WRIGLEYVILLE — Fans flocked to Wrigley Field Tuesday to pay tribute to Ryne Sandberg, the Cubs legend and Hall of Famer who died Monday at 65.
Sandberg died at his home, surrounded by his family, the Cubs announced.
The loss of the Cubs great known as “Ryno” was felt around Wrigley Field, the iconic ballpark that became a mecca for baseball fans during Sandberg’s tenure as the team’s second baseman. The team emblazoned his name on the field’s famous marquee Tuesday morning.
Cubs faithful gathered at his statue — unveiled outside Wrigley Field in 2024 — to offer flowers, playing cards, signed helmets and remembrances for the ballplayer who had become an indelible part of their fandom.
Ken Schultz, who arrived outside Wrigley Field Tuesday wearing a shirt that said “Ryne Sandberg Is Still My Favorite,” was 5-years-old in 1984, when Sandberg won the National League Most Valuable Player award. The season left a life-long mark on Schultz, he said.
“My first baseball memories are intertwined with him. He has been a constant of my baseball fandom and Cubs fandom, ever since I can remember baseball existing,” Schultz said. “So it’s been a rough day. It feels like this is part of the grieving process I wanted to do. I’ve felt a flood of profound grief. But also a flood of deeply happy memories and moments that have marked my fandom.”
Schultz said that one of the traditions of his childhood was receiving a mail-in All Star ballot and voting for Sandberg to represent that National League at second base, as if it was second nature.
“He was a metronome of greatness,” Schultz said.
Sandberg played 15 seasons for the Cubs and over that tenure became one of the best players in the team — and league’s — history. He was named to 10 All Star teams, won nine Gold Glove awards, seven Silver Slugger awards and was named league MVP in 1984. Sandberg was inducted into Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2005.
Fans rattled off the famous moments of Sandberg’s career, including the now-immortalized “Sandberg game” in 1984, when he hit two home runs off the seemingly-invincible Cardinals reliever Bruce Sutter to win the game in extra innings. But fans also described Sandberg as a quiet, humble, steady and consistent man who took the time to develop personal relationships with teammates and fans off the field despite being a superstar on it.
“His autographs were really neat. He signed very slowly,” said Pablo Devera, who stood in front of the Sandberg statue Tuesday. “He took the time, just like he did when he was playing second base.”
Diane Massie said she rewatched the entire “Sandberg game” on Tuesday morning before walking over to the ballpark from her home in Lakeview. Julie Yanez brought her son to pay their respects and leave a rose in honor of one of her favorite players.
“He was one of my first loves,” Yanez said. “He will be really missed.”
Dozens of other fans left flowers and hats next to his statue, wiping away tears on jerseys that bore his name.
“My dad worked third shift when I was growing up, and he’d pick me up from daycare, and put the Cubs on so he could get a quick nap in,” said Luis Kapost, who lives in Lakeview and came over to pay his respects Tuesday morning.
Kapost was born in 1983 and fell in love with the teams from the 80s, highlighted by Andre Dawson, Mark Grace and Sandberg. He said it was Sandberg’s steadiness that drew him to the second baseman as a fan, and came out Tuesday not just for himself but for friends around the country who considered Sandberg a hero.
“He’s the reason there’s a whole generation of Cubs fans,” Kapost said. “As a young player, he made second base cool.”
Sandberg’s rise with the Cubs in the mid-1980s, after being traded from the Philadelphia Phillies in 1981, helped put Wrigley Field on the national radar
His breakout season in 1984 coincided with the Cubs’ first real playoff push in decades, at a time when day games at Wrigley were broadcast coast to coast on WGN. As Sandberg became a star, the crowds grew, the neighborhood changed and Wrigleyville started to become the baseball destination it’s known as today.
That season, Sandberg was named National League MVP after hitting .314 with 19 home runs and 19 triples, stealing 32 bases and leading the Cubs to their first postseason appearance in 39 years.
Super fans on Tuesday remembered other highlights from his long career, including his 40 home run season in 1990 — the most in the National League — as well as the lowlights, including a completely anomalous game in which he uncharacteristically made two errors. But even in those moments, he remained the determined and hyper-focused player that made him a legend.
“I remember Mark Grace said that they had to make sure Sandberg didn’t get hit by a car when he walked out to the bus after that game,” Devera said of the rare two-error outing by Sandberg.
In January 2024, Sandberg publicly disclosed that he was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. One week ago, Sandberg shared that he had gone through a challenging few months and was going through treatment.
“While I am continuing to fight, I’m looking forward to making the most of every day with my loving family and friends,” Sandberg shared, adding that he was watching the exciting 2025 Cubs team from his home in the North Shore.
Mayor Brandon Johnson opened his weekly press conference Tuesday sharing condolences to the Sandberg family.
“Ryno was truly an inspiration to all of us,” Johnson said. “He will be deeply missed, but we will celebrate his life and his incredible contribution to not just the game of baseball but to sports fans all over the world. I know there’s a number 23 on the West Side of Chicago in Michael Jordan, but number 23 on the North Side, that’s a number to behold as well.”
Former President Barack Obama said “everyone in Chicago – including White Sox fans” will miss Sandberg deeply.
To honor Sandberg, the Cubs will wear a special jersey patch for the rest of the season, remembering “one of the all-time greats in nearly 150 years of this historic franchise,” Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said in a statement.
“It was never about him, ever,” Cubs’ second baseman Nico Hoerner said Monday night. “It was just truly love of the game of baseball. I think that was particularly clear this spring and all the effort he made to be there throughout more than we can even imagine, treatment and everything. There was nothing he wanted more than to be on a baseball field and to share that time and be present with that. We’re all incredibly lucky that he was a part of our season this year.”
Listen to the Block Club Chicago podcast:
