Craig Counsell Shares Heart-Wrenching Letter from Late Legend Ryne Sandberg: A Final Rally Cry for Playoff-Bound Cubs

The Chicago Cubs’ clubhouse fell silent on a night that should have been filled only with celebration. Moments after clinching a coveted wildcard spot, manager Craig Counsell called the players together, but instead of popping champagne or blasting music, he reached into his pocket and unfolded a piece of paper worn at the edges.

It was a letter — handwritten in uneven script, the ink slightly faded, the words unmistakably personal. The author: Ryne Sandberg, the Cubs’ Hall of Fame second baseman who passed away in July at the age of 65 after a private battle with cancer.

The letter, written months earlier during spring training, had been entrusted to Counsell by Sandberg himself. It was not meant for the public, not even for the press. It was a personal message from one Cubs legend to the next generation of players wearing the same pinstripes he once wore with pride. Counsell, with his voice trembling, decided this was the moment to share it.

A Voice From Beyond the Game

Ryne Sandberg’s words filled the room. He praised the team’s resilience, their grind, and their ability to withstand adversity during a season that often seemed defined by heartbreak. But it wasn’t just praise. In true Sandberg fashion, the letter also carried a sharp wit and a biting edge.

“Why all the pitch counts?” the letter read. “Haven’t I been an MVP? Don’t you think the game should be trusted in the hands of players?”

The line drew a few nervous laughs through tears, the kind of humor that felt like pure Sandberg — proud, straightforward, and unwilling to compromise his old-school view of baseball. Counsell later described it as “Ryno in a nutshell: he could cut you with a critique, but he’d still leave you feeling lifted.”

As the players listened, many with their heads bowed, the gravity of the moment sank in. This wasn’t just a motivational speech. This was Ryne Sandberg speaking from beyond, rallying a team he believed in even as his own days were numbered.

The Legacy of a Legend

For Cubs fans, Ryne Sandberg was more than just a Hall of Famer. He was the face of a franchise during an era when the Cubs often struggled to find consistency. Known for his quiet demeanor, clutch hitting, and Gold Glove defense, Sandberg embodied what it meant to wear the Cubs uniform with dignity.

He wasn’t flashy. He wasn’t loud. But he was dependable. His legendary 1984 season, when he won the National League MVP and helped lift the Cubs to the postseason for the first time in nearly 40 years, still stands as one of the most iconic campaigns in franchise history.

Yet it was not just his statistics that made him beloved. It was his character. Sandberg lived by example, rarely seeking the spotlight, always prioritizing the team over himself. His Hall of Fame induction speech in 2005 remains one of the most quoted in baseball history, particularly his words on respect:

“Baseball is a team sport, and the team always comes first. No matter what you accomplish as an individual, you do it for the name on the front of the jersey, not the one on the back.”

Those words echoed in Counsell’s mind as he unfolded Sandberg’s letter in the clubhouse. And now, nearly two decades later, Sandberg’s voice was once again reminding the Cubs what truly matters.

Tears in the Clubhouse

Players who never had the chance to meet Sandberg in person found themselves deeply moved. Veterans like Ian Happ and Kyle Hendricks, who had grown up idolizing Cubs legends, struggled to hold back tears. Younger players — some of whom had only seen Sandberg’s highlights on YouTube — said they felt as though they had met him for the first time that night.

“It was like he was right there with us,” one player said quietly after the celebration. “You could feel his presence in the room. You could feel what the Cubs mean, not just to us, but to generations before us.”

For Counsell, who had known Sandberg from across the baseball world, it was both heartbreaking and inspiring. He admitted afterward that he had considered keeping the letter private, but as the Cubs clinched their playoff spot, something inside him told him it was time.

“The season isn’t over,” Counsell told reporters. “But I felt like the players needed to hear it now. They needed to know that someone like Ryne Sandberg believed in them. And I think he’d want it read in this moment.”

A Rally Cry for October

The Cubs have been no strangers to emotional storylines in their long history. The curse-breaking 2016 World Series championship was as much about lifting generations of fans as it was about winning on the field. Now, nine years later, they enter the postseason with another weight on their shoulders — the weight of living up to the expectations of a legend who gave everything he had to the game.

The letter was more than nostalgia. It was a rally cry. A reminder that baseball, no matter how analytical it becomes, is still about heart, grit, and tradition. Sandberg’s critique of modern pitch counts may have been tongue-in-cheek, but his deeper message was clear: trust the players, trust the game, and trust that the Cubs’ spirit can carry them further than numbers on a page.

“This is his way of telling us to keep fighting,” said a teary-eyed Counsell. “He may not be here physically, but Ryno is with us in every inning we play from here on out.”

The Unfinished Story

The Cubs now march into October carrying the memory of Ryne Sandberg like a badge of honor. For fans, the story is already unforgettable: a Hall of Fame legend, facing the end of his life, using his final months not for himself, but to inspire a team he loved.

There will be questions about how far this Cubs team can go. Can their pitching hold up? Can their lineup deliver in clutch moments? But one thing is certain: they will not lack motivation.

Because in the back of their minds, they will hear Sandberg’s voice. They will remember his words. They will remember that letter, written in shaky handwriting but filled with unshakable conviction.

And if the Cubs manage to make another magical run through October, it will be impossible to separate their success from the emotional spark lit by a man who left too soon.

Ryne Sandberg may have passed away, but his presence lives on — in the clubhouse, in the dugout, in the roar of Wrigley Field, and in the hearts of Cubs players and fans alike.

As Craig Counsell folded the letter back into his pocket that night, the players rose to their feet. They weren’t just celebrating a wildcard berth. They were celebrating a legacy. They were answering a final rally cry from a legend whose spirit refuses to fade.

And somewhere beyond the game, you can almost imagine Ryne Sandberg watching, smiling faintly, and saying simply: “Play it the right way.”