CHICAGO — In an emotional interview, Chicago Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong brought the baseball world to its knees when he talked about the person who helped him bounce back from the pain of defeat: the late Ryne Sandberg.
“I still hear his voice in my head every time I go out there — ‘Don’t put your head down, Cubs never quit,’” Pete said, his voice cracking. “He’s gone, but his spirit is still in my swing.”
After the Cubs were eliminated from the 2025 race, Crow-Armstrong fell into a state of disorientation. He admitted that at one point he thought about “leaving Chicago to find himself.” But in those dark days, the memory of Ryne Sandberg — the mentor and icon he met when he first joined the major leagues — became a beacon of light.
Sandberg, the legendary No. 23, was the soul of the Cubs in the 1980s. He won the 1984 MVP Award, was a nine-time All-Star, nine-time Gold Glove winner, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005. When he died in early 2025 after battling a serious illness, the entire city of Chicago was in mourning.
“I was there in the stands at Wrigley Field on the day they honored him,” Pete recalled. “I’ve never seen it so quiet. I promised myself — I would keep fighting, for him.”
Before his death, Sandberg met Pete at spring training in 2023. Pete was a promising rookie but lacking in confidence. He sat next to him on the bench, smiled, and said,
“You have the eyes of a true Cub — just believe, and everything else will come.”
Those words became a guiding light for Crow-Armstrong, especially after a difficult stretch that saw him hit just .217 in the final month of the season.
“There were times when I didn’t want to see that number on the stat sheet,” Pete said with a wry smile. “But then I remembered Ryno. He used to say, ‘Nobody remembers your strikeout, they remember how you got back up.’”
Ryne Sandberg was not only a legend in his own right, but also a spiritual inspiration to generations of Cubs. When he passed away, young players like Pete Crow-Armstrong felt they had lost a father figure in the game — but they also felt the fire that had been passed down from the Cubs’ golden generation.
“I used to think the World Series was the destination,” Pete said, “but Ryne made me understand: Cubs don’t just play for the trophy, they play for the legacy of those who came before them.”
Now, every time he walks onto the field at Wrigley Field, Crow-Armstrong bows to the Ryne Sandberg plaque in right field. He says it’s his way of “saying thank you” to the man who taught him the most important thing — never let failure define you.
“If I can make him proud, just once, that’s enough,” Pete says, looking toward the stands. “Because I know, even though he’s not here, Ryne Sandberg is still watching the Cubs — and watching me.”
From fallen legend to rising star, the Cubs legacy lives on — in every hit, every drop of sweat, and in the hearts of those who believe that the spirit of Ryne Sandberg will never leave Wrigley Field.
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