Ok, I wouldn't wish the current crop of Cubbies on any manager, much less Ryne Sandberg. But it really would have been great to see him back at Wrigley Field. I hope they left the door open for Ryno to come back after the organization does a little house cleaning. Meanwhile he is managing the Phillies' AAA club, the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. They are currently in 1st place with a 46-32 record. No small feat considering all of the high profile trades the Phillies have made in the past few years. Also this is a team that has never finished above .500. This is a card I wish I could have pulled from a pack this year. But as we say in Chicago, "Maybe next year."
 |
| Cards That Never Were : 2011 Heritage Ryne Sandberg |
In 1984 we all thought it was "next year" but despite having the better record, Major League Baseball gave home field advantage to the Padres because Wrigley Field was still solar-powered. That meant fewer prime time games on TV. Of course, the Cubs lost all 3 away games. Sandberg won the MVP that year. His teammates Rick Sutcliffe and Gary Matthews both finished among the top 5 in MVP voting.
In 1973 the San Francisco Giants had Rookie of the Year Gary Matthews and All Star Game MVP Bobby Bonds on their roster.
Bonds started the 1978 season on the Chicago White Sox along with Designated Hitter Ron Blomberg.
Ron Blomberg was the 1st Major League Designated Hitter in 1973. His teammate on the New York Yankees, Gene Michael, would go on to manage both the Yankees and the Cubs.
In 1967 Gene Michael played on the L.A. Dodgers with outfielder Jim Hickman.
In 1971 Hickman and teammate Ron Santo guarded the infield corners for the Chicago Cubs.
From Cub Favorite Sandberg to Cub Favorite Santo in 6 Degrees.
No comments:
Post a Comment