Sandberg cheered in return to Wrigley
"This is a big deal, isn't it?" the Hall of Fame second baseman joked, as reporters stood wall-to-wall to hear his remarks about returning to Wrigley.
It wasn't just the fact that Wrigley Field was hosting its first Minor League game in 94 years, it also was Sandberg's first return to the Friendly Confines in uniform since 1997.
In the end, Sandberg's Peoria Chiefs did not get the win in his Wrigley Field managerial debut -- at least not yet. The team battled to a 6-6 tie with the Kane County Cougars as rain suspended the game. The two sides will resume the game on Wednesday in Peoria.
"I think it was a great experience," Sandberg said. "We'll find out who wins the game tomorrow. It was terrific."
The game certainly had been a big deal to Sandberg, who said he woke up with an Opening Day or playoff feeling on Tuesday, unable to eat breakfast. It also proved important to the Chicago community, which shattered the Midwest League single-game attendance record with a crowd of 32,103. While the media response may have surprised Sandberg, the outpouring of support from Cubs fans did not.
"Anything that the Cubs do, anything at Wrigley Field, anything with the Cubs logo on it, I've been around long enough to not be surprised," he said. "The Cub fans are incredible. The fact that we're talking 30,000-plus tonight, that doesn't surprise me at all."
The pregame standing ovation that Sandberg earned from the crowd during introductions surprised few, as there was no question he was the game's main draw.
"I think it was awesome," he said. "That seems to never go away at Wrigley Field, and I appreciate it. And I appreciate 32,000 people coming out and watching these young kids play."
The "Road to Wrigley" contest provided an end to a whirlwind two weeks for Sandberg. He first flew to New York to attend the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, which proved his first time in the famed stadium. Next, it was off to the White House, where Sandberg enjoyed tee ball on the South Lawn and dinner with the President. After joining the team for a few days, it was off to Cooperstown, where the manager enjoyed four days of golf with his fellow Hall of Famers.
"I think the bottom line is that it's nice to be a Hall of Famer and have all those opportunities," he said. "There's a lot that's happened. A lot that's off the calendar that was on there for awhile, but it was all good stuff, all good experiences. I think there are things that will help you grow as a person."
Sandberg also had to deal with the ramifications of a benches-clearing ruckus that his team was involved in on July 25, resulting in 17 ejections as well as forthcoming suspensions. Sandberg said that he felt "helpless" on the road, learning that one of his pitchers, Julio Castillo, had been arrested for assault after an attempt to throw a ball in the opposing team's dugout resulted in a fan's trip to the hospital.
It's certainly not a situation that Sandberg would have seen himself in five years ago. Managing began as an experiment for Sandberg, who admitted that he regarded 2007 as a test-run for his interest in coaching. It energized him, and now, Sandberg has a clearly stated goal of reaching a Major League bench.
"I'm having a blast," Sandberg said. "I'm having fun doing it, I enjoy it, I enjoy the competition."
His talents are also appreciated by the Cubs' front office, which was more than happy to bring Sandberg back into the fold in 2008. While the Chiefs struggled in the first half, a good July propelled the team back into contention.
"If you look at the record in the first half, and just looked at how we played, we played poorly," said Cubs farm director Oneri Fleita. "But the players have gotten better. It's never how you start, it's how you finish. At this point, my hat's off to Ryno and his staff. ... Anybody can learn how to lose, but you learn to do the little things that contribute to their development to winning-type baseball."
After the game, Sandberg found time to thank Cubs manager Lou Piniella, leaving a note behind Piniella's desk in the manager's office. It was Sandberg's final thankful gesture to the organization that gave his crew first-class accommodations.
"The way that we were able to come in here, I was a little surprised to use the Cubs clubhouse, and I was able to use his office," Sandberg said. "I don't know if that happens everyday. So I left him a note and said, 'Good luck to the club.'"
Like his players, Sandberg vows that the experience gave him the motivation he needs to continue his coaching career and rise up the same Minor League ladder his players face.
"I can say that I coached third base at Wrigley Field, that I managed almost a whole game from the dugout, so that's under my belt and it feels good."
Bryan Smith is a contributor to MLB.com.