Do you know Ryne Sandberg as soon as sported a wildly controversial mustache?
The second annual Cubs Conference (née Die-Onerous Cubs Fan Membership Cubsfest) was held in 1987 at Chicago’s Hyatt Regency on the final weekend of January. Ryne Sandberg appeared as a panelist on the “For Ladies Solely” session to reply fan questions, together with teammates Gary Matthews, Keith Moreland, and Jamie Moyer. The Chicago Tribune’s Paul Sullivan deemed it noteworthy to incorporate, albeit parenthetically, that Sandberg was “sporting a brand new mustache” that weekend.
When the Cubs reported to spring coaching in February, the legend of Sandberg’s new look continued to develop. Initially, his whiskers had been described as “pencil-thin…extra like Wayne Newton’s than Hulk Hogan’s.”
Sandberg’s spouse, Cindy, took the blame, “he ran out of shaving cream and I forgot to get some. It seems okay I assume. I’m sort of used to it.”
In mid-March, Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune famous, “Sandberg has a brand new mustache however plans to method the 1987 season with the identical workmanlike self-discipline that he has proven prior to now.” The article included a photograph of the mustachioed Sandberg.
The Chicago Solar-Occasions then ran a ballot, asking readers to vote whether or not Sandberg ought to maintain the mustache or ditch it. Some responders had been pragmatic, “I don’t care if he seems like Abraham Lincoln. Simply so he hits .300 and steals 50 bases,” wrote one. Others described the look as “attractive,” “distinguished,” and “a slice of heaven.” One other anointed Sandberg “the brand new Tom Selleck.”
Regardless, the outcomes introduced by the Solar-Occasions on April 5 had been overwhelmingly in favor of a clean-shaven Ryno. The tally was 602 in favor of shaving the mustache and 68 for protecting it. One other 21 undecided votes had been submitted.
The outcomes of that ballot had been printed a day late, nevertheless.
Fed up with the frivolous consideration his facial hair was getting, Sandberg reverted again to a glabrate higher lip upfront of the Cubs’ April 7 house opener, “I shaved it off final evening [April 4]. It obtained so the mustache was all anyone wished to speak about. It was changing into sort of a distraction. I simply wish to consider taking part in baseball.” Sandberg explicitly denied the Solar-Occasions ballot had something to do along with his choice.
Regardless of sporting a mustache for a really quick length, photographs of Ryno along with his mustache may be present in a number of baseball card points, primarily in issued in 1988.
Moreover, his whiskered look was memorialized on the quilt of the 1987 Cubs Reward Catalog and a wall poster.
I mustache you now, how do you are feeling a couple of mustachioed Ryne Sandberg?
Guidelines:
An inventory of baseball points depicting the hirsute Ryno follows, together with variations for the completists amongst us. In the event you occur to know of any others, please let me know!
- 1988 Fleer Baseball MVPs #29
- 1988 O-Pee-Chee Stickers #23 1987 World Collection WS, VAR: Ryne Sandberg (6) again
- 1988 O-Pee-Chee Stickers #36 Ozzie Virgil VAR: Ryne Sandberg (6) again
- 1988 O-Pee-Chee Stickers #57 / 225 Ryne Sandberg / Terry Kennedy VAR: John Franco (32) again
- 1988 O-Pee-Chee Stickers #57 / 225 Ryne Sandberg / Terry Kennedy VAR: Dan Plesac (65) again
- 1988 O-Pee-Chee Stickers #102 / 165 Kevin McReynolds / Tony Phillips VAR: Ryne Sandberg (6) again
- 1988 O-Pee-Chee Stickers #138 / 280 Buddy Bell / Jeff Reardon VAR: Ryne Sandberg (6) again
- 1988 O-Pee-Chee Stickers #147 Ryne Sandberg AS, Bruce Hurst (62) again
- 1988 O-Pee-Chee Stickers #151 Darryl Strawberry AS, Ryne Sandberg (6) again
- 1988 O-Pee-Chee Stickers #158 George Bell AS, Ryne Sandberg (6) again
- 1988 O-Pee-Chee Stickers – Tremendous Star Backs #6 Ryne Sandberg
- 1988 Panini Stickers #260
- 1988 Topps All-Star Set Collector’s Version (Shiny Ship-Ins) #14
- 1988 Topps American Baseball (UK Minis) #65
- 1988 Topps Cash #52
- 1988 Topps Stickers #16 1987 NLCS, VAR: Ryne Sandberg (6) again
- 1988 Topps Stickers #27 / 240 Jim Deshaies / Pete O’Brien VAR: Ryne Sandberg (6) again
- 1988 Topps Stickers #34 / 245 Invoice Doran / Dwight Evans VAR: Ryne Sandberg (6) again
- 1988 Topps Stickers #36 Ozzie Virgil VAR: Ryne Sandberg (6) again
- 1988 Topps Stickers #57 / 225 Ryne Sandberg / Terry Kennedy VAR: Dale Murphy (18) again
- 1988 Topps Stickers #57 / 225 Ryne Sandberg / Terry Kennedy VAR: Ozzie Virgil (24) again
- 1988 Topps Stickers #57 / 225 Ryne Sandberg / Terry Kennedy VAR: Mark McGwire (36) again
- 1988 Topps Stickers #57 / 225 Ryne Sandberg / Terry Kennedy VAR: Keith Hernandez (3) again
- 1988 Topps Stickers #84 / 307 Denny Martinez / Mike Dunne FS, VAR: Ryne Sandberg (6) again
- 1988 Topps Stickers #100 / 190 Roger McDowell / Jimmy Key VAR: Ryne Sandberg (6) again
- 1988 Topps Stickers #103 / 275 Sid Fernandez / Tom Brunansky VAR: Ryne Sandberg (6) again
- 1988 Topps Stickers #134 / 195 Doug Drabek / Jim Gantner VAR: Ryne Sandberg (6) again
- 1988 Topps Stickers #137 / 208 Nick Esasky / Cory Snyder VAR: Ryne Sandberg (6) again
- 1988 Topps Stickers #142 / 227 John Franco / Billy Ripken VAR: Ryne Sandberg (6) again
- 1988 Topps Stickers #161 Terry Kennedy AS, FOIL, VAR: Ryne Sandberg (6) again
- 1988 Topps Stickers – Tremendous Star Backs #6 Ryne Sandberg
- Unknown Poster Promo Ryno with Rhinoceros NNO
Sources:
Paul Sullivan, “Cubs Give Die Onerous Followers Phrases to Reside By,” Chicago Tribune, February 1, 1987.
Joe Goddard, “Cubs Bits,” Chicago Solar-Occasions, February 20, 1987.
Fred Mitchell, “Regardless of Mustache, It’s Identical Outdated Sandberg,” Chicago Tribune, March 15, 1987.
Fred Mitchell, “Sandberg’s Mustache Fails to Make Closing Minimize,” Chicago Tribune, April 5, 1987.
Eddie Gold, “Ballot Suggests a Shut Shave for Sandberg,” Chicago Solar-Occasions, April 5, 1987.
“Let’s ‘Stache All that Speak About Ryno,” Chicago Solar-Occasions, April 6, 1987.
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