Ryne Sandberg
| Birthdate | 9/18/1959 |
| Death Date | 7/28/2025 |
| Debut Year | 1981 |
| Year of Induction | 2005 |
| Teams | Cubs, Phillies |
| Position | Second Base |
Ryne Sandberg won 9 straight Gold Gloves and went to 10 straight All Star games. He holds the highest all-time fielding % for second baseman.
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Ryne Sandberg came to the Cubs in one of the worst trades in Phillies history
Ryne Sandberg came to the Cubs in one of the worst trades in Phillies history
Ryne Sandberg started his big league career with 13 games for the Phillies in 1981. He backed up 35-year old shortstop Larry Bowa.
The Philadelphia brain trust did not project Sandberg as Bowa’s successor. In the minors Sandberg also played second and third base. The Phillies felt comfortable with Manny Trio at second and had Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt at third.
Sensing the need to secure a shortstop for the future, Philadelphia traded both Bowa and Sandberg to the Cubs for Ivan DeJesus. The deal turned out to be one of the worst trades in Phillies history.
By 1984 Sandberg was the NL MVP. He reeled off ten straight All Star appearances and nine straight Gold Glove Awards.
Sandberg also performed well in the postseason. After helping lead the Cubs to the NLCS in 1984 ad 1989, he hit .385 with a 1.098 OPS in the Series’ losses.
When he retired he was Major League Baseball’s all-time homer leader among second baseman. Sandberg was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.
In the collection is a signed Topps contract dated March 20, 1989. The deal calls for Ryno to appear on Topps cards through the 1992 season.
Sandberg was named after pitcher Ryne Duren; his brother was named after Del Ennis
Sandberg was named after pitcher Ryne Duren; his brother was named after Del Ennis
Ryne Sandberg comes from a baseball family. His father Derwent “Sandy” Sandberg loved the game so much that he named Ryne’s older brother after former NL RBI champ Del Ennis.
When Sandy’s wife Libby became pregnant again with a boy, the two decided to name him Ryne after reliever Ryne Duren.
Duren possessed a blazing fastball that kept him in the big leagues for ten seasons. He also had poor eyesight that kept him in the minors for 9 years.
By the time he reached the majors to stay, Duren made quite an impression. From 1958-1961 he was selected to four All Star Games and pitched in two World Series.
Ryne Sandberg progressed even farther than his MLB namesake, earning baseball’s highest honor as a 2005 inductee to the Hall of Fame.
Shown here is an autographed card of Duren. Much more about the pitcher’s career can be found by clicking here.
Sandberg and Ron Santo had their numbers retired by the Cubs in a 2003 ceremony
Sandberg and Ron Santo had their numbers retired by the Cubs in a 2003 ceremony
Ryne Sandberg is one of the greatest players in Chicago Cubs history. The 1984 NL MVP was a 10-time All Star with 9 Gold Gloves and 8 Silver Slugger.
The Cubs honored their second baseman by retiring his number #23 in 2003. The ceremony also featured the retirement of Ron Santo’s #10.
The Cubs third baseman from 1960-1973, Santo ranks second on the franchise’s all-time list in position player WAR, one spot ahead of Sandberg. Santo also stands fourth in team history in homers and fifth in RBI.
Shown here is the original document that called up Ron Santo to the major leagues. For more on Santo, click here.
Sandberg was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005 along with Wade Boggs
Sandberg was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005 along with Wade Boggs
Ryne Sandberg’s glorious 16-year MLB career makes him one of the best second basemen in baseball history. His career numbers include 2,386 hits, 403 doubles, 1,318 runs, 282 homers, and 1,061 RBI. It all adds up to a Cooperstown induction.
The Hall of Fame opened its doors to Sandberg in a July 31, 2005 ceremony. Inducted along with Sandberg was five-time batting champion Wade Boggs.
In the collection is a contract signed by Boggs agreeing to have his signature appear on souvenir baseballs with stamped autographs.
The terms of the contract?
Boggs received one cent per ball sold. Interestingly Boggs signed the contract on March 7, 1982 but would not debut in the big leagues until April 10 later that year.
