In Photos: Cubs pay tribute to MLB's 'Ryno' Ryne Sandberg with bronze statue unveiling at Wrigley Field

The Chicago Cubs paid special tribute to Ryne Sandberg, who's one of their greatest players. On Sunday, June 23, the team unveiled a bronze statue of the Hall of Famer second baseman at Wrigley Field, showing their respect for the man who was known to fans as “Ryno”.

The MLB posted a series of pictures on Instagram and captioned the post:

"Ryne Sandberg is now immortalized in bronze at Wrigley Field. His legend was born in one iconic game OTD 40 years ago."

The ceremony took place on a special day, the 40th anniversary of the “Sandberg game”. On this day 40 years ago, Ryne showed his all-time great performance, which etched his name in Cubs history.

Sandberg became the fifth Cubs player to get the honor, along with other HOF’ers like Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Ron Santo and Fergie Jenkins. The ceremony was attended by Larry Bowa, Shawon Dunston, veteran actor and comedian Bill Murray and many of Sandberg’s family and friends.

"This guy wanted to win more than anyone I played with," said Bowa post-ceremony. (as per abc News)

However, there was a possibility that Sandberg wouldn’t be able to attend this event, as he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, but last month he announced that he's free of cancer.

"This was a guarantee for me. I reverted back to my baseball days of having goals and my attitude of working towards something. That's what I've done." said Sandberg post-ceremony, showing his willingness to attend the ceremony. (as per abc News)

The HOF’er has been an All-Star 10 times in his career. He has nine Gold Glove awards along with seven Silver Slugger Awards.

Although Sunday was a happy moment for the Cubs, the game after the ceremony saw the New York Mets beat the Chicago Cubs 5-2.

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Ryne Sandberg in the “Sandberg Game”

June 23, 1984, holds a special place in Chicago Cubs history. On this day, Ryne Sandberg showcased a brilliant performance for the Cubs against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Sandberg's two home runs, one in the ninth and another in the 10th inning, proved to be the difference. His late-game heroics helped the Cubs beat the Cardinals 12-11. He also made five hits and drove in seven runs for the Cubs.

"The Sandberg Game" wasn't just a win but a turning point, as it propelled Sandberg into the national spotlight, showcasing his immense talent and clutch hitting.