Chicago is still in pain. More than two months since the legendary Ryne Sandberg – the immortal symbol of the Cubs – passed away at the age of 64, his memory is still present everywhere, from Wrigley Field to the small streets of the North Side. And recently, a moment that made the entire baseball community choke up happened: Margie Sandberg, the devoted wife of “Ryno”, burst into tears when mentioning her husband at a tribute event in Chicago.
“I still hear him at every game. I still think Ryne will walk into the house from the stadium, laughing and saying that the Cubs won. But now… there is only emptiness,” Margie shared with a choked voice, causing the whole audience to fall silent.
Margie said that in the early days after her husband’s death, she could barely enter the living room filled with Cubs memorabilia: jerseys, gloves, 1984 World Series memorabilia. “Every single piece of Ryne’s stuff was a part of his soul. It hurt so much that I had to close the door to that room for weeks,” she said.
But then, at a recent Cubs game, when the crowd stood up and chanted “Ryno! Ryno!”, Margie couldn’t hold back her tears. “He never left. Ryne is still here, in the hearts of the fans, in the Cubs.”
At the memorial, President Jed Hoyer affirmed: “The Cubs have not only lost a legend, but also a part of their soul. But we promise to keep Ryne’s name alive, as a symbol of loyalty and faith.”
Cubs officials also revealed plans to erect a statue of Ryne Sandberg outside Wrigley Field, so that every generation of fans can stop, put their hands on it, and remember one of the greatest faces in the team’s history.
In the stands at Wrigley, many fans carried pictures of Sandberg, writing the trembling words: “Ryno, we miss you.” On social media, the hashtag #RynoForever exploded, becoming a trend across Chicago. One veteran fan shared: “I grew up with Ryne. He was our childhood, he was the Cubs in our hearts. No one will ever replace him.”
Margie admitted that there were times when she felt exhausted, but the love of her husband and the affection of the Cubs community lifted her up. “I know Ryne would want me to stay strong. He loved the Cubs, he loved Chicago, and he loved this family with all his heart. I will live to tell his story.”
At that moment, the entire room stood up and applauded. Not for a victory, but for a life lived to the fullest, and a love that will never die.
Two months have passed, the Cubs are still playing, Chicago is still moving, but the void that Ryne Sandberg left behind will never be filled. Yet, in every applause at Wrigley, every reminder from Margie, and every tear from the fans, Ryno lives on—not just as a Cubs legend, but as the eternal soul of Chicago.
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