Family, friends and baseball legends showed up in droves Friday morning at the oldest church in Chicago, Old Sat. Patrick’s on W. Adams St. to honor Ryne Sandberg.

The Chicago Cubs legend passed away on July 28 at the age of 65 after a battle with metastatic prostate cancer.

The Cubs and the fanbase have honored Sandberg in many ways in the weeks since his passing. This was his official celebration of life, in a ceremony closed to the public and attended only by those close to him.

Father Thomas J. Hurley, the official celebrant of the ceremony, recalled his personal connection to Sandberg. Despite the fact that Hurley is a White Sox fan, he formed a friendship with Sandberg and his wife, Margaret, over the years.

That included staying at the Sandberg’s house in Arizona when Hurley would travel south for a marathon in the area.

Hurley shared wholesome stories about his interactions with the Sandbergs and their incredible kindness.

Some of the baseball royalty in attendance included Joe Torre, Jim Thome, Ozzie Smith and Frank Thomas as well as Sandberg’s former Cubs teammates.

As legendary broadcaster Bob Costas delivered the eulogy, he called attention to the MLB icons in the audience.

“All of you, whether you realize it or not,” Costas said, “are heeding the wise words of Hall of Famer Yogi Berra, who once said, ‘always go to your friends’ funerals, otherwise they won’t come to yours.’ So true.”

That got a hearty laugh from the crowd before Costas got into the emotional part of his tribute.

“On behalf of everyone here today and for so many more here in spirit, heartfelt sympathy to Margaret and the entire Sandberg family,” Costas said. “We recognize that the loss of Ryne is most deeply felt and most truly understood by those closest to him, but we hope there’s a measure of comfort in knowing how admired, respected and beloved your husband, father, grandfather and brother was by those he played with, by Cub fans, of course, and also by baseball fans across America who might not have been Cub rooters, but who recognized excellence, grace and class when they saw it.”

Costas’ connection to Sandberg began in earnest 41 years ago when the broadcaster was on the call for NBC’s “Game of the Week” between the Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field.

Sandberg made his mark on that June 23 afternoon, hitting two late home runs in one of the most clutch performances the sport — and the Cubs franchise — has ever seen.

“Among the many things that sets baseball apart is that in baseball, history matters and memories resonate more than in any other sport,” Costas said. “No better example than June 23, 1984 — ‘The Sandberg Game,’ a regular season game that has a name. A single game that has had at least three documentaries made about it. A game that young fans know about today and fans generations from now will know about because it’s a lasting part of Cub and baseball lore.”

Sandberg spent 15 years with the Cubs, building a Hall of Fame resume that included 10 All-Star appearances, nine Gold Gloves, seven Silver Slugger Awards and an NL MVP in that fateful 1984 season.

“But beyond [the career accolades], and in addition to the All-American boy appeal, what endeared him to fans and earned him universal respect within the game wasn’t just what he did, but the way he did it,” Costas continued. “He was a flawless, all-around player, talented and fundamentally sound. The kind of player any dad or youth coach could point to and say, ‘That’s the way you play the game.’

“The way he approached the game, the way he played, was a result of who he was. And when his time at Cooperstown came, Ryne Sandberg, usually quiet and reserved, made a strong point about himself and his regard for the game.

“Here’s part of what he said: ‘Make a great play, act like you’ve done it before. Get a base hit, look for the coach and get ready to run the bases. Hit a home run, put your head down, drop the bat and run around the bases. Because the name on the front is more important than the name on the back. That’s respect.’”

“(Ryne was) the kind of player any dad or youth coach could point to and say, ‘That’s the way you play the game.'”

Bob Costas on Ryne Sandberg 🤍 pic.twitter.com/PXepNVKDkT

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 22, 2025

Costas shared memories of June 23, 2024, when Sandberg’s statue was unveiled outside Wrigley Field, and what stood out to Costas was the entire Cubs roster on the stairs inside the stadium overlooking Gallagher Way in full uniform.

“A sign of true respect, a grace note,” Costas said. “Just as Ryne, a man who made history without histrionics, would have wanted it. Through the years, stories abound of Ryne’s kindness and generosity of spirit to just about everyone he encountered. So typical of Ryne, and as noted in this morning’s program, among his last wishes was his desire to thank everyone, his teammates, his fellow Hall of Famers, his many friends, but also the people who worked at the ballpark and all the fans who cheered him, shared their memories with him, wrote to him, and more recently, prayed for him.

“Ryne was appreciative and grateful to you all. And for myself and so many others here today and beyond, thank you, Ryne. Thank you for the great moments and also for the sincere and abiding friendship. Just as baseball will never forget you, we will never forget you. And we will always honor your memory.”

Among Ryne Sandberg’s last wishes was to thank his teammates, friends, those who worked at Wrigley Field and all Cubs fans. pic.twitter.com/wmilneVici

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 22, 2025

Costas got emotional at the end of his powerful eulogy, before ceding the microphone to Jimmy Turner, Sandberg’s longtime agent.

Turner regaled the crowd with stories about playing golf with Sandberg, who always spotted Turner 13 shots (though Turner admits he never won a round anyways).

One round in the fall of 1998 stood out to Turner.

During the round, Sandberg was searching for a lost ball while Turner took another shot. By the time Turner got to Sandberg, he saw the Hall of Famer dazed and holding his head.

Turner’s shot had struck Sandberg from more than 180 yards out.

Sandberg insisted he was fine and did not need to go to the doctor. The two were scheduled to go out to dinner that night and when Sandberg showed up with Margaret, he had a big black and blue mark on the left side of his head, where the golf ball had landed.

Throughout dinner, Turner noticed something odd about the wound — it was dripping down Sandberg’s face.

“Ryne could feel it, Margaret could see it and they burst out laughing,” Turner said. “They all lost it. It was a Margaret and Ryne production, in collaboration with mascara and ink. Vintage Sandberg humor.”

Sandberg’s children, Lindsey and Justin, delivered heartfelt tributes to their father to round out the ceremony.