Sandberg Returns To Cubs In ‘96 Relaxed After A Year Away And Remarried, Ryne Ready To Resume Playing Game He’s Always Loved

Ryne Sandberg, the All-Star second baseman who abruptly retired from baseball in the middle of the 1994 season, will return to play for the Chicago Cubs next year, The Associated Press learned Monday.

Sandberg’s comeback with the Cubs will be announced today, a team management source told the AP. Terms were not immediately available.

He may move to play third base next year. Sandberg began his Cubs’ career at that position in 1982 before shifting and becoming one of the best all-around second basemen in the game’s history.

“It’ll be great for the town, and the fans and the players love him,” said Cubs announcer Harry Caray. “He’s a perfect role model, seemingly in great condition that belies his age.”

Sandberg was placed on the voluntarily retired list by the Cubs on June 13, 1994, after his sudden retirement at age 34. But the 10-time All-Star will return next year at 36.

He is a career .289 hitter with 245 home runs and 905 RBIs. He is closing in on the record for home runs by a second baseman, held by Joe Morgan at 266, and a nine-time Gold Glove winner.

At the time of his retirement, Sandberg, the 1984 N.L. MVP and holder of several major league fielding records, said he wanted to spend more time with his family and had no intention of returning. But he apparently decided he couldn’t stay away any longer from a game he’s always loved.

He was in the second year of a four-year contract and walked away from $17 million.

A Cubs’ source said Sandberg contacted Chicago general manager Ed Lynch after the regular season and said he wanted to play baseball again.

As soon as the World Series ended, some technicalities were taken care of - writing a letter of reinstatement and filing a letter of free agency. Then Sandberg and Lynch finished off their agreement.

Sandberg spent much of his time in retirement living at his home in Arizona, near the Cubs’ spring training site in Mesa. Although he was not playing ball, his contract with the Cubs called for some off-field work for the team.

Sandberg recently remarried, and friends have described him as happier than he’s been in a long time and said he’s ready to return to the game he’d played professionally since he was 18.

When Sandberg left the Cubs, he was upset with the way the team was being run by general manager Larry Himes. Himes has been reassigned, and the Cubs have completely changed their front-office structure.

Lynch, who briefly played with Sandberg and is one of his friends, is the general manager and Andy MacPhail, who built World Series champions in Minnesota, is the president. The Cubs were 73-71 during the shortened season and remained in contention for the wild card spot until the last few days.

Former Cubs reliever Dan Plesac said Sandberg had dropped hints about returning when he saw him earlier this month.

“It’s for the love of the game,” Plesac said. “He told me he loved what he saw with Cal Ripken and said the game needed some role models. A lot of people look up to him.”

“He’s got a new lease on life,” Cubs first baseman Mark Grace told WGN-radio. “He’s got a new marriage. Satan is no longer our general manager. We all knew he had marital problems. Maybe those problems were happening then. He said the game was no longer fun. I think Larry Himes had a lot to do with making the game not fun.”

But even some of Sandberg’s backers are worried about how effective he’ll be after a 1-1/2-year layoff.

“In my personal opinion, it’s a mistake,” said WGN broadcaster and former Cub great Ron Santo. “This man had lost that edge.”

And even Grace, one of several Cubs veterans facing free agency, isn’t totally sold on the idea that Sandberg automatically means an improved team.

“Because he’s been out a year and a half, he has to show in spring training that he can make the club,” Grace told WGN. “If we rush into judgment and say, ‘We’ve got to get Ryno back and we no longer need Shawon Dunston,’ then we’re making a big mistake. I’m a big Shawon Dunston fan.

“Eddie and Andy are crazy if they think they can just pencil in Ryno’s name and build the team around him.”

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: RYNE SANDBERG’S STATS REGULAR SEASON Year Team ab r h hr rbi avg 1981 Phi 6 2 1 0 0 .167 1982 Chi 635 103 172 7 54 .271 1983 Chi 633 94 165 8 48 .261 1984 Chi 636 114 200 19 84 .314 1985 Chi 609 113 186 26 83 .305 1986 Chi 627 68 178 14 76 .284 1987 Chi 523 81 154 16 59 .294 1988 Chi 618 77 163 19 69 .264 1989 Chi 606 104 176 30 76 .290 1990 Chi 615 116 188 40 100 .306 1991 Chi 585 104 170 26 100 .291 1992 Chi 612 100 186 26 87 .304 1993 Chi 456 67 141 9 45 .309 1994 Chi 223 36 53 5 24 .238 Totals 7384 1179 2133 245 905 .289 PLAYOFFS Year Opp ab r h hr rbi avg 1984 SD 19 3 7 0 2 .368 1989 SF 20 6 8 1 4 .400 Totals 39 9 15 1 6 .385 CAREER HIGHLIGHTS June, 1978 - Selected by Philadelphia Phillies in 20th round of draft out of North Central High School Sept. 27, 1981- Collects first major league hit off Chicago’s Mike Krukow at Wrigley Field Jan. 27, 1982 - Traded with Larry Bowa to Cubs for Ivan DeJesus April 13, 1982 - Gets first Cubs hit, a single off Cardinals’ Joaquin Andujar at Wrigley Field 1983 - Earned the first of nine Gold Gloves July 1984 - Made his first All-Star start, going 1 for 4 at San Francisco October 1984 - Chosen National League MVP, bats .368 in N.L. playoffs against Padres 1985 - Became the third major league player to have 25 or more homers and 50 or more steals, joining Cesar Cedeno and Joe Morgan 1989 - Bats .400 in N.L. playoffs against Giants Aug. 7, 1987 - Got his 1,000th career hit off New York’s Ron Darling 1990 - Leads the National League with 40 homers and 116 runs scored 1991 - Becomes first second baseman in major league history to win nine Gold Gloves March 5, 1993 - Breaks his hand in spring training opener when hit by a pitch July 3, 1993 - Collects his 2,000th hit off Colorado’s Curt Leskanic June 7, 1994 - Collects his final major league hit off Phils’ Heathcliff Slocumb June 13, 1994 - Announces his retirement, less than two years into a four-year, $28 million contract