A gorgeous Sunday in the Windy City had some extra beauty as the Chicago Cubs honored a legend. A statue of Ryne Sandberg in his familiar defensive position debuted in Gallagher Way with former teammates and thousands of fans on hand. Sandberg’s statue is the fifth to stand, sitting next to Fergie Jenkins, Ron Santo, Billy Williams, and Ernie Banks.
Sunday was also the 40th anniversary of what Cubs fans remember as the “Sandberg Game.” In a crazy twelve-inning game that saw multiple comebacks, Sandberg went 5-6 with seven runs batted in. But it was his heroics late in the game that made it his own. In the ninth inning, with the Cubs’ backs against the wall, Sandberg hit a home run off of Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter to tie the game at nine. Then, after the Cardinals scored two in the top of the tenth, Sandberg hit another game-tying home run off of Sutter. The Cubs went on to win the game in the eleventh inning, 12-11.
This game catapulted Sandberg into the conversation of being one of the best in the game. His MVP season in 1984 led the Cubs to a division title and the franchise’s first playoff birth in almost 40 years. In 16 seasons with the Cubs, he was a ten-time All-Star, nine-time Gold Glove Award winner, and seven-time Silver Slugger Award winner. Sandberg was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005. The Cubs also retired his number 23 that summer.
There will never be another Ryne Sandberg. That’s why he will be forever immortalized. But that will not stop Cubs fans from wondering and speculating who could be next to be immortalized next to Wrigley forever.
To stand next to the likes of Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Ron Santo, Fergie Jenkins, and Ryne Sandberg for the rest of the time, someone will need to do something extraordinary. Greats do not grow on trees. The Cubs presumably will have a while before someone joins these legends.
The apparent first thought is someone from the 2016 World Series championship team. Anthony Rizzo led this team from when it was terrible to when they completed the job. Kris Bryant was an MVP in 2016 and had an excellent Cubs career. Jon Lester is the free agent signing that changed the organization’s trajectory. Maybe there will be a statue of the dog pile after winning it all in the future to celebrate all of them.
Could the Cubs honor another great from their history? Greg Maddux has a whole category of games pitched named after him. Mark Grace had the most hits in the MLB for the 1990s, all with the Cubs. Dare I even mention a Sammy Sosa hop would be incredible if amends are made?
What about Pat Hughes? Hughes is beloved by Cubs fans and has been the voice of the team since 1996. Hughes was also elected into the Hall of Fame in 2023. Maybe it’s someone working on their legacy in Chicago right now. Could we see one of these young, budding stars break through and stay in Chicago for their career?
Time will tell who earns the honor next. Maybe the celebration on Sunday for Sandberg will inspire someone to create a career for themselves that will make a difference in the Cubs organization and be immortalized until the end of time.
