HR0197 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0197 LRB094 11649 HSS 43056 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Ryne Dee "Ryno" Sandberg was born on September 18, 1959, in Spokane, Washington; he went to North Central High School, where he was a two-sport high school star, playing both football and baseball during the 1976-1978 school years, and named an All-America starting quarterback by Parade Magazine after his senior year, while being heavily recruited by major college football programs; after being selected in the twentieth round by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1978 draft, he retired his shoulder pads for the baseball diamond and quickly earned the label of "can't-miss" major league prospect; he spent three seasons in Philadelphia's minor league system, primarily as a shortstop, before earning his major league debut at the end of the 1981 season; on January 27, 1982, as teams finalized rosters for spring training, Mr. Sandberg was dealt to the Chicago Cubs along with veteran shortstop Larry Bowa, for shortstop Ivan DeJesus; the trade to Chicago gave Ryne Sandberg the chance to play every day, an opportunity the Phillies just couldn't grant with infield prospects Julio Franco and Juan Samuel beating him to the major leagues; and

WHEREAS, Ryne Sandberg joined the roster of Chicago Cubs' greats by combining a dazzling defensive flair at second base with a tremendous knack for power; etching his name among fan favorites Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, and Ron Santo, he endeared himself to the Cubs' national fan base by doing something his predecessors could not: leading the club in 1984 to its first postseason appearance since 1945, and returning the club there five seasons later, as the Cubs again captured the National League East Division title in 1989; second base was not immediately in his future, however, as he found his two infield positions - shortstop and second base - occupied with Bowa and Bump Wills, who was a spring training acquisition from Texas; Mr. Sandberg started the season at third base, appearing in 133 games at the hot corner in his rookie season; at the plate, Sandberg displayed the offensive potential that scouts spotted early as a minor leaguer, batting .271 in 156 games, with 103 runs scored, 54 runs batted in, and 33 steals; he also began to work out at second base, logging 24 games at the position that he would take over fulltime in 1983, when the Cubs acquired Ron Cey from the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 1982 off-season to play third base; the 1983 season would be a harbinger of great things to come for Mr. Sandberg; and

WHEREAS, As the Cubs' starting second baseman for the first time, "Ryno" appeared in 158 games, winning his first of nine consecutive Gold Gloves with a .986 fielding percentage; at the plate, Sandberg built on what he began as a full-time regular in 1982, ranking among the top five in runs scored in the National League for the second consecutive season; what he and the Cubs were setting the stage for in 1984 was nothing short of amazing; with just eight winning seasons from 1945 through 1983, the Cubs' chances of winning the National League East Division seemed slight to their fans, at best; Mr. Sandberg, though steady in his first two seasons, was not yet expected to carry the club; he and the Cubs won 96 games, winning the division by 6.5 games over the New York Mets; arguably producing his best offensive season, Mr. Sandberg captured the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1984, the first Cubs' MVP since Ernie Banks in 1959, batting a career-best .314, fourth-highest in the National League, totaling a career-best 200 hits, while leading the league in runs (114) and triples (19); he highlighted his 1984 season with a 5-for-6, seven RBI performance against St. Louis on June 23, belting consecutive home runs off Cardinals' closer Bruce Sutter in the 9th and 10th innings; and

WHEREAS, The 1984 season offered a testament to Ryne Sandberg's all-around excellence, as he captured his second consecutive Gold Glove Award by committing only six errors in 156 games, a .993 fielding percentage; even though the Cubs would lose to San Diego in the 1984 National League Championship Series, Ryne appeared in his first of 10 straight All-Star Game appearances; the season marked his third consecutive with at least 30 stolen bases, a facet of his game that would reach its pinnacle in 1985, when he finished fourth in the National League with a career-best 54 steals; as he matured, so too did his ability to hit for power; he totaled at least 14 home runs in nine consecutive seasons from 1984 to 1992, and it wasn't until 1989 that he hit 30 home runs for the first time, the fifth-highest total in the National League; that season, he helped return Chicago to the postseason, leading the league in runs scored for a second time in his career, while finishing in the top five in MVP voting for the second time in his career; and

WHEREAS, In 1990, Mr. Sandberg would reach 40 home runs, pacing the National League, becoming the first second baseman since Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby in 1922 to hit 40 in a single-season; his 116 RBIs were also a career-best; despite his rise in power, his ability to swipe an extra base remained, stealing 25 in 1990, his seventh season with at least 25 steals; defensively, he turned in his best season in 1991, committing just four errors in 786 total chances, a league-best .995 fielding percentage; his mastery of the field from 1989 through 1994 resulted in just 37 errors over six seasons, including a major league record errorless streak of 123 games and 584 chances that ended in May of the 1990 season; and

WHEREAS, In June 1994, Mr. Sandberg stepped away from the game, taking what would be a brief retirement before returning to the Cubs for the 1996 season; he would appear in 285 games over the 1996 and 1997 seasons before retiring permanently; his 277 career home runs as a second baseman established a record for the most ever by the position, until surpassed at the conclusion of the 2004 season by Jeff Kent; among Mr. Sandberg's numerous career accolades, he ranks first all-time for highest fielding percentage by a second baseman (.989), he shares the major league record for most years with 500 or more assists by a second baseman (6), he totaled five .300-plus batting average campaigns and one 200-hit season, and he hit five career grand slams; he led the National League second basemen in fielding percentage four times (1983, 1984, 1986, 1991), he led the National League second basemen in assists seven times (1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1991, and 1992), and he led the National League second basemen in total chances four times in 1983 (914), 1984 (870), 1988 (824), and 1992 (830); in 2,164 career games, he totaled a career .285 batting average, a .344 on base percentage, 282 home runs, 1,318 runs scored, and 1,061 RBIs; as further testament to the greatness that "Ryno" exhibited while playing for the Chicago Cubs, Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda is quoted as describing Sandberg as "a dominating player. He could beat you with his glove, his bat, and his arm."; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Ryne Dee "Ryno" Sandberg on his induction into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, which occurred on January 4th, 2005; we are proud to recognize one of the best overall athletes ever to play for the Chicago Cubs, not only for his skill, ability, and knowledge of the game, but also for the outstanding character he portrayed both on and off the field; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Ryne Dee "Ryno" Sandberg and his family, the Chicago Cubs organization, and the Major League Baseball Association.