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It is said that the path to greatness if often times littered with obstacles and challenges. The greatest among the human race have shown their mettle by beating the odds and becoming icons of humanity by overcoming adversity. One of these people is Ryne Dee Sandberg who is widely considered as one of the best Second Basemen of all time. This member of the Baseball Hall of Fame has numerous individual and team awards that have cemented his place in Baseball history. As such, his accomplishments have shown just how hard work and perseverance can make a person fulfill his potential.
The journey to greatness of Ryne Sandberg started out as ordinary. Born on September 18, 1959, Ryno, as he is called, was named after Ryne Duren, who his parents idolized. He was born into a baseball fan family and was immersed into the world of baseball at an early age. While he was not remarkable in the early part of his career, he eventually went on to become an All-star in the major leagues. He also set major league records at second base which is still unbroken.
The career of Ryne Sandberg is a perfect example of how hard work can propel even the most ordinary men to greatness. Sandberg was not exactly a high profile recruit as he was drafted in the 20th round of the 1978 amateur draft by the Philadelphia Phillies. It was not until 1981, however, that he had a chance to play in the majors. Even then, he still did not get the big break that he wanted because the Phillies did not think that he could be a very good shortstop. As for the other positions on the field, second and third base at that time were covered by Manny Trillo and Mike Schmidt. As such, though Sandberg had worked his way out of the amateur league, he was not able to immediately gain recognition in the big leagues.
The 9 consecutive Golden Glove Awards of Ryne Sandberg are a testament and affirmation of his hard work. Being unable to crack the starting lineup during his rookie season, Sandberg worked hard but this was still unrewarded as he soon found himself traded to the Cubs prior to the 1982 season. This is considered as one of the most one-sided deals in history as the record of Sandberg shows that he turned out to be one of the greatest players in baseball, managing to set a record in the major league as having the highest fielding percentage of all time at .989 at second base.
After the trade, it became quite evident that he was no normal player. He won his first Golden Glove Award during his first season and in 1984, he batted .314 with 200 hits, 114 runs, 36 doubles, 19 homers and triples and 84 RBI. This put him on track as only the third player in league history to collect 20 doubles, triples, home runs, and stolen bases in the same season. These numbers not only put him on track to be the best in baseball but it also brought his team victories as he soon led them to the Finals.
The brilliant record of Sandberg did not end there as in 1990, he led the National League in home runs, which is a rarity for a second baseman. He also batted in 100 runs during this season. Finishing with an average of .306 for the season, he joins baseball greats Brady Anderson and Barry Bonds as the only players to have a 40 homer and 50 steal season during their careers. Most impressive is the 123 straight game that he played at second base without a single error.
All of these figures and accolades show that there is no limit to what a person can do if one is willing to work hard. Admittedly, Sandburg may not have been an ordinary person but that does not detract from the fact that if one is willing to work hard, no matter what anyone says, one will be destined for greatness. The thing which sets Sandburg apart from everyone else and it the reason he should be emulated is his drive for excellence and passion for perfection.
BaseballLibrary.com. http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=Ryne_Sandberg_1959&page=chronology. Retrieved on 2009-04-02
Overcoming Obstacles: The Mark of Greatness. (2020, Jun 02). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/ryne-sandburg-new-essay
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