In was a typical Ryne Sandberg performance. He stood there after a victory before a capacity Wrigley Field crowd and he talked of his teammates.
“It all started with Kevin Tapani and the way he battled on the mound,” Sandberg said. “And the defense. Doug Glanville made that great play in left field.”
Elsewhere around the Cubs’ clubhouse Saturday, everyone else was talking about Sandberg.
Before the game, the Cubs Hall of Fame-bound second baseman announced he will retire as a player when this season ends Sept. 28, 10 days after he turns 38.
Then, as the Cubs beat the Dodgers 5-1 and snapped a nine-game losing streak, Sandberg put on a virtuoso performance before 39,953 fans, the second biggest crowd of the season at Wrigley.
He hit two home runs and a single and was walked intentionally in four plate appearances.
He scored three runs, had three RBIs and jump-started the Cubs into a welcome blend of gritty pitching, timely hitting and teriffic fielding.
“The fans went crazy at his first home run,” said first baseman Mark Grace. “And we went crazy in the dugout. We razzed him.
“We asked him, `Why didn’t you hold that press conference in April?’ He had an ear-to-ear smile. I’m going to cherish this day.”
The crowd gave Sandberg a standing ovation in the third, when he achieved the 24th two-homer game of his career for a 3-1 lead.
“Yeah, in a way it got to me on the second homer,” Sandberg said. “The crowd was great. It felt good to get the announcement off my chest. Then . . . strange things happen, I guess.”
Before the game, when Sandberg made his announcement, Grace cracked, “Ryno, if you go 4 for 4, will you change your mind?”
So, after the 3-for-3 afternoon, the question seemed appropriate:
Is there any chance . . . ?
“No,” Sandberg answered. “Not at all.”
