Ryno to the Cardinals? "It's a Possibility"

Almost as exciting as the eventual hot stove action is the talk of what skipper is going to end up where.

The St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs all have managerial vacancies and, depending on which way the tide is flowing...each have a frontrunner to take the top job.

While, the Red Sox and Cubs seem to have some of the candidates in the mind...the World Champion Cardinals is looking at a former rival to help lead them back to the postseason.

And according to, well, everyone, Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg might have the inside track.

This from the Chicago Sun-Times:

Sandberg, 52, was contacted almost immediately by the Cardinals after manager Tony La Russa announced his retirement Monday. The Cardinals sought permission to interview him and were granted it by the Philadelphia Phillies, who hired Sandberg to manage their Class AAA team last fall after former Cubs general manager Jim Hendry let him go.

“I’ll be interviewing with the Cardinals,” Sandberg said Wednesday. “It’s on the calendar in the near future, so that’s the next thing for me. As of right now, that’s been the only call.”

So, on this, the 10,000 "day-versary" (props to Chris Jaffe of The Hardball Times) of "The Sandberg Game" (look it up, people), it's fitting that the Thirty Mile Zone caught up with "Ryno" in Malibu.

Enjoy.

Is Ryne Sandberg Next in Line in Chicago?

Here we go again.

First...it was Theo Epstein being spotted at a Starbucks.  And we all saw how that played out.

Now...it's Hall of Famer and Chicago Cubs great Ryne Sandberg walking the streets of the Windy City.

"We were coming back from lunch, walking east on Walton toward Michigan Avenue," lifelong Cubs fan Frank Mark told the Chicago Tribune. "All of a sudden, I see three people, two ladies and a guy. I eyeballed the guy and said, 'Holy smoke, that's Sandberg.' I'm 99 percent sure it was him. He had the same build, the same slick-backed hair."

To make matter worse...Sandberg also reportedly dined Tuesday night at Japonais.

And we all know how the former second baseman loves his "signature Japanese cuisine that seamlessly fuses innovative presentations, flavors and ingredient pairings."

So...what are the odds of the Hall of Famer becoming Epstein's main man?

"I think there'd be a better chance of Ryno becoming a base coach or something like that. They have to get the Mike Quade question answered first," CSNChicago.com's Cubs Insider Patrick Mooney weighed in after the Epstein press conference Tuesday.

The new Cubs president  interviewed Sandberg for Boston's Triple-A managing job in Pawtucket last year after Quade beat out Sandberg for the Cubs' top job. Sandberg turned it down since he had already had committed to a similar job within the Philadelphia Phillies organization.

Wake me up when Ron Cey comes waddling out of the Lincoln Park Zoo.

Ryne Sandberg Named Manager...

...of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

After being snubbed by the Chicago Cubs last month, Ryne Sandberg decided that if he wasn't good enough for their top managerial position, he wasn't going to be part of their organization.

So...the Hall of Famer returned to the team that originally drafted him back in 1978.

This...according to Allentown, Pennsylvania's The Morning Call:

Ex-Chicago Cub great Ryne Sandberg, a former player in the Phillies minor league organization, was named Monday morning as the new manager of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

Sandberg, 51, spent the last four seasons as a manager in the Cubs' minor league system. He is a Hall of Fame second baseman.

He replaces Dave Huppert, who managed the IronPigs — the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate — the first three years of their existence.

Sandberg has spent the last four years as a manager in the Cubs organization with stints with the Peoria Chiefs (2007-2008), Tennessee Smokies (2009) and Iowa Cubs (2010).

He beings to the Phillies organization a career mark of 284-277...a .506 winning percentage. Last season, he was named the Pacific Coast League's Manager of the Year after posting a career best 82-62 record.

As a player, the 1984 National League MVP had a .285 batting average and 2,386 hits over his 16-year career.  He was a ten time All-Star, seven time Silver Slugger and won nine Gold Gloves at second base.  He was enshrined in Cooperstown in 2005.

(Insert your own title here)

I'm going to avoid all jokes and what not and suggest you read this from the New York Daily News regarding Roberto Alomar.

In papers filed in state and federal court, (former girlfriend Ilya) Dall said Alomar finally got tested in January 2006 while suffering from a cough, fatigue and shingles. "The test results of him being HIV-positive was given to him and the plaintiff on or about Feb.6, 2006," the $15 million negligence suit says.

Nine days later, the couple went to see a disease specialist who discovered a mass in the retired second baseman's chest, the court papers say.Alomar's skin had turned purple, he was foaming at the mouth and a spinal tap "showed he had full-blown AIDS," the suit says.

Foaming at the mouth...yikes! Something tells me that if you turn purple and need a spinal tap to figure out why, things aren't going to end well. I will spare you some of the other details as you can look them up for yourself over at Google.

In the meantime…truth or dare?

Dare you say?

Fair enough. I want you to go outside RIGHT NOW and ask the first person you see who the BEST second baseman was over the last quarter century. And when they answer “Ryne Sandberg”…punch them in the face.

Why? They’re lying to you.

Unquestionably, Ryno was good. But he isn’t the BEST to play the position this side of 1980. I know, I know…Sandberg was the MVP in 1984. He once had the most home runs by a second baseman and nabbed nine straight Gold Gloves.

He was pretty good.

But Roberto Alomar was better. Hands down.

Matter of fact, he might be the best modern day second baseman...even though Joe Morgan would tell you otherwise.

Some people might even go on to tell you that Alomar wasn’t ever the best player on the field for any of the seven teams he played for. Much like Morgan, I’d tell you that neither were Craig Biggio and Jeff Kent and they’re both Hall of Fame caliber middle infielders.

Let’s break this down…plain and simple.

The case for Alomar is an easy one…even easier when compared to the most recent Hall inductee at second base, Ryne Sandberg.

Here ya go:

• Alomar went to twelve straight All-Star games (nine as a starter), compared to Ryno’s ten.
• His Ten Gold Gloves over a span of eleven years is the most ever by a second baseman and his .984 fielding percentage is a hair behind Sandberg’s .989.
• His 2724 hits (and career .300 batting average) is the most by any EVERY DAY second baseman since Charlie Gehringer’s 2839. Gehringer was inducted in 1949. FYI…Sandberg finished with 2386 and a .285 batting average.
• Even, Alomar’s OPS+ (a stat that I am not THAT high on, but some people are) of 116 is smack dab in the middle of the pack when you look at those already enshrined. For the record, Sandberg’s was 114. Joe Morgan...a surprising 132.
• Alomar even slugged .347 in back to back World Series victories for the Blue Jays.

And yes, for every “case for”…there is a case against:

• Alomar lacks an identity. His longest stint with any team was five years with the Blue Jays.
• As mentioned, Alomar was overshadowed on nearly every team he played for (Tony Gwynn in San Diego, Joe Carter in Toronto, Cal Ripken in Baltimore, Albert Belle and Manny Ramirez in Cleveland).
• When he is eligible in 2010, he’ll likely be up against Tim Raines, Barry Larkin, Fred McGriff and Edgar Martinez. Granted, they’re not ALL Hall of Famers…but they’ll garner some attention and steal (pun intended in Raines' case) some votes.
• And, unfortunately, the spitting incident with umpire John Hirshbeck.

Alomar was the type of player that, because he was so damn solid for nearly 17 seasons…people forget that he was a hitting machine.

From his second year in the majors (1989) until 2001, Alomar hit UNDER .295 only twice. He even had an impressive run of nine out of ten years where he hit .300 or better.

Open your doors for Robbie, Cooperstown, I’ll be watching...all the while knowing that the best second baseman I ever saw play is getting his just desserts. I just hope he'll be there to enjoy it.

Sure, he's in...but what cap would he wear?

Dear Readers…truth or dare?

Dare you say?

Fair enough. I want you to go outside RIGHT NOW and ask the first person you see who the BEST second baseman was over the last quarter century. And when they answer “Ryne Sandberg”…punch them in the face.

Why? They’re lying to you.

Unquestionably, Ryno was good. But he isn’t the BEST to play the position this side of 1980. I know, I know…Sandberg was the MVP in 1984. He once had the most home runs by a second baseman and nabbed nine straight Gold Gloves.

He was pretty good.

Roberto Alomar was better. Hands down.

Matter of fact, he might be the best modern day second baseman...even though Joe Morgan would tell you otherwise. Some people might even go on to tell you that Alomar wasn’t ever the best player on the field for any of the seven teams he played for. Much like Morgan, I’d tell you that neither were Craig Biggio and Jeff Kent and they’re both Hall of Fame caliber middle infielders. And yes...THAT Jeff Kent.

Let’s break this down…plain and simple.

The case for Alomar is an easy one…even easier when compared to the most recent Hall inductee at second base, Ryne Sandberg.

Here ya go:

• Alomar went to twelve straight All-Star games (nine as a starter), compared to Ryno’s ten.
  Ten Gold Gloves over a span of eleven years is the most ever by a second baseman.
  
• His .984 fielding percentage is a hair behind Sandberg’s .989.
  
• His 2724 hits (and career .300 batting average) is the most by any EVERY DAY second baseman since Charlie Gehringer’s 2839. Gehringer was inducted in 1949. FYI…Sandberg finished with 2386 and a .285 batting average.
  
• Even, Alomar’s OPS+ (a stat that I am not THAT high on, but some people are) of 116 is smack dab in the middle of the pack when you look at those already enshrined. For the record, Sandberg’s was 114. Joe Morgan...a surprising 132.
  
• Alomar even slugged .347 in back to back World Series victories for the Blue Jays

And yes, for every “case for”…there is a case against:

• Alomar lacks an identity. His longest stint with any team was five years with the Blue Jays.


• As mentioned, Alomar was overshadowed on nearly every team he played for (Tony Gwynn in San Diego, Joe Carter in Toronto, Cal Ripken in Baltimore, Albert Belle and Manny Ramirez in Cleveland).


• When he is eligible in 2010, he’ll likely be up against Tim Raines, Barry Larkin, Fred McGriff and Edgar Martinez. Granted, they’re not ALL Hall of Famers…but they’ll garner some attention and steal (pun intended in Raines' case) some votes.


• And, unfortunately, the spitting incident with umpire John Hirshbeck.

Alomar was the type of player that, because he was so damn solid for nearly 17 seasons…people FORGET that he was a hitting machine. From his second year in the majors (1989) until 2001, Alomar hit UNDER .295 only twice. He even had an impressive run of nine out of ten years where he hit .300 or better.

Open your doors for Robbie, Cooperstown, I’ll be watching...all the while knowing that the best second baseman I ever saw play is getting his just desserts.