The Cubs had a wholesome surprise for Ryne Sandberg in spring training
MESA, Ariz. — Ryne Sandberg strolled into the Nike Performance Center early Friday morning with a pair of gym shoes in one hand and two gloves in the other.
“Ready to go,” the Hall of Famer said as he walked in.
Sandberg — along with fellow Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins and Cubs Hall of Famer Rick Sutcliffe — has been a fixture at Cubs camp since it kicked off.
“I told the players, people like Ryno and the Hall of Famers, they make an impact when they step in the room,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “And that’s what Ryno’s done the last two day’s he’s been here and we’re thankful for that, absolutely.”
Sandberg, who announced in December that his cancer that he thought had been eliminated had returned and spread, had a pleasant surprise Saturday at camp.
As he chatted with Jenkins and Sutcliffe on the Agility field before workouts began, a pair of his former teammates, Shawon Dunston and Mark Grace walked up behind him and surprised him.
The quintet spoke together and shared stories with one another, sharing plenty of hearty laughs. Counsell joined the group and spoke with them for a while before jumping around fields from drills to live batting practices.
“Today was really fun, just having a chance to talk to those guys and hear their stories,” Counsell said. “That’s why you love being in the locker room or a clubhouse, those memories that you share together. They were all kind of silly, really, but there also was like meaning behind how they were helping each other, also, like coaching each other, kind of finding humor in that.
“Looking back, maybe not in the moment, but it was lessons. You remember the lessons learned and then they’re able to give them to you in a funny way, in a humorous way.”
At one point after stretch, top prospect Matt Shaw peeled off from the player group and joined the Cubs’ legends. He spoke with them briefly and they all offered some advice.
Those kinds of interactions are the types of things that Counsell hopes current players take from the alumni.
“Those are smart players, that’s what I’ll tell you,” Counsell said. “Take advantage of those opportunities. I said that the first day to the pitchers, I said, ‘Go, talk to Fergie.’ Nobody here is throwing 330 innings, but seriously, it’s like, ‘Ask him what it’s like to go out in the 8th inning. What’s his mindset?’
“And so that’s how it’s the same. Your mindset at the point is the same. Some of how the game’s played is not the same, but your mindset in some of those situations, it’s exactly the same. And that’s how one of the greats did it, and that’s what you pick his brain about.”