{"id":266900,"date":"2025-08-23T10:20:09","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T10:20:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/266900\/"},"modified":"2025-08-23T10:20:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T10:20:09","slug":"late-cubs-legend-ryne-sandberg-honored-by-friends-family-in-church-ceremony","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/266900\/","title":{"rendered":"Late Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg honored by friends, family in church ceremony"},"content":{"rendered":"

Family, friends and baseball legends showed up in droves Friday morning at the oldest church in Chicago, Old Sat. Patrick\u2019s on W. Adams St. to honor Ryne Sandberg<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Chicago Cubs legend passed away on July 28<\/a> at the age of 65 after a battle with metastatic prostate cancer.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

That included staying at the Sandberg\u2019s house in Arizona when Hurley would travel south for a marathon in the area.<\/p>\n

Hurley shared wholesome stories<\/a> about his interactions with the Sandbergs and their incredible kindness.<\/p>\n

Some of the baseball royalty in attendance included Joe Torre, Jim Thome, Ozzie Smith and Frank Thomas as well as Sandberg\u2019s former Cubs teammates.<\/p>\n

As legendary broadcaster Bob Costas delivered the eulogy<\/a>, he called attention to the MLB icons in the audience.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of you, whether you realize it or not,\u201d Costas said, \u201care heeding the wise words of Hall of Famer Yogi Berra, who once said, \u2018always go to your friends\u2019 funerals, otherwise they won\u2019t come to yours.\u2019 So true.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

That got a hearty laugh from the crowd before Costas got into the emotional part of his tribute.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn behalf of everyone here today and for so many more here in spirit, heartfelt sympathy to Margaret and the entire Sandberg family,\u201d Costas said. \u201cWe recognize that the loss of Ryne is most deeply felt and most truly understood by those closest to him, but we hope there\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Costas\u2019 connection to Sandberg began in earnest 41 years ago when the broadcaster was on the call for NBC\u2019s \u201cGame of the Week\u201d between the Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field.<\/p>\n

Sandberg made his mark on that June 23 afternoon, hitting two late home runs in one of the most clutch performances the sport \u2014 and the Cubs franchise \u2014 has ever seen.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmong the many things that sets baseball apart is that in baseball, history matters and memories resonate more than in any other sport,\u201d Costas said. \u201cNo better example than June 23, 1984 \u2014 \u2018The Sandberg Game,\u2019 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\u2019s a lasting part of Cub and baseball lore.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut 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\u2019t just what he did, but the way he did it,\u201d Costas continued. \u201cHe was a flawless, all-around player, talented and fundamentally sound. The kind of player any dad or youth coach could point to and say, \u2018That\u2019s the way you play the game.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere\u2019s part of what he said: \u2018Make a great play, act like you\u2019ve 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\u2019s respect.’\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Bob Costas on Ryne Sandberg \ud83e\udd0d pic.twitter.com\/PXepNVKDkT<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 22, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n

Costas shared memories of June 23, 2024, when Sandberg\u2019s statue was unveiled outside Wrigley Field<\/a>, and what stood out to Costas was the entire Cubs roster on the stairs inside the stadium overlooking Gallagher Way in full uniform.<\/p>\n

\u201cA sign of true respect, a grace note,\u201d Costas said. \u201cJust as Ryne, a man who made history without histrionics, would have wanted it. Through the years, stories abound of Ryne\u2019s kindness and generosity of spirit to just about everyone he encountered. So typical of Ryne, and as noted in this morning\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cRyne 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 22, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n

Costas got emotional at the end of his powerful eulogy, before ceding the microphone to Jimmy Turner, Sandberg\u2019s longtime agent.<\/p>\n

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).<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

One round in the fall of 1998 stood out to Turner.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Turner\u2019s shot had struck Sandberg from more than 180 yards out.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Throughout dinner, Turner noticed something odd about the wound \u2014 it was dripping down Sandberg\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

\u201cRyne could feel it, Margaret could see it and they burst out laughing,\u201d Turner said. \u201cThey all lost it. It was a Margaret and Ryne production, in collaboration with mascara and ink. Vintage Sandberg humor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sandberg\u2019s children, Lindsey and Justin, delivered heartfelt tributes to their father to round out the ceremony.<\/p>\n