CHICAGO (WGN) – The Star-Spangled Banner is an anthem celebrating the nation’s enduring spirit, but for Wednesday’s national anthem singer at Wrigley Field, it’s also a personal moment of both grief and gratitude for his boyhood hero Ryne Sandberg.
When Dave Frey stepped up to the microphone at Wrigley Field on Wednesday, the lead singer of the Christian rock group “Sidewalk Prophets” wasn’t simply singing for the fans in the stands.
The anthem was for two people who weren’t in the friendly confines.
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“I’m here today for Jeff and Ryno, and I’m going to focus on that every single note I sing,” Frey said.
Both Frey’s stepfather Jeffrey Harder and his childhood hero Sandberg died of cancer this year.
“Even though they’re not here, they are absolutely in my heart today,” Frey said.
For the 43-year-old Frey, the Cubs have always offered comfort with the friendly confines serving as a refuge from the real world.
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“Just a lifelong Cub fan growing up, especially because of Ryne Sandberg. That was my all-time hero. I didn’t have any other poster in my room but him,” Frey said.
Frey has fond memories of watching Sandberg at Wrigley Field and all the records he set along the way, but it was the milestone of becoming a father that also made this fan feel like a friend.
“[Sandberg] sent me a video of encouragement when I became a dad and it meant a lot, so I never got to meet him face-to-face, but I felt like through all those years, I knew him,” Frey said.
According to Frey, singing the national anthem at Wrigley Field was a life highlight, but one that carried the emotion of a lifetime of memories from his favorite player.
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“Life is full of bittersweet. It’s full of highs and lows and sometimes they collide at the same time,” Frey said.
Singing the national anthem at Wrigley Field was a moment unlike any other in Frey’s career, as the national anthem echoed with both resilience and is own reflection on the lasting bonds of baseball.