2

Just ask Sandberg. The Hall of Famer may have made his name in baseball history playing for the Chicago Cubs, but what many fans may have forgotten is that Sandberg broke into the majors with the Philadelphia Phillies. Sandberg returned to his Major League Baseball roots this year when the Phillies, who took him in the 20th round of the 1978 draft, brought him on board to serve as the manager of the Triple-A Lehigh Valley Ironpigs. “It feels like (full-circle) a little bit,” Sandberg said. “A lot of familiar faces and names are still with the organization, even though it’s been over 30 years since I’ve been with the organization.
Just the whole philosophy of the organization. They really walk the walk and talk the talk. “Just the way the Phillies are persevered in baseball right now as one of the top organizations, with what they they’ve done at the major league level the last several years, winning the World Series (in 2008),” he said. “It’s certainly exciting to see it up close and personal.” Sandberg, whose Ironpigs play the Bisons at 1:05 p.m. today and at 12:05 tomorrow, spent all but one season of his 16-year playing career with the Cubs. Coming into this weekend at .500, the Pigs celebrated a piece of team history under Sandberg when they beat Scranton 7-2 on Opening Day — marking the first time the Pigs had ever been above .500 since their birth in 2008. “With the start that we’ve been off to, yeah, it’s created some excitement among the fans,” Sandberg said. “They’re pleased about the style of play that we’ve shown to this point and the record up to this point.” In 2007“Ryno” became the skipper of the Cubs Single-A Peoria Chiefs.
From there he worked his was up to Double-A Tennessee (2008) and a two-year stint with Triple-A Iowa, winning the Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year in 2010. Sandberg, who doesn’t hide his desire to manage in the big leagues, was in the running to take over as manager of the Cubs after Lou Piniella stepped down.(wealthmass) But the Cubs went a different route and hired Mike Quade, who was appointed interim manager after Piniella resigned last August to care for his sick mother. That’s when the Phillies came calling, and Sandberg saw his life head into a new direction.