Sandberg, along with former Cubs reliever Lee Smith, were among 17 first-time entries. Sandberg received xxx of the required 75 percent of the vote by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Smith xxx and Bruce Sutter xxx. I’LL PUT STUFF ABOUT MURRAY AND OTHERS HERE.
Along with Murray, Sandberg is the 39th player elected on his first try.
The induction ceremonies will be July 27 in Cooperstown, N.Y.
Sandberg has the best chance.
A 10-time National League All-Star, he was the league’s top vote-getter three times (1990-92) and won nine consecutive Gold Gloves from 1983-1991. When Sandberg retired after the 1997 season, he had a career .285 average, 282 homers, the most for a second baseman, and 1,061 RBIs. He ended his career with a .989 fielding percentage, the highest career mark at his position.
He is the first player ever to have a 40 home run season and a 50 stolen base season and played in a record 123 errorless games for an infielder other than a first baseman from June 21, 1989 to May 17, 1990.
In 1982, Cubs general manager Dallas Greene acquired Sandberg, then a third baseman, along with shortstop Larry Bowa from the Philadelphia Phillies for Ivan DeJesus.
Sandberg moved to second base the following year and became the standard at the position.
He spent 15 of his 16 years in the majors on Chicago’s North side, playing for only three winning teams. He led the 1984 Cubs on a memorable run to the National League East title, earning league MVP honors on the way with a .314 average and 19 home runs. His most famous moment came on June 23 when he hit two dramatic, game-tying home runs in consecutive innings off Cardinals reliever Bruce Sutter.
