Baseball Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg died on Monday, July 28, after a long battle with prostate cancer, at age 65.
Sandberg spent most of his career as a second baseman with the Chicago Cubs. Yet for many Phillies fans, Sandberg is the ultimate “we let him get away” moment in the team’s 143-year history.
Sandberg was drafted by the Phils in the 20th round of the 1978 amateur draft and made his major league debut with the Phillies in September 1981. As a rookie, he played just 13 games, collecting a single hit — ironically at Wrigley Field, in Chicago.
The Phillies’ front office saw Sandberg as a utility infielder, nothing more. Cubs general manager Dallas Green had been with the Phillies when they drafted Sandberg and liked his upside. So when the Phillies traded shortstop Larry Bowa to the Cubs for Ivan DeJesus in January 1982, Green asked for and the Phils agreed to include the 22-year-old Sandberg as a “throw-in”.
The rest, as they say, is history. Sandberg blossomed into one of the best players, and people, of his baseball generation. He finished his career with a lifetime batting average of .285, with 282 home runs (a major league record for his position), 10 Golden Gloves for fielding excellence, and the Most Valuable Player Award in 1984.
Phillies fans, meanwhile, lamented what might have been if only the team kept “Ryno” — though it’s fair to remember that the ’83 Phillies, with DeJesus, did reach the World Series, where they lost to the Baltimore Orioles.
Sandberg did return to the Phillies after his playing career ended, as a minor league manager, and he served as manager of the big-league team from 2013 to 2015 (not one of the team’s better stretches). He finished with a 119–159 recordm, and stepped down after enduring a 99-loss season.
Through it all, Sandberg was respected in the organization for his steady leadership and emphasis on fundamentals.
“Not only was he a Hall of Famer, he was a man who personified class and dignity,” Phillies owner John Middleton said in a statement. “We were honored that he was part of our organization.”
