“I thought I was ready for this moment. But no… no one can ever truly be ready to say goodbye to someone like Ryno.”
– Bobby Dernier, emotionally shared after hearing the news of Ryne Sandberg’s passing.
Former player Bobby Dernier – Ryne Sandberg’s playing partner on the legendary 1984 Chicago Cubs squad – could not hide his pain when hearing the news that his close teammate had breathed his last on July 28.
“Even though I was mentally prepared after months of hearing that Ryno was battling cancer… I still collapsed when I learned that he was truly gone. Ryno was the ideal teammate, the friend that everyone wanted to stand next to.”
The Dernier-Sandberg duo was nicknamed “The Daily Double” by fans, as they opened games with incredible speed and certainty. “I remember every slide he made, every look he gave me on the field. We didn’t need to say much – we played as one,” Dernier said, his eyes red with tears.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66671952/merlin_81204591.0.jpg)
During the magical 1984 season, Bobby Dernier was the lead hitter, with Ryne Sandberg right behind him. “I always knew that behind me was Ryno who never gave up. He could be quiet all game, then explode when the team needed him most. That was the quality of a legend.”
“Nobody lived a Cubs jersey like Ryno. He gave every breath, every slide, every hit.”
Dernier also said that they had kept in touch in recent years, despite living in different parts of the world. “In his last phone calls, he still spoke like a warrior. No complaints, no sadness. That made me both heartbroken and proud.”
“He was the one who fought behind me. Now I am walking behind him, on another journey – a farewell journey. Goodbye Ryno… a comrade I will never forget.”