143 Quotes by Ryne Sandberg

I didn't want to let them down or let the fans down or my teammates or my family or myself. I had too much respect for them to let them down.

I don't know where I'd go and want to win a championship other than here, ... That's still what I'm striving for. That's still why I'm with the organization and coming out to the ballpark as often as I do -- to be a part of that and to win a championship here.

I can't help but wonder if 31 is the next number. That's a no-brainer.

I thought '23' was kind of an odd number, ... I asked for 14, and Yosh totally turned me down and said that number's been taken and retired. Yosh Kawano has been a good friend of mine, and he was the one that picked that out for me. And that was the perfect number.

I went into spring training that first year (with the Cubs) in '82 and No. 23 was hanging up in my locker, ... I thought it was kind of an odd number. I believe I asked for 14 and (former Cubs clubhouse manager Yosh Kawano) totally turned me down and said that number's been taken and retired.

Starting off as slow as I did, 0-for-32, the organization stuck with me and allowed me to work my way through that and feel comfortable, ... It was a great situation for me to come here and play every day, and, really, that was what got the ball rolling for me.

To be with Sparky Anderson and Al Kaline, Fergie Jenkins and be with them and be a part of that group, it's still pretty incredible to me. I'm just a big fan of the game. What's neat about this exhibit is just the history that's behind it. I get kicks just walking from window to window and just seeing the history and seeing how far the game has come, kind of how the game was played way back when. It's come a long way. There's a lot of history there that I respect. You really get a good feel coming to an exhibit like this.

We do have a problem in baseball, and using steroids is not respecting the game.

To be in their company and to join them means everything to me.