Ryno in the Hall

Ryno in the Hall

Ryne Sandberg's getting inducted into the Hall of Fame this weekend. Sloth has some thoughts. He's going to see the event. I told him to tell Ryno Howdy for me.

I don't have much to say in the way of my fandom. As much as I say I don't hero worship, I do have people I find myself admiring completely. Never took the time to sort stuff out. But Sloth says a lot of it.

It may not sound like much, but I think the biggest part of it for me was that he came to play every day, and he did it for a lot of crappy Cubs teams. Sure, a lot of guys did it over the years, but he was the one I latched on to.

The Sandberg game was the game I decided he was my favorite player. I was seven. I was just figuring out what baseball was. I was lucky enough to stumble across it on the anniversery day a few weeks ago, when ESPN Classics was showing a pared down version. They got the good parts. I sat and watched.

I've been in a funk the last little while. This is a little bit of why. I told myself that when Sandberg went in the Hall, I was going to be there to see it. I waited a few years of what became the annual HoF Ryne Sandberg BuFu (which didn't last as long as Gary Carter's, but in my mind was twice as unfair).

I've let this real life bullshit get in the way. Can't be there this weekend. I'm pissed at myself. Some things are unavoidable, and even if I'd decided to go this year, I don't think the work situation would have allowed it this time around. That being the case, I'm not punishing myself too much. Still. I feel like I let myself down a little bit.

Anyway. Right now, I'm thinking of heading up in the fall. Don't know when, but I'm making the time. That's all there is to it.