On June 23, 1984, the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals played one of the most famous regular season games in Major League Baseball history.
For the first time in years, the Cubs were true contenders in the National League, and when their biggest rivals came to town for a weekend series in the summer, the stakes were high. Adding to the magnitude was the game being shown as NBC’s Game of the Week and airing in front of a national audience.
Cardinals outfielder Willie McGee hit for the cycle, but the Cubs would have the last laugh. Trailing 9-8 heading into the ninth inning against St. Louis’ future Hall of Fame closer Bruce Sutter, Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg, also a future Hall of Famer, slugged a solo home run off the iconic closer to tie the game and force extra innings. The Cardinals tacked on a pair of runs in the top of the tenth, but with two outs in the bottom of the frame, Sandberg hit a second game-tying blast and the Cubs went on to win in the 11th inning, securing their place on the national stage.
On Sunday, 40 years removed from that fateful day, the Cubs unveiled a statue honoring Sandberg outside of Wrigley Field.
Forever etched in history. Ryno. 23. pic.twitter.com/aksA44wwRW
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) June 23, 2024
Sandberg’s statue joins fellow Cubs Hall of Famers Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Ron Santo, Fergie Jenkins, and longtime broadcaster Harry Caray.
The unveiling followed a ceremony where Sandberg’s former teammates Larry Bowa and Shawon Dunston spoke, as did broadcaster Bob Costas, who was on the call for NBC for the Cubs/Cardinals affair which became known as The Sandberg Game.
First look: The Ryne Sandberg statue
They nailed it. pic.twitter.com/ZBnH0owXLH
— CHGO Sports (@CHGO_Sports) June 23, 2024
The 2024 Cubs squad also watched the ceremony from a terrace level atop Wrigley Field before their Sunday Night Baseball showdown with the New York Mets.
The 2024 Cubs look on during Ryne Sandberg's statue unveiling
pic.twitter.com/WS9tUe4W4z — Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) June 23, 2024
Sandberg spent nearly his entire career for the Cubs, playing 13 games for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1981 before being traded, along with Bowa, to Chicago in 1982. He played for Chicago until his retirement after the 1994 season and unretired briefly for the 1996 and 1997 seasons before retiring once again.
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