Today Ryne Sandberg is in Cooperstown, NY. He’s had a long journey but his induction is well-deserved. I hope he’s enjoying himself. It’s like a party being thrown in your honor. A very big party. With thousands of people.
As a Cub fan, I’m thrilled. I remember vividly Ryno’s selfless play without the ego we see so much of today. The kind of attitude we need more of now.
As most baseball fanatics do, let’s break his career down by the stats:
| Games | 2164 |
| AB | 8385 |
| Runs | 1318 |
| Hits | 2386 |
| RBI | 1061 |
| Doubles | 403 |
| Triples | 76 |
| HR | 282 |
| Walks | 761 |
| Strikeouts | 1260 |
| Stolen Bases | 344 |
| Batting Average | .285 |
| Slugging Average | .452 |
| On Base Percentage | .344 |
| Gold Gloves | 9 |
| All-Star Selections | 10 |
… and one MVP in 1984.
Which leads me to a trivia question. Who was the last NL non-pitcher to win the MVP without hitting 20 homers? The answer of course, is Sandberg. Terry Pendleton came close in 1991 with 22.
If we look at Sandberg’s stats in a vacuum, they look pretty awesome. However, consider that:
- Sandberg hit these numbers not as a firstbaseman or leftfielder but as a secondbaseman, a much more demanding position.
- His play at second base was clearly superior (hence, 9 Gold Gloves).
- and probably most importantly, Sandberg was one of the best if not the best secondbaseman of his era.
So, Cub fans rejoice! We have one more in the Hall.