Ryne Sandberg=Awesome :clap:
R&R: Ryne & Respect
August 1, 2005
BY CHRIS DE LUCA Staff Reporter
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- This could have been mistaken for another steamy day at Wrigley Field. Cubs fans outnumbered other baseball fans by about a 4-to-1 margin. Wrigley clubhouse legend Yosh Kawano teetered slowly across the grass. Ronnie ''Woo Woo'' Wickers -- in full uniform, of course -- turned heads with his hollers. Even actor Bill Murray worked the crowd.
And with the theme of Ryne Sandberg's Hall of Fame speech Sunday, Sammy Sosa would have definitely walked out early.
Comes out firing
Sandberg -- known for his reserved manner as a player -- showed a surprisingly fiery side on his first official day as a Hall of Famer, lashing out at today's stars and taking several thinly veiled shots at former Cubs teammate Sosa. :nutkick
''A lot of people say this honor validates my career, but I didn't work hard for validation,'' Sandberg said during ceremonies at the Baseball Hall of Fame as he and Wade Boggs were inducted as the Class of 2005. ''I didn't play the game right because I saw a reward at the end of the tunnel. I played it right because that's what you are supposed to do -- play it right and with respect. :yup
''If this validates anything, it's that I learned how to bunt and hit-and-run and that turning two is more important than knowing where to find the little red light on the dugout camera.'' :nutkick
The crowd roared with that last shot.
Asked later if he had any particular person in mind, Sandberg said with a smile: ''Who did you have in mind?''
Sandberg used his induction speech to stress the respect he has always had for baseball. Standing before a crowd estimated at 28,000 and with 49 other Hall of Famers sitting behind him, Sandberg couldn't help but note how that respect is lacking in today's players.
In Sandberg's view, taking performance-enhancing drugs is one way players disrespect the game.
Ryno's supporting cast
While singling out the former teammates he invited, Sandberg asked Andre Dawson to stand up.
''The Hawk,'' Sandberg announced. ''I watched him win an MVP Award for a last-place team in 1987, and it was the most unbelievable thing I've ever seen in baseball. He did it the right way, the natural way.'' :nutkick
The ''natural way'' seemed to be another shot at Sosa and others who have been caught under baseball's steroid cloud.
''The reason I spoke about Andre Dawson today is he was the best teammate and the best player that I ever saw play,'' Sandberg said after the speech. ''I talked about him doing it the natural way. Here is a guy with over 400 home runs and 400 steals, and he's not in the Hall of Fame. He should be in the Hall of Fame in my book.''
The painfully shy Sandberg had fretted for months about giving his speech. He refused to provide any clues to his theme before Sunday. But standing on the stage, Sandberg seemed a natural and delivered a speech clearly from the heart.
All of his dazzling numbers aside -- and an MVP Award in 1984 -- Sandberg wanted to stress his reverence for the game.
''Well, that's what I was feeling when I was a young player out of the minor leagues, now having a chance to be a major-league player,'' he said after the speech. ''That's the reason that when I joined the Phillies that September [of 1981], I would go out and take infield and stand about 40 feet behind Larry Bowa. And he would have to ask me, 'Hey, Ryno, you want some grounders?'
''It was all about respect, and that's all that I felt. And I felt it big those first few years, and I felt it my whole career.''
Bowa was one of several former teammates Sandberg invited for this weekend's festivities.
''He's always had respect for the game of baseball,'' Bowa said. ''You never saw him disrespect anything.''
Bowa was just one of the former teammates Sandberg singled out during his speech.
''There was Gary Matthews, the Sarge,'' Sandberg told the crowd. ''He wouldn't let me down. He was always in the on-deck circle when I was batting. If there was a pitch that almost hit me or knocked me down, Sarge would be halfway to the mound coming at the pitcher, yelling, 'Get the ball over the plate.' I saw a lot of fastballs down the middle because of Sarge.''
It's clear that Sandberg not only respected most of his teammates, he loved them. Boggs complained that all of his former teammates turned down his request to attend the ceremony. Sandberg's section was teeming with former Cubs.
''There was Shawon Dunston and Mark Grace, and together we were a double-play combination for 10 years,'' Sandberg said. ''Shawon Dunston, who always knew three weeks in advance if we were facing Nolan Ryan and always planned a hamstring pull for the day before.
''Mark Grace, who made sure Shawon knew he was supposed to get every pop-up from foul line to foul line in the infield. We could read each other's minds on the field and off.''
Seeing so many Cubs jerseys and hats made Sandberg feel at home. At one point early in his speech, a fan yelled out, ''We love you, Ryno.''
Without missing a beat, Sandberg fired back: ''I love you, too.''
His biggest regret was never reaching a World Series with the Cubs.
During the speech, Sandberg told one of his favorite stories to please Cubs fans.
''It reminds me of the guy walking down the beach. He finds a bottle, pops the cork and a genie comes out to grant him one wish,'' Sandberg began. ''The guy says, 'My wish is for peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. Here's a map of the Middle East.' The genie takes the map, studies it for hours and hours. Finally, he gives it back to the guy and says, 'Is there anything else you want to wish for? This is impossible.' The guy says, 'Well, I always wanted to see the Cubs in the World Series.' The genie looks at him, reaches out and says, 'Let me have another look at that map.' ''
His better half
Sandberg called his Hall of Fame induction the second-best thing to happen to him.
The best?
''My wife, Margaret, is the best thing that ever happened to me,'' he said, getting emotional for the only time during the speech. ''She is my salvation. She's my past, my present and my future. She is my sun, my moon and my stars.''
As for all those butterflies Sandberg expected would accompany him on stage, they quickly vanished. His nerves were soothed by the incredible high of becoming a Hall of Famer.
''This is my last big game,'' he said. ''This is my last big at-bat. This is my last time catching the final out. I dreamed of this as a child, but I had too much respect for baseball to think this was ever possible.''
Also honored were longtime San Diego Padres announcer Jerry Coleman, winner of the Ford C. Frick Award presented for major contributions to baseball broadcasting, and veteran sportswriter and broadcaster Peter Gammons, who won the J.G. Taylor Spink Award, presented for meritorious contributions to baseball writing.
:clap: :clap: :clap:
R&R: Ryne & Respect
August 1, 2005
BY CHRIS DE LUCA Staff Reporter
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- This could have been mistaken for another steamy day at Wrigley Field. Cubs fans outnumbered other baseball fans by about a 4-to-1 margin. Wrigley clubhouse legend Yosh Kawano teetered slowly across the grass. Ronnie ''Woo Woo'' Wickers -- in full uniform, of course -- turned heads with his hollers. Even actor Bill Murray worked the crowd.
And with the theme of Ryne Sandberg's Hall of Fame speech Sunday, Sammy Sosa would have definitely walked out early.
Comes out firing
Sandberg -- known for his reserved manner as a player -- showed a surprisingly fiery side on his first official day as a Hall of Famer, lashing out at today's stars and taking several thinly veiled shots at former Cubs teammate Sosa. :nutkick
''A lot of people say this honor validates my career, but I didn't work hard for validation,'' Sandberg said during ceremonies at the Baseball Hall of Fame as he and Wade Boggs were inducted as the Class of 2005. ''I didn't play the game right because I saw a reward at the end of the tunnel. I played it right because that's what you are supposed to do -- play it right and with respect. :yup
''If this validates anything, it's that I learned how to bunt and hit-and-run and that turning two is more important than knowing where to find the little red light on the dugout camera.'' :nutkick
The crowd roared with that last shot.
Asked later if he had any particular person in mind, Sandberg said with a smile: ''Who did you have in mind?''
Sandberg used his induction speech to stress the respect he has always had for baseball. Standing before a crowd estimated at 28,000 and with 49 other Hall of Famers sitting behind him, Sandberg couldn't help but note how that respect is lacking in today's players.
In Sandberg's view, taking performance-enhancing drugs is one way players disrespect the game.
Ryno's supporting cast
While singling out the former teammates he invited, Sandberg asked Andre Dawson to stand up.
''The Hawk,'' Sandberg announced. ''I watched him win an MVP Award for a last-place team in 1987, and it was the most unbelievable thing I've ever seen in baseball. He did it the right way, the natural way.'' :nutkick
The ''natural way'' seemed to be another shot at Sosa and others who have been caught under baseball's steroid cloud.
''The reason I spoke about Andre Dawson today is he was the best teammate and the best player that I ever saw play,'' Sandberg said after the speech. ''I talked about him doing it the natural way. Here is a guy with over 400 home runs and 400 steals, and he's not in the Hall of Fame. He should be in the Hall of Fame in my book.''
The painfully shy Sandberg had fretted for months about giving his speech. He refused to provide any clues to his theme before Sunday. But standing on the stage, Sandberg seemed a natural and delivered a speech clearly from the heart.
All of his dazzling numbers aside -- and an MVP Award in 1984 -- Sandberg wanted to stress his reverence for the game.
''Well, that's what I was feeling when I was a young player out of the minor leagues, now having a chance to be a major-league player,'' he said after the speech. ''That's the reason that when I joined the Phillies that September [of 1981], I would go out and take infield and stand about 40 feet behind Larry Bowa. And he would have to ask me, 'Hey, Ryno, you want some grounders?'
''It was all about respect, and that's all that I felt. And I felt it big those first few years, and I felt it my whole career.''
Bowa was one of several former teammates Sandberg invited for this weekend's festivities.
''He's always had respect for the game of baseball,'' Bowa said. ''You never saw him disrespect anything.''
Bowa was just one of the former teammates Sandberg singled out during his speech.
''There was Gary Matthews, the Sarge,'' Sandberg told the crowd. ''He wouldn't let me down. He was always in the on-deck circle when I was batting. If there was a pitch that almost hit me or knocked me down, Sarge would be halfway to the mound coming at the pitcher, yelling, 'Get the ball over the plate.' I saw a lot of fastballs down the middle because of Sarge.''
It's clear that Sandberg not only respected most of his teammates, he loved them. Boggs complained that all of his former teammates turned down his request to attend the ceremony. Sandberg's section was teeming with former Cubs.
''There was Shawon Dunston and Mark Grace, and together we were a double-play combination for 10 years,'' Sandberg said. ''Shawon Dunston, who always knew three weeks in advance if we were facing Nolan Ryan and always planned a hamstring pull for the day before.
''Mark Grace, who made sure Shawon knew he was supposed to get every pop-up from foul line to foul line in the infield. We could read each other's minds on the field and off.''
Seeing so many Cubs jerseys and hats made Sandberg feel at home. At one point early in his speech, a fan yelled out, ''We love you, Ryno.''
Without missing a beat, Sandberg fired back: ''I love you, too.''
His biggest regret was never reaching a World Series with the Cubs.
During the speech, Sandberg told one of his favorite stories to please Cubs fans.
''It reminds me of the guy walking down the beach. He finds a bottle, pops the cork and a genie comes out to grant him one wish,'' Sandberg began. ''The guy says, 'My wish is for peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. Here's a map of the Middle East.' The genie takes the map, studies it for hours and hours. Finally, he gives it back to the guy and says, 'Is there anything else you want to wish for? This is impossible.' The guy says, 'Well, I always wanted to see the Cubs in the World Series.' The genie looks at him, reaches out and says, 'Let me have another look at that map.' ''
His better half
Sandberg called his Hall of Fame induction the second-best thing to happen to him.
The best?
''My wife, Margaret, is the best thing that ever happened to me,'' he said, getting emotional for the only time during the speech. ''She is my salvation. She's my past, my present and my future. She is my sun, my moon and my stars.''
As for all those butterflies Sandberg expected would accompany him on stage, they quickly vanished. His nerves were soothed by the incredible high of becoming a Hall of Famer.
''This is my last big game,'' he said. ''This is my last big at-bat. This is my last time catching the final out. I dreamed of this as a child, but I had too much respect for baseball to think this was ever possible.''
Also honored were longtime San Diego Padres announcer Jerry Coleman, winner of the Ford C. Frick Award presented for major contributions to baseball broadcasting, and veteran sportswriter and broadcaster Peter Gammons, who won the J.G. Taylor Spink Award, presented for meritorious contributions to baseball writing.
:clap: :clap: :clap:
