Sandberg Inducted into Hall of Fame

By Benjy Lipsman in News on Aug 1, 2005 11:42AM

Chicagoist wonders where Ivan DeJesus spent this past weekend... because we know that the guy for whom he ws traded in 1982 spent the weekend being inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame. That infamous trade brought a young Ryne Sandberg to the Cubs at the very start of his career. By the end of that career, Sandberg was the face of the Cubs for more than a decade -- covering second base from 1982 until 1997. In that span, he dominated the second base position, winning the MVP Award in 1984, 9 gold gloves, and making 10 All Star Teams while setting the career record for home runs among second basemen. He also lead the Cubs to the playoffs for the first time since their 1945 World Series appearance. The Hall of Fame has an extended recap of Ryno's career, while the Trib devoted an entire special section to the event.

Some may wonder whether Sandberg would have been in Cooperstown this past weekend had he not chosen to come out of retirement in 1995. Sandberg stunned the Cubs and all of baseball when he announced his (first) retirement in June 1994. Having gone through a difficult divorce, he's lost his passion for the game and walked away. But a new wife and family caused that passion to return, and in 1996 Sandberg came back for two more seasons with the Cubs. It may have been those two years that ultimately guaranteed his induction in to the Hall. Congrats, Ryno!