Ryne Dee Sandberg (born September 18, 1959), nicknamed "Ryno", is an American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

player, coach, and

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...

. He played sixteen seasons in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) as a

second baseman In baseball and softball, second baseman, abbreviated 2B, is a fielding position in the Infielder, infield, between Baseball field#Second base, second and Baseball field#First base, first base. The second baseman often possesses quick hands and f ...

for the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

(1981) and the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

(1982–1994, 1996–1997). After a slow start to his career, Sandberg made a name for himself on June 23, 1984, having a career game including two home runs in what would colloquially become known as the “ Sandberg Game”. Following this, Sandberg established himself as a perennial

All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...

and Gold Glove candidate, making ten consecutive All-Star appearances and winning nine consecutive

Gold Glove The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances. It is awarded at each fieldin ...

s from to . His career .989

fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a baseball positions, defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putout ...

was a major-league record at second base when he retired in 1997. He is tied with Jose Altuve for the most

Silver Slugger Award The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best Batting (baseball), offensive player at each Baseball positions, position in both the American League (AL) and the National League (baseball), National League (NL), as determ ...

s for a second baseman with seven. In

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

, Sandberg was elected to the

National Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by a private foundation. It serves as the central collection and gathering space for the history of baseball in the United St ...

. He resigned from his managerial duties for the Phillies on June 26, 2015, and was succeeded by Pete Mackanin.

Early life

Born and raised in

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...

, Sandberg's parents were Elizabeth, a nurse, and Derwent D. "Sandy" Sandberg, a mortician. He was named for relief pitcher Ryne Duren. Sandberg was a three-sport star in high school at North Central and graduated in 1978. The previous fall he was named to ''

Parade Magazine ''Parade'' was an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 700 newspapers nationwide in the United States until 2022. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., ''Parade'' had a circulation of 32 million and a read ...

s High School All-America football team, one of the eight quarterbacks, and one of two players from the state of 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 NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athlet ...

colleges, and eventually signed a

letter of intent A letter of intent (LOI or LoI, or Letter of Intent) is a document outlining the understanding between two or more parties which they intend to formalize in a legally binding agreement. The concept is similar to a heads of agreement, term she ...

with

Washington State University Washington State University (WSU, or colloquially Wazzu) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Pullman, Washington, United States. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest Land-grant uni ...

in Pullman. He opted not to attend after being selected in the 20th round of the 1978 baseball amateur draft by the

.Kepner, Tyler
Hall of Famer's Slow Road to a Major League Bench

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

, August 9, 2010.

Minor leagues

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 Sandberg 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 after being drafted by the Phillies. Sandberg played for 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, 1 home run, 15 stolen bases and 23 RBI in 56 games. Among his teammates at Helena were George Bell, a future MVP, and Bob Dernier, who would later form the "Daily Double" with Sandberg in Chicago. The three would advance through the Phillies system as teammates. Remaining at shortstop in 1979, Sandberg played for the Class A level

Spartanburg Phillies Spartanburg is a city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city had a population of 38,732 as of the 2020 census, making it the 11th-most populous city in the state. The Office of Management and Budg ...

in the

Western Carolinas League The Western Carolinas League was a Class D level (1948–52; 1960–62) and a low Class A level (1963–79) full-season league in American minor league baseball. The Western Carolinas League changed its name prior to the 1980 season and has been ...

. In 138 games, Sandberg hit .247 with 7 triples, 4 home runs, 21 stolen bases and 47 RBI. Sandberg played for the

Class AA Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League B ...

level

Reading Phillies Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word re ...

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 RBI. Playing in 129 games for Reading, Sandberg drew 73 bases on balls against 72 strikeouts. In the field, Sandberg played 120 games at shortstop and 4 at third base. Sandberg was selected to the Eastern League All-Star team Advancing to the

Class AAA Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). ...

level Oklahoma City 89ers in 1981, Sandberg played 133 games before being called up by the Philadelphia Phillies. With Oklahoma City, Sandberg 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 RBI.

Philadelphia Phillies

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 Jesús Manuel Marcano Trillo (born December 25, 1950), nicknamed "Indio", is a Venezuelan people, Venezuelan former professional baseball second baseman, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, Philade ...

and

Mike Schmidt Michael Jack Schmidt (born September 27, 1949) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who spent his entire 18-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Philadelphia Phillies from 1972 to 1989. Schmidt was a 12-time Al ...

. He was traded along with Bowa to the Cubs for shortstop Iván DeJesús prior to the season. The trade, now reckoned as one of the most lopsided deals in baseball history, 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 (as it turned out, Bowa's playing career ended after the 1985 season). 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 hadn't wanted to trade Sandberg, but Green and the Cubs weren't interested in any of the other prospects he offered. Owens then went back to his scouts, who said Sandberg wouldn't 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 DeJesus helped anchor the Phillies infield on their way to the

1983 World Series The 1983 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1983 season. The 80th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League champion Baltimore Orioles and the Nationa ...

, he lasted only three years in Philadelphia, and was out of baseball by 1988. Sandberg is one of two Hall of Famers who came up through the Phillies farm system and earned their Hall of Fame credentials primarily as Cubs, the other being

Ferguson Jenkins Ferguson Arthur "Fergie" Jenkins Order of Canada, CM (born December 13, 1942) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher and Coach (baseball), coach. He played Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1965 to 1983 for the Philadelphia Phillies, C ...

. Similarly, Jenkins, then age 23, was traded to the Cubs in another trade that ended up heavily favoring the Cubs, a multi-player trade for 1960s workhorse pitcher Larry Jackson, then age 35, and Bob Buhl, then age 37, whose best days were behind him.

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs, who initially wanted Sandberg to play center field, installed him as their third baseman, and he went on to be one of the top-rated rookies of 1982. After the Cubs acquired veteran

Ron Cey Ronald Charles Cey (; born February 15, 1948), nicknamed "the Penguin," is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from through , most notably as an integral member of the Los Angel ...

following the 1982 season, they moved Sandberg to second base, where he became a star.

1984

After winning a

Gold Glove Award The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual Fielding (baseball), fielding performances. It is awar ...

in his first season at the new position, Sandberg emerged with a breakout season in , in which he batted .314 with 200 hits, 114 runs, 36 doubles, 19 triples, 19 homers, 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 Harry Christopher Caray (; March 1, 1914 – February 18, 1998) was an American radio and television Sports commentator, sportscaster. During his career he called the play-by-play for five Major League Baseball teams, beginning with 25 years of ...

. In 1984 Sandberg's runs and triples totals led the National League. He nearly became only the third player to collect 20 doubles, triples, home runs, and

stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base unaided by other actions and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or out ...

s in the same season, led the Cubs to the National League's Eastern Division title (their first championship of ''any'' kind since

1945 1945 marked the end of World War II, the fall of Nazi Germany, and the Empire of Japan. It is also the year concentration camps were liberated and the only year in which atomic weapons have been used in combat. Events World War II will be ...

), and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award, the first by a Cub since

Ernie Banks Ernest Banks (January 31, 1931 – January 23, 2015), nicknamed "Mr. Cub" and "Mr. Sunshine", was an American professional baseball player who starred in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop and first baseman for the Chicago Cubs between ...

' back-to-back honors in and . After his great season in which he garnered national attention, he wrote an autobiography ''Ryno'' with Fred Mitchell.

"The Sandberg Game"

One game in particular was cited for putting Sandberg (as well as the 1984 Cubs in general) "on the map", an NBC national telecast of a Cardinals–Cubs game on June 23, . The Cubs had been playing well throughout the season's first few months, but as a team unaccustomed to winning, they had not yet become a serious contender in the eyes of most baseball fans. As for Sandberg, he had played two full seasons in the major leagues, and while he had shown himself to be a top-fielding second baseman and fast on the basepaths (over 30 stolen bases both seasons), his .260-ish batting average and single-digit home run production were respectable for his position but not especially noteworthy, and Sandberg was not talked about outside Chicago. The ''Game of the Week'', however, put the sleeper Cubs on the national stage against their regional rival, the St. Louis Cardinals. Both teams were well-established franchises with strong fan bases outside the Chicago and St. Louis areas. In the ninth inning, the Cubs trailed 9–8, and faced the premier relief pitcher of the time,

Bruce Sutter Howard Bruce Sutter (; January 8, 1953 – October 13, 2022) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1976 and 1988. He was one of the sport's dominant relievers in the late 1970 ...

. Sutter was at the forefront of the emergence of the closer in the late 1970s and early 1980s and was especially dominant in 1984, saving 45 games. However, in the ninth inning, Sandberg, not yet known for his power, slugged a solo home run to left field against the Cardinals' ace closer, tying the game. Answering this dramatic act, the Cardinals scored two runs in the top of the tenth. Sandberg came up again in the tenth inning, facing a determined Sutter with a man on base. As Cubs' radio announcer

described it: The Cubs went on to win in the 11th inning, with the winning run being driven in by a single off the bat of Dave Owen. The Cardinals'

Willie McGee Willie Dean McGee (born November 2, 1958) is an American professional baseball coach (baseball), coach and former outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for four teams, over 18 seasons, most prominently with the St. Louis Cardinal ...

, who

hit for the cycle Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust or HIT, a fictional organization ...

during the game, had already been named NBC's Player of the Game before Sandberg's first home run; Sandberg later shared that distinction with McGee. As

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

play-by-play announcer

Bob Costas Robert Quinlan Costas (born March 22, 1952) is an American sportscaster who is known for his long tenure with NBC Sports, from 1980 through 2019. He has received 28 Emmy awards for his work and was the prime-time host of 12 Olympic Games from ...

, who called the game with

Tony Kubek Anthony Christopher Kubek (born October 12, 1935) is an American former professional baseball player and television sportscaster, broadcaster. During his nine-year playing career with the New York Yankees, Kubek played in six World Series in the ...

, said when Sandberg hit the second home run, "Do you believe it?!" The game is known as "The Sandberg Game".

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–a rarity for a second baseman–with 40. Sandberg was only the third second baseman to hit 40 home runs;

Rogers Hornsby Rogers Hornsby (April 27, 1896 – January 5, 1963), nicknamed "the Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager (baseball), manager, and coach (baseball), coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the St. ...

and Davey Johnson hit 42, and no American League second baseman had reached forty 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, Brady Anderson,

Barry Bonds Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24, 1964) is an American former professional baseball left fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Bonds was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1986 to 1992 and the San Francisco Giants f ...

, and Ronald Acuña, Jr. are the only players to have both a 40-homer (1990) and 50-steal () season during their careers. Sandberg played a then major league-record 123 straight games at second base without an error. This record was later broken in 2007 by

Plácido Polanco Plácido Enrique Polanco (; born October 10, 1975) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers and Miami Marlins. He was ...

, then of the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

. Sandberg played in front of his hometown fans in the 1990 MLB All-Star Game which was held in

Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side, Chicago, North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charl ...

, home of the Cubs. Sandberg won the

Home Run Derby The Home Run Derby is an annual home run hitting competition in Major League Baseball (MLB) customarily held the day before the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, MLB All-Star Game, which places the contest on a Monday in July. In the context ...

with three home runs over the left-field bleachers. Not until the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

Todd Frazier Todd Brian Frazier (born February 12, 1986), nicknamed "The Toddfather", is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Texas Ran ...

in did another player win the Home Run Derby in their 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 William Stanley Mazeroski (born September 5, 1936), nicknamed "Maz" and "the Glove", is an American former second baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played his entire career for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1956 to 1972. A seven-time All- ...

for most Gold Gloves at that position (

Roberto Alomar Roberto Alomar Velázquez (; ; born February 5, 1968) is a Puerto Ricans, Puerto Rican former second baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for seventeen seasons. He is regarded as one of the greatest second basemen and all-around pla ...

has since broken this record).

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

at second base with a .304 batting average, 26 home runs, 100 runs, and 87 runs batted in.

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. In his book, ''Second to Home'', Sandberg said,

1996–1997

Sandberg returned to the Chicago Cubs for the and seasons, then 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 Jeffrey Franklin Kent (born March 7, 1968) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1992 to 2008 for the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, San Franci ...

. Sandberg's final game at Wrigley Field and final career hit were on September 21, 1997. This also was the final Wrigley Field game for Cubs broadcaster

, who died during the following winter.

Post-playing career

Initially, Sandberg kept a low profile after retiring. However, in , 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. He is also a former baseball columnist for

Yahoo! Sports Yahoo! Sports is a sports news website launched by Yahoo! on December 8, 1997. It receives a majority of its information from Stats Perform. It employs numerous writers, and has team pages for teams in almost every North American major sport. ...

Hall of Fame induction

Sandberg delivered what many traditionalist fans considered a stirring speech at his Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2005. He thanked the writers who voted for him because it meant that he played the game the way he had been taught it should be played. He spoke several times of respect for the game, and chided a subset of current players who, in his opinion, lack that respect. Specifically, he spoke of how the game needs more than home run hitters, citing that turning a double-play and laying down a sacrifice bunt are weapons many of today's greats don't value. He also made a strong pitch for induction of his former teammate,

Andre Dawson Andre Nolan Dawson (born July 10, 1954), nicknamed "the Hawk" and "Awesome Dawson", is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for four different teams as a center and r ...

, who was ultimately elected to join the Hall in 2010, and famously promoted the election of a long-snubbed former Cub to the Hall by saying, "For what it's worth,

Ron Santo Ronald Edward Santo (February 25, 1940 – December 3, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) third baseman who played for the Chicago Cubs from 1960 through 1973 and the Chicago White Sox in 1974. In 1990, Santo became a member of the ...

just earned one more vote on the

Veterans Committee The Veterans Committee is the popular name of various committees of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum that elect participants other than recently retired players. Originally, it referenced the National Baseball Hall of Fame Committee ...

Number retirement

Following 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 (in chronological order)

(#14),

Billy Williams Billy Leo Williams (born June 15, 1938) is an American former left fielder and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played from 1959 to 1976, almost entirely for the Chicago Cubs. A six-time All-Star, Williams was named the 1961 National L ...

(#26), and

(#10). Sandberg has worn his uniform number 23 in past jobs as a Cubs spring training instructor and Peoria Chiefs manager. He also wore that number during his time with the Iowa Cubs as their manager and as the manager of the

Lehigh Valley IronPigs The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and they are named in reference to pig iron, used ...

Managerial career

Sandberg formerly served as a spring training instructor for the Cubs in

Mesa, Arizona Mesa ( ) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The population was 504,258 at the 2020 census. It is the List of municipalities in Arizona, third-most populous city in Arizona, after Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona, T ...

2007–2010

On December 5, 2006, Sandberg was named manager of the Cubs' Class-A

Peoria Chiefs The Peoria Chiefs are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The team was established in 1983 as the Peoria Suns. They are located in Peoria, Illinois, and are named for the Pe ...

in the Midwest League. In his first season as a manager, he took his team to the Midwest League championship game. In December 2008, Sandberg was promoted to manager of the Class Double-A Team

Tennessee Smokies The Knoxville Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in Knoxville, Tennessee. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The team was based in Kodak, Tennessee, a Knoxville suburb, fr ...

in the Southern League. In December 2009, he was again promoted, to manager of the Triple-A

Iowa Cubs The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in Des Moines, Iowa, and are named for their Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. T ...

. Upon leading Iowa to an 82–62 record, the

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

named him its 2010 Manager of the Year. Sandberg has said that his ideal job was to manage the Chicago Cubs. Former manager

Lou Piniella Louis Victor Piniella ( usually ; born August 28, 1943) is a former professional baseball player and manager. An outfielder, he played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals a ...

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. However, 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

. 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

. 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 The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

on Sunday August 18, 2013.

=Phillies manager

= On September 22, 2013, Sandberg was named permanent manager, with a three-year contract, with an option for 2017. He became the first Hall-of-Fame player to manage a team full-time since

Frank Robinson Frank Robinson (August 31, 1935 – February 7, 2019), nicknamed "the Judge", was an American professional baseball outfielder and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for five teams over 21 seasons: the Cincinnati Reds (1956–196 ...

managed the

Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos () were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in the National League (baseball), National League ...

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...

from 2002 to 2006. Ryne Sandberg in 2015 spring training

On April 26, 2015, Sandberg earned his 100th win as a major league manager on a 5–4 win against the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

. Two months later, on June 26, 2015, Sandberg resigned from the position of Phillies manager with his team in last place in the

National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...

East Division at a record of 26–48, the worst record in

Cubs ambassador

In 2016, Sandberg joined the Cubs organization as a goodwill ambassador. In this position, he makes public appearances at Cubs-related events, and attends Cubs games to meet and greet fans; and is an occasional

color commentator A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The person may also be referred to as a summariser (outside North America) ...

for the team's telecasts on

Marquee Sports Network Marquee Sports Network is a regional sports network operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group and the Chicago Cubs, launched on February 22, 2020. It replaced a trio of channels (cable channel NBC Sports Chicago and broadcast partners WLS-TV and WGN S ...

Managerial record

Personal life

Sandberg married his high school sweetheart, Cindy, and the couple had two children, Justin and Lindsey. They divorced in July 1995. Sandberg married Margaret in August 1995. She has three children from her former marriage, BR, Adriane and Steven. He also has eight grandchildren. Ryne's nephew, Jared Sandberg, was a third baseman for the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...

from 2001 to 2003. In January 2024, Sandberg announced that he had begun treatment for metastatic prostate cancer.

Charity foundations

Sandberg and his wife, 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 The Lincoln Academy of Illinois is a not-for-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to recognizing contributions made by living Illinoisans. Named for Abraham Lincoln, the Academy administers the Order of Lincoln, the highest award given b ...

and awarded the Order of Lincoln (the State's highest honor) by the Governor of Illinois in 2017. Sandberg was dedicated a statue, the Statue of Ryne Sandberg in 2024. The

bronze sculpture Bronze is the most popular metal for Casting (metalworking), cast metal sculptures; a cast bronze sculpture is often called simply "a bronze". It can be used for statues, singly or in groups, reliefs, and small statuettes and figurines, as w ...

is located at Gallagher Way, a park outside of Wrigley Field. The statue outlines his baseball achievements and includes the text of his

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

plaque.

References

External links

* * * *
Ryne Sandberg
at Baseball Almanac {{DEFAULTSORT:Sandberg, Ryne 1959 births Living people Águilas del Zulia players American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Baseball players from Spokane, Washington Chicago Cubs announcers Chicago Cubs players Daytona Cubs players Gold Glove Award winners Helena Phillies players Iowa Cubs managers Lehigh Valley IronPigs managers Major League Baseball broadcasters Major League Baseball players with retired numbers Major League Baseball second basemen National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees National League All-Stars National League home run champions National League Most Valuable Player Award winners Oklahoma City 89ers players Orlando Cubs players Philadelphia Phillies coaches Philadelphia Phillies managers Philadelphia Phillies players Reading Phillies players Silver Slugger Award winners Spartanburg Phillies players 20th-century American sportsmen