Ryne Sandberg was one of baseball's greatest second basemen and a Hall of Fame player who passed away on July 28, 2025.[2] Named after Yankees pitcher Ryne Duren, Sandberg was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 20th round of the 1978 MLB Draft and made his debut with the team in 1981 as a late-season call-up.[2] Following the 1981 season, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs along with Iván DeJesus in exchange for shortstop Larry Bowa, a transaction that would prove transformative for the Cubs organization.[2] Sandberg's breakthrough came in 1984, his third season with Chicago. Playing at second base, he compiled a .314 batting average with 19 home runs, 84 RBIs, 32 stolen bases, and led the league with 114 runs and 19 triples.[1] That season, he delivered a legendary performance in the "Sandberg Game," hitting two game-tying home runs off Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter, and won the National League MVP Award.[1][2] He led the Cubs to their first postseason appearance since 1945.[2] Over his 16-year career, primarily with the Cubs, Sandberg compiled a .285 batting average with 2,386 hits, 282 home runs, 1,061 RBIs, and 344 stolen bases.[1] His accolades included 10 All-Star selections, nine consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1983 to 1991, and seven Silver Slugger Awards.[1] In 1990, he had arguably his finest season, leading the National League with 40 home runs, 116 runs scored, and 344 total bases while establishing a major-league record of 123 consecutive games without an error.[3] After retiring in 1994 and returning briefly in 1996–97, Sandberg was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.[1] He later managed the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, beginning in 2010, helping develop future generations of players.[1]