Cubs rookie second baseman Ryne Sandberg gloves catcher Butch Benton’s throw after the Mets Ron Gardenhire steals second in September of 1982 at Wrigley Field. The emotions surrounding the highest honor a franchise can bestow on a player admittedly has hit Ryne Sandberg differently the last six months.
“To me, it’s a gift to the fans of baseball and Chicago Cubs fans,” Sandberg said. “It’s a tremendous honor. But what I really reflect on and think about is my teammates, coaches and managers that I loved along the way and I believe that I don’t get a statue without any of them. “At 24 years old, having a game like that on national TV at that time, as it turned out, took my game to a whole other level,” Sandberg said. “It all became standard for me the rest of my career.”
“It’s so prevalent with men and modern medicine today is so advanced and so good that early detection is a very important thing,” Sandberg said. Sandberg can’t imagine going through this without his wife, Margaret, whom he credits for running the show the last six months and helping him through dealing with some symptoms. They hope to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary next year. He also has leaned on his faith as a source of strength and daily guidance, having grown up in a Lutheran church and not missing a Sunday service.