Remembering Chicago Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg

Remembering Chicago Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg

Lots of Cubs news on Monday and we start with some sad news right after this. You are Locked on Cubs, your daily Chicago Cubs podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. You are Locked On Cubs, part of the Locked On Network. Your team every day. Alongside Samber, I’m Matt Cozy. Sam and I are lifelong fans taking our passion into discussion with you on all things Cubs. Uh little nuggets and tidbits about the Marquee Sports Network later. Latest trade chatter as the deadline approaches on Thursday. Jed Hoyer signs a contract extensions to remain the president of baseball operations. Uh sort of amazing that that’s you know not leading off the show. Cubs lost to the Brewers. And we start with Ryan Sandberg who died of prostate cancer on Monday. He was 65. The Cubs legend was a 10time all-star, ninetime gold glove winner, seventime silver slugger, 2300 plus hits, 280 plus homers, 1984 National League most valuable player, inducted into the baseball hall of fame in 2005. Sam Sanberg will be remembered as just that, a Cubs legend. Yeah, it was um you know, last week I think I when I was solo on Monday, I talked about him at the end because um the weekend that that first weekend out of the All-Star break, it just didn’t feel good newswise. Um and and and you were you were hoping that that something was going to turn or something was going to change. And and I talked about on that show that this is, you know, for for the younger audience out there and and obviously Rhino played before, you know, before our time, you know, we we started, you know, late 90s, early 2000s, but for the for the younger audience out there, this is a a hero to a lot of people. Um, this is a, as I put it on the show, a a Mount Rushmore Cup. Um, you know, if you’re going to do your list of of the four greatest Cubs ever, you you know, Banks is a lock obviously and Sandberg’s a lock and then you could have the arguments about the other two and you know, we’re going to have our say and put Sosa in there and Billy Williams, my dad would have Fergie, whatever it is. Samberg’s in there and and the level of his greatness. You know, I thought about it a little bit, you know, when we were playing the Yanks a few weeks ago and at the end of the show we did that mock Cubs Yankees lineup a and Ryan Sandberg was a second baseman in a Cubs Yankees combined team and it’s not really even a debate. Uh that just shows you, you know, he’d be the greatest Yankee second baseman that ever lived as well. So, um was tough. It it was one of those situations. I was on my soapbox on on Twitter during the game and then once the news dropped, Matt, it was just felt like the game was was secondary. Uh stopped tweeting, kind of moved on mentally from the game because as you know, this stuff is uh it you know, we we we do sports, we we love sports, we talk about sports to get away from the realities of life such as this. Yeah. Cubs for a Cure is this week. Uh the radio thawn is on starts at 10 a.m. Thursday. Ryan Sandberg was live in studio with Danny Parkkins last year to announce the remission of his cancer. Wow. And uh basically 11 months later with the radio thawn falls this time around um he he passed away and uh there was definitely a finality last weekend Sam when Jed Hoyer was in the booth. Yeah. and unprompted spoke about Rhino for I think two or three minutes straight. Yep. And so that’s when I when I personally came to grips with the fact that this was going to come soon and it did. It was only days later. Here we are about nine days later since Jed uh joined Boo and JD in the booth there and uh and and and that’s it. So yeah, very very sad. Um definitely a string of emotions throughout the day, game included. Um the the news is almost hard to keep up with. It’s it’s really mostly chatter than anything else. Uh then the then the really big Jed news, you know, which was legit. And and now this. And you know, we know Banks is Mr. Cub. But I think Sandberg in many ways. Yeah. Yeah. He really is Mr. Cub. Yeah. I mean, and which is good. you know, there there could be there could be two of them, but I I do think for that for that generation, he is up there with with Jordan and Payton uh in what was a quite an era for the Chicago sports landscape. Yeah. And I mean, you know, the numbers are one thing. You know, I I know people that are younger than us that love to dive into the stats. Guy was a seven plus war player. one, two, three, four times. Um, you know, all the gold gloves, all the sluggers, but by all accounts, it was off the field, you know. Yes. He just seemed like a like just a spirit. Yeah. Humble, you know, like an unaccepting superstar that in a in a way made him more uh u loved, you know what I mean? And so, uh, you know, obviously all this is just from what I’ve heard and and what I’ve read about, you know, he he didn’t play during my time, but I will say I am proud to say that, you know, we were at Cubscon and we got to see Yeah, we saw him his ovation um there when he was introduced last. That was uh, you know, especially now, you know, something, you know, it it was a good good first time I ever saw him in, you know, in person. So yeah, that only a couple weeks before is when the cancer came back. He was still at that point that early in the in the when it returned, he was still in good spirits, good shape. Sure. And and then it escalated, you know, over the last six, seven months. Um but yeah, it was really was really glad to to see him and he got the ovation that he needed to. Um, I still remember Craig Council last June brought out the whole 26-man roster to Gallagher Way. Remember that when the statue was unveiled. That was that was really really cool of Council to do that. He didn’t have to do that as they were prepping for a game there. And uh I I remember as a kid, do you remember this? When he flirted with managing? Yes. Yes. I remember getting really excited about that. Yeah. I don’t even think it was kid. I think it was like teen ages. Oh, teen. We were in our It was It was in the 2010s. I think that’s if I Well, because didn’t he did something with the Phillies, right? Yeah. I I know he was in their system as as well. Um I know he surprised the Cubs at a, you know, a few different spring trainings, including, I believe, at Sloan the last couple, too. Uh but yeah, he managed the Phillies. No way. Yeah. Yeah, he managed the Phillies. It was 13 13 14 and 15, but just parts of 13 and 15. So, and that that was right around the time I think he was flirting with managing the Cubs. Yeah. Well, I remember he was coming up through the minor leagues. Yeah. Yep. He was for the for the Poria Chiefs and Yep. Right. the Smokies. So, um, Ryan Sandberg died Monday. He was 65. Cubs legend and one of the best second baseman in the history of the game, baseball hall of famer in 2005. Up next, we recap the Cubs loss to the Brewers, including zooming in a little bit on uh Cubar player in the lineup that is struggling. And later, Jed Hoyer is going to be around for a while. we get you those details as well. All right, we’re back here on Locked on Cubs. Sam, you got me? Yeah, I got you. Okay. And Cubs lost 8 to4 to the Brewers on Monday. I just want to double check my connection. Now 62 and 44, one game back of their rival in the NL Central. Uh these two teams at least entering Monday were still tops in the entire National League as well. Mets Dodgers Phillies in that mix right now too. Matthew Boyd allowed five runs on six hits and five innings for his worst start of the year. The Cubs forced Jacob Miserowski to throw 40 pitches in the top of the first inning and led three to nothing. But the Brewers made that seem like a very distant memory as they stormed back pretty much all night. Sam, it was a disappointing start to the week. Yeah. Uh felt really good about this game going in um because of exactly what happened uh early on. I I thought the Cubs had a chance. I just thought Mowski’ be a little bit over amped and he was and unintentionally in that first inning the Cubs played Brewer ball. Just a little tapper back to the mound. Let’s see if let’s see if this kid makes a throw to first base. You couldn’t do it. Uh walked guys and you just felt that’s what was probably going to be needed tonight. And you know, there’s a lot of deep analysis in this sport, but this one’s easy. Uh Matthew Boyd unfortunately picked a really bad night to have a really bad night. Uh there’s there’s no there’s no good time to be bad, but I bet a whole lot of people listening right now don’t remember his last bad start. It was a random weekend game in Cincinnati, right? You know, you move on. This is a high-profile game. You get up three nothing against their superstar, and man, did he look like a superstar after that first inning. Um, and Boyd was just not good. He had no idea where his fast ball was going. He was just he was it was almost like it would never happen. and and and I’m not even advocating it for it to happen, but once the bases got loaded there and a run came in and it was 3-2 to Collins, you knew he wasn’t going to get him out. He he had nothing. Like you you almost were just like, man, just pull him. He has nothing. Um but that’s just not going to happen that early. And you know, like you said, offensively, it’s it’s going to be hard for the Cubs to to win this division if if if Kyle Tucker and Sea Suzuki don’t get hot again. I mean, I I assume they will, but it’s a it’s a pretty long stretch, particularly for the former. I know he had a hit and a walk today. I mean, we’ve talked about it. It’s But but it’s like at the same time, Matt, it doesn’t even bother me because this whole thing’s centered around Tucker. And so, if he stops hitting, like, what can you do? Like, there’s no plan for that. You know what I mean? And and for and for the first time all year, you could really see it all over his face how how frustrated he is. Yeah. He’s starting to uh be more emphatic after at bats. Yeah. I don’t think I’ve actually seen him throw something, but uh you could tell he’s very displeased. Um you could tell he’s he’s talking to himself more. Uh there’s been some shots of him in the dugout where he looks despondent. And just just like we were we were curious about what his star would do to to the pieces that were in place, now that he’s here and he’s struggling, it is not a reach to say that if if this continues, you should absolutely expect them to finish in second place. This is a 25 plus game long slide. Now, it’s not like he’s 1 for 10, right? Or or 3 for 30. Since July 11th, he’s 8 for 41 with one homer, one double, 11 walks, six strikeouts. For the entire month of July, he’s hitting .205. And over the last 25 games, he has homerred just two times. And so you it’s it’s it’s strong evidence to connect that, you know, high on the list of reasons why the Cubs are 23 and 21 for almost, you know, they’re they’re 500 for almost two months now since that Friday night in the Motor City when they lost to Scooble actually put up a good fight. They’re they’re basically a 500 team. Mhm. And a lot of that is because of Kyle Tucker. Well, it’s not hard to figure out. If Kyle Tucker isn’t Kyle Tucker, this team’s an 83 win team. We have two years to prove it, right? We have two years to prove it. I mean, absolutely. Actually, in 23 say that, but it’s true. And and and I mean, obviously Pete’s done some stuff and there’s been some other things that have happened. Sure. But in in 23 in 23 Well, Pete’s done more than some stuff. He’s been their best player. But in 23 you got great Bellinger. You actually got Kyle Tucker production for a while from Bellinger and you went 33 and 14. Definitely. U but they need to get him going again. You know, to a lesser extent, mana, it’s, you know, it’s not looking good there either. Um so Bush was better tonight and he’s had runs where, you know, he’s elevated his game this year. Yeah. Right. Right. Bush that for as sustained periods last year. Yeah. Bush has done his job. Pete’s done his job. Uh, this is, you know, you you you wanna you want a 450 500 million dollar contract, you in baseball, it’s just it’s you you can’t have a month like this when your team needs you to. You got to get hot again. And look, this is the case where if I was Kyle Tucker’s agent, and I’ve said it 80 billion times on the show, this is the case for an earlier extension if you like the place because he’s got double the amount of pressure on him, Matt. It’s not just the pressure to deliver for this team. Every out, every every ball that lands in a glove is another couple of bucks in his head that he’s losing a at the negotiating table. And it’s a lot of pressure. And like I said, for the first time all year these last, you know, week or so, you could feel the pressure getting to him. I think he’s going to be okay. I think he’s a winning player, and I think he’s going to figure it out. But time’s ticking because, you know, these games versus the Brewers are worth two. Today was like losing two games. Uh, tomorrow is like winning two games if you win. You know, they’re all of a sudden now they’re tied with you on the year. You don’t have the tiebreaker anymore and they’re a game up, you know, in in the division. So, it’s it’s uh you know, it’s not good. It’s not good right now. So, uh but Boyd was the story though. Yeah, he was. And he from literally the first batter, it was like uhoh. My only my only switch is when he got that double play ball. I was like, “Okay, maybe he’ll settle in. Maybe he’s just maybe he’s just amped.” It’s a big Sure. That’s true. I was like, “Okay, D.” And once that didn’t happen, but looking back on it, four straight pitches to walk the leadoff guy. And and the other thing I didn’t like, Matt, is when it got down when they got down 43 after three, it didn’t feel any it felt really done. Yeah. The the uh the whole the whole the whole vibe changed. Yeah, it just didn’t feel like trying to think of an expression, but I didn’t want to botch it. And that’s your point about being 23 and 21 lately. That’s what it feels like. A 23 and 21 team that feels like a loss. The April and May Cubs, you’re down 43 in the third. And you talk you talk about this and and air quotes for the audio people, this vaunted uh uh Cubs. And who says that that you’re making fun of now? You use that a couple times now because everybody just keeps talking about we don’t need everybody. Okay, we don’t need Suarez. We don’t need another bat. Pitching, pitching, pitching. This offense isn’t good enough right now. They got to get going. Since the Cubs beat the Brewers last month, the Cubs are 17 and 16. The Brewers are 24-8. Wow. And that’s the division right there, folks. Yeah. Now, the Cubs are only one game out, but that’s it. and and and Tuesday is not a matchup that I’m I’m I’m simply enamored with. Okay, Colin Ray against Carrie Grove alum Quinn Priest, who’s been excellent with the Brewers. Brewers are are only minus 120 right now on FanDuel, but what are we talking about here? Felt like they needed to win this game to win this series. It felt like we said they need to win Monday. I thought they were going to win the series, but I thought they were going to win Monday. Now you Now, now you you just can’t get swept. Let me get to a couple marquee uh nuggets here before we get to Jed Hoyer. Sam. Uh, sometimes media columnist Jeff Agress reported Monday that after this season, Comcast will move Marquee to their highest level of programming, the so-called upper tier, which will force Xfinity customers to pay another $20 a month if they want to continue watching Marquee. Uh, Marquee is already in their sixth year as the home of the Cubs. Hopefully, they see the playoffs this year. Uh, I just I don’t I don’t understand why it’s so hard to get baseball games at a time where the sport actually has momentum and you continue to charge more for it. And it’s not just Comcast. It’s all over the place. Uh, by the way, Cubs have the second highest year-to-year ratings increase in all of baseball. I could report that. I haven’t seen that anywhere yet. And, uh, which makes sense because they’re winning. Uh, do you want to guess the number one increase? I do. I do. Uh, very many trivia Tuesday. I Cubs are number two in all baseball TV ratings increase. Who’s number one? The Detroit Tigers. That’s correct. Wow. Uh, Tigers FanDuel Sports Net Detroit. They’re in the top spot. Jed Hoyer was in the last year of a five-year deal. On Monday, he signed another five-year deal. We get to those details next. The Cubs and Jed Hoyer agreed to a multi-year extension on Monday for Hoyer to remain Cubs president of baseball operations. David Kaplan, ESPN 1000, his own YouTube presence, says the deal is for five years. Hoyer was operating in his final season up to this point. But the last two times he spoke, and I I didn’t remember if I said this on the show or just to you privately, but the last time or two he spoke publicly, I did feel like there was less anxiety surrounding him as he sat there. Hoyer has been observation. Yeah. I I just I thought so. Hoyer has been in the Cubs org since 2011. First as the GM with then President Theo Epstein. He’s a Hall of Famer. And then he’s run the team himself following the 2020 campaign. Owner Tom Rickettts released a statement. Quote, “Jed and his baseball operations staff have built a healthy player development organization and put an exciting playoff contending team on the field. We are looking forward to the rest of the season and to working with Jeb for years to come. Close quote. Uh, was this a surprise to you in terms of timing or anything at all? Timing. Okay. I I thought hours before the deadline hours. I thought they had a handshake agreement that said, “Hey, you make the playoffs this year or something. You’re coming back.” Whatever. Um, right. I have a I’d like to put on my my conspiracy hat. Bill Simmons. Shout out to Bill Simmons for a second. Please. I think Jed and Tom both knew this was happening really soon. Um, and I think Jed probably pushed it over the the goal line by talking to some teams that were just trying to take advantage of Jed and saying, “Hey, you need to do this.” So, so we’re going to wait. And now Jed can come back and say, “Well, I don’t need to do this. I’m I’m good.” So, I think there’s a little bit of of that. I don’t think that’s a reach. No, I don’t think so at all. I think I think the look, they did this before the deadline for a reason. Now, you could you could say that it’s because, hey, now Jed even has more security where if he makes a huge trade, he has to sit in it for five years. Like, whatever it is. Um, but but it it was done before the deadline, so Jed knows before making these trades that he’s going to see them all out. I If you’re glass half empty, you’re saying, “Well, no, that’s going to mean Jed’s going to be a little bit more passive now.” Um, if you’re glass half full, it means no. He just he’s gonna go all in on these deals. But, you know, if they’re bad, he’s gonna have to be the one to fix them. Uh, yeah, I think that’s where I am with the way with the way it goes with Kyle Tucker. They’re going to be allin regardless. In terms of performance, I’m not bothered by Jed being extended. I think he’s an above average executive. It’s just very difficult, as I mentioned today on Milwaukee radio, to continue looking up at this team with with the more resources that we have. And they’re better. They’ve been better than us every single year Jed Hoyer has been in charge and at some point at some point that that has to change. Well, and it goes beyond that since 2018. Uh but yes, your point your point is well taken. Uh yeah, what this wasn’t a public relations move. The trade deadline is hours away and they they’re playing their rival. So So the the folks that are saying that need to stop. Uh not a public relations move. Although I could see why you would say that given the history of this franchise recently. So you think No, no, I can’t. So you’re saying that they just know they’re going to get swept in Milwaukee and they want to have some side news ready? I mean, well, they why why drop this hours before one of your biggest series of the year because it’s trade deadline related because he’s on the phone. You’re taking You’re taking uh attention away from the baseball on the field, are you not? Well, maybe they could have announced it after the deadline. Oh, and Jed could have just told people that that the extension’s in there, but then it would have got leaked out if he if he’s on the phone with the Marlins GM and he’s going, “Hey, I don’t need to make the deal. I’m wrapped up for five years. The Marlins guy’s gonna that’s going to get leaked out anyway.” So, yeah, he’s going to text that to someone. Yeah, he’s probably text that to pass it. Uh, the Cubs are still firmly in the mix for controllable starting pitchers. That was pretty much the only news for the Northsiders on Monday on the trade front. Uh, more rumblings about McKenzie Gore, more rumblings about Edward Cabrera. And on 670 The Score Monday morning, Bruce Levine uh clarified his report from a few weeks ago. Okay, hopefully Kyle Stanley is listening. Uh he he Levine said the Cubs and Pirates were close on a deal for Mitch Keller around the 4th of July. That’s why Bruce Levine said, “Hey, might be a Cubs trade the next seven to 10 days is because they were inside the five yard line on Mitch Keller, but the Pirates backed out of the trade.” And so that leads me to believe that Mitch Keller might be a Cub by 5:00 PM Thursday because they could just circle back and edit some of that stuff and he that would be the that would be the controllable starter. All right. So the playoffs would line up. So basically the playoffs would line up then. Hey, I’m not doing any playoff lineups right now. This team’s got to win some baseball games. So, but Horton Boyd Keller. No, Boyd would not be behind Horton. A bad take unless it really I mean if it really spirals for him. I expect him to bounce back against uh uh Baltimore split there. No, no, no, no. Horton’s not getting the ball game too unless he really shows down the stretch. He shut out his you know several of his last opponents. I know. I know. And what has Zimmanaga done? He He’s tipping his pitches against a team 30 games under 500. Hey, they beat the Phillies tonight. Great. Cubs are uh small underdogs for Tuesday and they’ll be massive underdogs Wednesday. I Peralta. So, tough show tonight. You can’t you can’t get swept. Yeah. Look, it tonight tonight tonight was a a Cubs loss that was really sad night. Yeah. Became Yeah, it’s uh it’s a sad night. Tough show, tough night. And we all uh are all in the community together and we move on and and they play again tomorrow and and that’s where I’m at. So, this is rest in peace, Rhino. Yes, this is Locked On Cubs, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network. Your team every day. For your second listen, check out the allne locked on MLB game night. Every game, every night, all season long. Get local analysis on a national scale. Find MLB Game Night on the Locked on MLB channel on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcast. He’s Samber. I’m Matt Cozy. This is Locked on Cubs.

We remember Ryne Sandberg – who died Monday – as a Cubs legend, recap Cubs/Brewers with concern over Kyle Tucker, Jed Hoyer signs a contract extension, and more.

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-cubs/

Locked On MLB League-Wide: Every Team, Prospects & More
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/leagues/mlb/

#Cubs #ChicagoCubs