Ryne Sandberg took the biggest walk of his glorious career Monday, away from the Chicago Cubs, away from a minimum of $ 16.1 million remaining on his contract.
Sandberg announced his retirement, effective immediately, at a Monday news conference in Chicago.
Major league baseball lost an on-field ambassador.
"He's the classiest and most interesting guy I've been around," Cubs manager Tom Trebelhorn said.
The Cubs lost a 10-time All-Star second baseman, the best of his time.
"This is the greatest second baseman I've seen, and I've been watching them for 50 years," Cubs Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Caray said.
Chicago lost its second superstar fixture in a year. First, the NBA Bulls lost Michael Jordan. Now Ryno.
"It's going to be devastating to the club when they take the field (tonight in San Diego) and realize he's not there anymore," said Cubs broadcaster Ron Santo, the club's last great longtime infielder before Sandberg.
Like the great Jordan, Sandberg leaves with plenty to give. Except he disputes that notion.
"Since I haven't played up to the standards of myself, my team and the Chicago fans, I've decided to retire," Sandberg said Monday. "I am not the type of person who would have the Cubs pay my salary when I am unhappy with my performance."
He is turning away from a contract extension he signed March 2, 1992. He spurns $ 3.4 million left on this season's deal, base salaries of $ 5.1 million for each of the next two years and a $ 5.9 million option (or $ 2.5 million buyout) for 1997.
He still has a $ 2 million personal services contract with the club. How that will be fulfilled, and paid, are being negotiated.
"Pride and performance comes first over salary and getting paid," Sandberg said. "That's the way I've always felt. . . . I didn't want to cheat myself or anyone else."
Does a chance exist that Sandberg might come back? "I don't imagine that happening at all," he said.
Sandberg, 34, is coming off a '93 season in which his hand was broken in the first spring training game and his finger dislocated to end his season Sept. 13. He still managed to bat .309, second-best of his 13-year career. However, his power numbers dropped dramatically. Since 1984, Sandberg averaged 19.6 home runs, 30.5 a year from '89-92.
He hit nine home runs last year.
That was supposed to change this season with his hand healed. It hasn't. He was batting .238 with five home runs and 24 RBI through Sunday, including 1-for-28 in his last eight games.
Sandberg always hit poorly in April - batting .235 with 20 home runs in 959 April at-bats in his career, including this season. But it is June, and Sandberg said he wasn't satisfied with his play.
"I always thought I'd wake up and have it back, but the drive and edge just wasn't there anymore," he said.
He talked about his decision Saturday with Trebelhorn, then put himself on the bench to ponder it further.
"I'm not willing, and do not want to, just hang around," he said. "I want to be the best player I can be, and with all these feelings and emotions not being there, I have found that I'm not able to do that."
Sandberg was a rare combination of fielding grace and power. Among his contemporaries, only Cal Ripken Jr. has achieved a comparable combination of power and leather at a middle-infield position.
Sandberg won nine Gold Gloves, more than any second baseman since the award began in '57. He finishes with 245 home runs and 905 RBI. Rey Sanchez, who filled in often when Sandberg was hurt last year, is expected to take over at second.
He leaves stunned Cubs.
-- "I was surprised," Trebelhorn said, "but as I spoke with him, I could see a gentleman, a professional, an athlete with a tremendous amount of ability to focus, who wasn't having quite as much fun as he wanted and wasn't producing the way he wanted to produce."
-- Catcher Rick Wilkins: "It's a shock, a total surprise."
-- First baseman Mark Grace: "I'm shocked by it and saddened by it. I know there's got to be more to it."
Grace isn't the only person perplexed by the move. There was no secret agenda.
"To suggest that there's more to this, that he'll tell his close friends the true version, all I can say is they'll hear the same explanation," said Jim Turner, Sandberg's agent. "In his mind, it was time."
The focus, regardless, became Sandberg's health, his family, his finances and the Cubs' front office.
Sandberg says he is fine. His wife, Cindy, said Monday it was her husband's call. Sandberg said he wants more time to spend with his children, Lindsey and Justin. He recently built a huge home in Scottsdale, Ariz. He's comfortable financially.
He was not comfortable with the losing but insisted that was not decisive. The Cubs, 1-11 in their last 12 games, are settled firmly in last in the new National League Central.
"I've been through losing streaks, and I've been through slumps," he said. ". . . That part, I don't think, is a major part of it."
Sandberg was not happy when Cubs management failed to retain free agent stars Andre Dawson and Greg Maddux after the '92 season and that they appear willing to let Grace leave after this season.
He also spoke out this season about multiple daily meetings conducted by Trebelhorn. He noted the Cubs had three meetings all of 1989 and made the playoffs.
Sandberg said Monday, "Ever since March of this year, I've had the mind-set this would be my last year."
In other words, even before his slow start, he was planning to leave early. He just pushed up the timetable.
"I'm going to relax a little bit," Sandberg said, then added he is no Jordan, harboring multisport aspirations. "Basketball, football and hockey are out of the question," he said, laughing. He said he has not laughed much this year. "I know relief is in sight," he said. "I'm glad it's over."
