free.
Featured Sports KeynoteUSA
2 Related
“This was a guarantee for me,” he said of his attendance. “I went back to my baseball days where I had goals and my attitude of working towards something. That’s what I’ve done.”
The honor comes exactly 40 years after he hit two home runs off Hall of Fame closer Bruce Sutter in the same game (one in the ninth inning and one in the 10th), helping secure his Most Valuable Player award. of that season, as well as that of the Cubs. division title. Just two years earlier, as a rookie, Sandberg began his career 0-31, fearing being sent back to the minors.
“I was in Triple-A just the year before,” Sandberg said. “I knew what that was like.”
He never fell again as he dominated at the plate and in the field, leading to the honor of a lifetime. His statue will forever stand alongside Hall of Fame Cubs Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Ron Santo and Fergie Jenkins.
Sandberg was asked if the day lived up to her expectations.
“I can’t really say it’s what I thought,” he said with a smile. “It’s more than I thought.
“What a wonderful day. Incredible.”
Keynote USA
For the Latest Sports News, Follow Keynote USA Sports on Twitter.