In appreciation of a former MLB great who helped get this reporter forever hooked on baseball [column] | Baseball

I did some reminiscing the last couple of weeks.

When word came across the wire that Ryne Sandberg passed away on July 28, it hit me like a ton of bricks. When I fell in love with baseball back in my formative years, Sandberg was one of my first heroes.

My dad — who we lost in 2018 — used to take us to Reading Phillies games all the time. I can still smell the hot dogs. Sandberg was on the 1980 squad, and I remember collecting his baseball card. I can still see the red border and Sandberg’s smiling face. I probably got his autograph, too.

I was 11 and was infatuated with baseball.  An infatuation — thanks to Sandberg’s boost — that continues to this day. 

Sandberg had a sensational 1980 season at Reading. He hit .310 with 21 doubles, 12 triples and 11 home runs with 79 RBIs in 129 games — 120 of those games he played shortstop. He ended up at second base, of course, where he became one of the first real modern-era sluggers at that position, setting the stage for guys like Jeff Kent, Chase Utley and Robinson Cano. 

A couple of days after Sandberg lost his battle with cancer, MLB Network — which is on pretty much 24/7 in my house — replayed the famous “Ryne Sandberg Game” in its entirety.

It was June 23, 1984. Cubs against their bitter rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals. Wrigley Field was the backdrop. Bob Costas and Tony Kubek were at the mic for NBC Sports, and its Game of the Week coverage. 

I remember watching it on the TV in my parents’ bedroom, because it was the only room in the house with an air conditioner. I was about to embark on high school. Those were the days before central air and big-screen televisions. I’d disappear in there most summer Saturday afternoons to watch those games. 

Sandberg had an unreal afternoon: 5-for-6 with a pair of homers and seven RBIs. The dingers came off a future Hall of Famer — Bruce Sutter, a Lancaster County native — and the Cubs won 12-11 in 11 unbelievable innings. 

Chicago overcame 7-1, 9-3 and 11-9 deficits to win it. 

Back then, the only baseball we got on TV around here were the Phillies games. And I remember you had to have some special cable box — it was brown with a couple of clunky switches, if memory serves me right — so you could tune into Prism to watch most of the games. Remember Prism? And there was the Saturday afternoon Game of the Week. 

Today, we can watch pretty much every Phillies, Pirates, Orioles and Nationals game live on cable. MLB Network broadcasts multiple games a week. You have the Tuesday game on TBS. You have the Saturday game on Fox. And you have the Sunday night game on that four-letter network that has prioritized gambling over game coverage. But that’s another story. 

I looked up the box score from the Sandberg Game, and came across all kinds of juicy nuggets. 

While Sandberg stole the show that day, Willie McGee had a monster game for the Cardinals: 4-for-6 with three runs and six RBIs, and he hit for the cycle. Single. Double. Triple. Homer. I was a big McGee fan. Batting champ. Switch-hitter. He could fly. And I was always mesmerized by him wearing No. 51. 

There were a pair of Lancaster County connections, both with the Cardinals. Former Hempfield great — and future Lancaster Barnstormers manager — Tom Herr hit sixth, played his customary second base, and went 3-for-6 with a run. And Sutter, who we lost in 2022, ended up throwing a couple of fateful pitches to Sandberg, who homered to tie the game in the ninth, then went deep again to tie the game in the 10th. Hence, the Sandberg Game. 

The incredible thing about that is Sutter, the Cardinals’ prized closer, pitched three-plus innings in the game. That’s unheard of these days, when managers and pitching coaches get panic attacks when their starting pitcher approaches 100 pitches, and teams burn through their bullpens to get the perfect matchups night after night. 

The starting pitchers that day: Ralph Citarella for the Cardinals against Steve Trout for the Cubs. I don’t remember Citarella at all; I vaguely remember Trout. Neither were around for the finish.

More than a dozen ex-Phillies played in the Sandberg Game, which is pretty crazy. 

For the Cubs, there was Sandberg, of course, plus center fielder Bob Dernier, who hit first and went 3-for-5, swiped a bag and knocked in four runs. Gary “Sarge” Matthews — who belted that unforgettable homer off of Jerry Reuss of the Dodgers on the way to the World Series in 1983 — hit third and played left. He went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a double and a steal.

Dernier, Sandberg and future Phillies catcher Ozzie Virgil were on that 1980 Reading team, by the way. I’m quite sure I collected their cards, and stood at a fence hoping to get their autographs back in the day.

Keith Moreland — another blast from the past — hit fifth, played right, and went 0-for-4 for the Cubs that day. Larry Bowa, who went to Chicago with Sandberg in the trade that sent Ivan DeJesus to the Phillies, hit eighth and played shortstop. He went 0-for-4 and scored a run. 

Jay Johnstone chipped in with a pinch-hit single, and Richie Hebner entered the game as a pinch-hitter and stayed in to play third base. He went 1-for-3 with an RBI. 

As for the pitchers, Dickie Noles — the guy who knocked down George Brett in the 1980 World Series — and Warren Brusstar both came out of the bullpen that day. 

It was always fun hearing the late, great Harry Kalas say Warren “Bruuuuu-star”. 

Ex-Phillies that appeared on the Cardinals lineup card that day included Lonnie Smith — “Skates” himself — who hit first and played left field. He had a hit and a steal. And Herr. Jeff Lahti, who made an appearance out of the bullpen, was drafted by the Phillies. 

I’ll never forget that next season, in 1985, when Herr put up this sparkling line: He hit .302 with 38 doubles, eight homers, 31 steals and 110 RBIs. He was an NL All-Star and finished fifth in the MVP balloting — while doing Lancaster proud. 

Other great names in that box score:  George “Stick” Hendrick and future Pittsburgh Pirates all-star Andy Van Slyke, who entered as a third baseman for the Cardinals that day. Ozzie Smith had a big game; 2-for-4 with four runs. Loved the Wizard, Herr’s trusty double-play partner. And St. Louis catcher Darrell Porter, who used to wear Rec Specs. Remember those?

The Cubs had Leon “Bull” Durham at first base, and Ron “the penguin” Cey at third base, as Chicago and St. Louis combined to use 39 players in the game, including 12 pitchers, seven by the Cubs, who finally won it on an RBI walk-off single by Dave Owen.

Dave Rucker, who served up Owen’s hit, absorbed the loss.

It really is remarkable who played in the game that day, like three future Hall of Fame inductees: Sandberg, Sutter and Cubs closer Lee Arthur Smith, a real fireballer who would fit in nicely with today’s back-end pitchers. High gas. His plate. 

Smith picked up the win that day. 

Two future MLB managers played in the game: Sandberg, who skippered the Phillies from 2013-15, and Art Howe, who played third base that day for the Cardinals. Howe went on to manage the Houston Astros, Oakland A’s and New York Mets, between 1989 and 2004. 

Two of the umpires that day you’ve probably heard of: “Cowboy” Joe West was at first, and “Balking” Bob Davidson was at third. And wouldn’t you know it? There was indeed a balk that day, by Trout.

The Ryne Sandberg Game was an all-timer. Watching it again was a trip down memory lane for me. And it brought back some great memories about watching Sandberg in the infancy of his career. About those hot dogs and waiting patiently to get autographs at Reading Phillies games. And about watching baseball games with my dad, who also took us to countless games at the Vet in Philadelphia over the years. 

Rest easy, Ryno. You were one of my original role models, and you helped put me on the path to my lifelong love affair with baseball. I thank you for that.

X: @JeffReinhart77

Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.

Error! There was an error processing your request.