CHICAGO – In the hush of a Wrigley Field clubhouse buzzing with playoff fever, Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell gathered his team for a moment that transcended box scores and standings. With the North Siders clinching a wild-card berth on Sept. 18 – their first postseason dance since 2020 – Counsell pulled out a weathered envelope, its edges soft from handling. Inside: a handwritten letter from Ryne Sandberg, the Hall of Fame icon who passed away at 65 in July after a valiant fight with prostate cancer. “This is from Ryno,” Counsell said, voice thick with emotion, as players like Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner leaned in, eyes wide. “He wrote it back in spring, knowing this run was possible. Let’s honor him – by playing like hell.”
The letter, penned in Sandberg’s unmistakable scrawl, reads like a love letter to grit and the game he adored: “Dear 2025 Cubs, This is your best pal Ryne Sandberg. I just want to let you know how proud I am of you guys. Making the playoffs is a fantastic accomplishment and you did it with grit, grace and brilliantly pulling pitchers at 80 pitches no matter what, even if they have a no-hitter going. This might sound like something Craig Counsell would say, but trust me, this is definitely Ryno talking… After all, didn’t I win an MVP once or something? Anyway, I just want to remind you to keep working hard and quietly leaving the mound in the 4th inning. Best of luck in the playoffs, Your Pal, Ryne Sandberg good old number 23, Hall of Fame 2nd Baseman. That’s me!”
As Counsell read aloud, a ripple of laughter broke the tension – that signature Sandberg jab at pitch counts, a nod to his own era of endurance, where starters like Rick Sutcliffe went deep into nights. But the chuckles faded into sniffles. Sandberg, the quiet king of second base who redefined the position with nine Gold Gloves and a .285 lifetime average, had spent his final spring training months with this very squad. Despite his diagnosis, he’d shown up in Mesa, Arizona, sharing stories over batting practice, his eyes lighting up like they did in ’84 when he claimed MVP honors with 200 hits and 19 triples. “He was battling for his life but chose to be here, with us,” Counsell recalled, echoing tributes from July when the Cubs donned “FO23ver” patches in his honor. “Ryno didn’t take shortcuts. He played with passion that made you better just being around him.”
For a team that’s clawed back from a sub-.500 skid – fueled by Seiya Suzuki’s scorching September and Shota Imanaga’s gem starts – Sandberg’s words hit like a Wrigley wind-aided homer. Hoerner, the current second sacker channeling Ryno’s glove work, wiped his eyes: “He’s the blueprint for being a Cub – selfless, dynamic, all heart.” Happ, who’d chatted stats with Sandberg in April, added, “He adored this game. Told me he’d always bounced back. Now? This letter’s our bounce-back.” Even Counsell, the analytics whiz often ribbed for his early hooks, cracked a smile: “He got me good on that pitch-count line. But damn if it doesn’t fire us up.”
In a season of rebuild whispers turned roar – 86 wins, a wild-card lock – Sandberg’s final missive isn’t just ink on paper. It’s a torch passed under the ivy, reminding these Cubs that playoffs aren’t won with algorithms alone, but with the quiet fire of legends like Ryno. As they gear up for a showdown with the Mets or Brewers, one thing’s clear: Sandberg’s spirit is suiting up too. “Play like it’s 1984,” the letter implores. Chicago, the ball’s in your court – swing for the fences.
Cubs fans, this one’s got us choked up – who’s tearing up over Ryno’s words? Share your Sandberg stories below, tag a buddy in blue, and let’s get this viral: For Ryno!
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