CHICAGO -- The Cubs players ran out to their positions on Saturday without their names or numbers on the back of their jerseys. On this afternoon, they all sported No. 23 in honor of Hall of Famer and Cubs icon Ryne Sandberg.
Beyond the number itself, the Cubs donned their blue tops -- a nod to the blue jerseys Sandberg loved and wore so often over his decorated career with the North Siders. It was another way to pay tribute to Sandberg, who passed away on Monday following a battle with cancer.
“I thought it was a really beautiful way of doing it,” Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner said prior to a 4-3 loss to the Orioles. “It’s very simple, but it’s hard to look at every ballplayer on the field and not think about him.”
The gesture by the ballclub coincided with the final day of the organization’s annual “Cubs for a Cure” initiative, which began on Thursday with the goal of raising at least $1 million for cancer research. The Cubs also planned on auctioning off the jerseys worn on Saturday afternoon with the proceeds benefiting cancer research.
The Cubs are also wearing a sleeve patch -- complete with “23” and Sandberg’s signature -- on their uniforms for the rest of this season. And behind the plate at the Friendly Confines, the Hall of Famer’s number was painted in white into the grass.
During his pregame fielding work and at points during Saturday’s game, Hoerner also sported the kind of flip-up sunglasses that Sandberg wore. Even his statue outside Wrigley Field features the glasses as Sandberg -- the nine-time Gold Glove Award winner -- is depicted in a ready fielding position.
As it happened, Hoerner also played a starring role in Saturday’s loss to back a stellar seven-inning outing from lefty Matthew Boyd.
In the second inning, he pulled a pitch deep into the left-field corner, where it bounced into the ivy for a ground-rule double, scoring Ian Happ. Hoerner was hustling out of the box, perhaps thinking about the kind of triples that Sandberg pulled off inside the Friendly Confines. He added an RBI single in the fourth as part of a three-hit performance.
“He kind of redefined the position a little bit as far as what’s possible,” Hoerner said earlier this week. “Just an all-around dynamic player and person as well. His love for the game was just so obvious. I think if there’s any one thing for us as a group to take away from him this year is just how he never took just being at the field around people, a part of a group, for granted for his whole life, it seemed like.”
Fans have left flowers, hats, photos, notes and other items at the base of Sandberg’s statue. Even players have taken the time to head over to stand among fans gathered to pay their respects.
“I got to head over to the statue [on Thursday]. I took a second there,” Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong said. “Ryno was unbelievable towards me. I got to know him over the last year. I got to know his family pretty well over the last year. I mean, from what I was told, he watched just about every game this year and lended support every day. It’s kind of hard to comprehend.”
Prior to Friday’s game, the Cubs and Major League Baseball announced that the All-Star Game would be returning to Wrigley Field in 2027. Crow-Armstrong called it a “fitting” day to officially deliver the news, as it was another way to remember Sandberg, who was a 10-time All-Star and the Home Run Derby champ the last time the Cubs hosted the event in 1990.
Cubs greats Andre Dawson and Shawon Dunston took part in Friday’s pregame ceremony. Before the game’s first pitch, Dunston headed onto the field with former Cubs Rick Sutcliffe and Jody Davis to bring second base out to the diamond in honor of their friend and teammate. A montage of Sandberg’s career was played at the ballpark before a moment of silence.
“I thought the pregame was moving,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “I thought the three teammates going out there was just the perfect touch. And I think we all felt their emotion and their sadness walking out there. I’ll remember that, absolutely.”
Dawson called it a “gut-wrenching” week, but was happy to hear all the stories flowing about Sandberg.
“The thing about Ryno,” Dawson said, “he embraced the love that the fans showed to him and he showed it back. And that didn’t only occur with the fan base, but his teammates, the opposition and other fans around the country. You learned a lot. I learned some things about myself.
“He was just special. He was a special individual. A great ballplayer, but an even better person.”
Wearing Sandberg’s number was another way to celebrate his legacy.
“It’s perfect,” Counsell said.