Marquee Sports Network honors late Cubs star Ryne Sandberg

Monday’s game between the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers was not on the front of many Cubs fans after it was announced by the organization during the game that one of the greatest players in team history, Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg, has passed away at the age of 65. And after the game on the Cubs postgame show on Marquee Sports Network, a touching tribute was put together in Sandberg’s honor.

Sandberg, who played for the organization for 15 seasons, lost his battle with cancer on Monday after announcing back in December that his prostate cancer had returned and spread to other organs after previously being deemed cancer-free last August.

The legacy Sandberg leaves behind as a player is undeniable, reaching ten All-Star games, winning nine Gold Glove Awards, and winning an MVP in 1984. Sandberg is just one of six players in the history of the Cubs to have their number retired by the team and also rightfully took his place in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.

In addition to all he did for the Cubs organization on the field, he also served as a part-time analyst for Marquee Sports Network, the network of the Cubs, a role that he served in starting in 2021.

After Monday’s game, Marquee Sports Network dedicated much of their postgame show to honor Sandberg with a tribute video that lasted over 11 minutes, telling the story of how his illustrious career in baseball came to be.

Additionally, Monday’s postgame show included many touching comments from public figures in sports media and within the organization how spoke glowingly about Sandberg’s legacy in baseball.

One of the many included Bob Costas, who was of course on the call of perhaps his greatest career moment, the “Sandberg Game” in 1984, where Sandberg hit two home runs off of Hall of Fame reliever Bruce Sutter in the span of two innings.

“It is heartbreaking,” said Costas. “The fact that it doesn’t come as a surprise doesn’t lessen the heartbreak. He was only 65 years old. And until his cancer hit… Even a year ago, when you and I were present at the unveiling of his statue, he looked great, felt great. The cancer was in remission until only a couple months later it came back. At that point, you are looking at a 64-year-old man. There is some video of it with his wife, Margaret and the big crowd outside Wrigley Field. That scene right there meant as much to me as anything else you could have mentioned.

“All of the ball players, I guess Craig Counsell led them out. All of the ball players in uniform, showing the generational connections that are almost unique to baseball. And the respect shown to one of the great players in the franchises history. That was such a great day in every way. And we had reason to believe that Ryne had many good years ahead with his family, with his grandchildren. And then it came back and it’s terribly sad. It’s a cliche when you say, ‘Someone was great at what they did. But they were also a wonderful person.’ Sometimes, that is only partially true. Ryne Sandberg was a heck of a good guy. It’s just heartbreaking that his life should be cut short this way.”

“Ryne Sandberg was a heck of a good guy, and it’s just heartbreaking that his life should be cut short this way.”

Bob Costas, who was on the call for the “Sandberg Game”, remembers Ryne Sandberg. pic.twitter.com/ve0sJHT97M