Cubs honored Rhine Sandberg with a formal patch on uniform

The Chicago Cubs have unveiled a ceremonial patch on their uniform in memory of Ryne Sandberg one day after the Hall of Famer’s death.

Sandberg, who made 10 All-Star teams with the Cubs before his retirement in 1997, died Monday at the age of 65. The blue patch has a red 23 – Sandberg’s uniform number – and features his signature in white lettering. It sits over the Cubs logo on an arm sleeve.

The Cubs posted a video on social media of the patch being sewn onto the uniforms before Tuesday night’s game at Milwaukee. During pregame warmups, the Cubs wore T-shirts with the message, “FO23VER.”

“It’s sad because it kind of hits home I think a little more, but in the other way, you want to honor Ryno the best we can and shine a spotlight on a great life lived, for all the great things he represented as a man and as a Chicago Cub,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said.

As Sandberg fought cancer last year, the Cubs unveiled a statue outside Wrigley Field that showed the second baseman in his familiar defensive crouch. As he talked about Sandberg before Tuesday’s game, Counsell looked back on that ceremony from June 2024.

“I was thinking about the day the statue was unveiled,” Counsell said. “That’s my favorite day as a Chicago Cub, just the team being there and fans in a different setting than in the ballpark, and watching Ryno and his family and knowing what he was going through and everything.”

Sandberg hit .285 with 282 homers, 1,061 RBIs and 344 steals in 15 years with the Cubs and was named NL MVP in 1984. The second baseman played 13 games for Philadelphia in 1981 but got traded to Chicago the following January.

The Cubs also designated Chris Flexen for assignment before their matchup with the Brewers. Fellow right-hander Gavin Hollowell was recalled from Triple-A Iowa.

The 31-year-old Flexen got off to a strong start this year, but he had surrendered 15 runs and 22 hits in 14 2/3 innings over his last five appearances at the time of the move.

“It wasn’t a fun conversation,” Counsell said. “It never is. Chris has been a contributor on this team. He’s contributed in some big ways to this team. Sometimes it doesn’t feel fair.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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