Iowa Cubs players go to bat praising the Sandberg way

DES MOINES, Iowa - Players who've gone back and forth on the Iowa Shuttle this year seem to be of one mind when it comes to playing for Ryne Sandberg.

"It's awesome," said pitcher Jeff Samardzija, who was optioned by the Cubs to Class AAA Iowa early this season. "The best thing about Ryno is there is no panic button, whether you're down 1 or down 6. We've lost four of five, five or six here, and never is there any push to do anything different.

"I think the big thing is we play hard every day, and I think we're happy with what the results are after every game. As long as he's happy with how we played on the field every day and we gave it what we had, what happens after that is just icing on the cake. I probably picked up 3 or 4 early wins out of the pen when I first got here because of that mentality."

The percentage of rookies on the Cubs at one time this year reached 40, and many of those players have played for Sandberg in the minor leagues. Outfielder Sam Fuld is back at Iowa after getting a quick call-up last week. He has spent most of his time this year playing for Sandberg.

"He's been great," Fuld said. "He basically keeps it really simple. Obviously, he commands a lot of respect based on who he is. You get a sense of his work ethic. He's very consistent. He's got this amazing preparation and routine, and you just kind of follow that. It's really, really simple: You play hard, and you're on time. Everybody's aware of that. Other than that, he just lets you play.

"There's nobody trying to cut any corners or anything like that. He's obviously not tremendously vocal. He can be if he needs to be, and everyone's aware of that."

Beyond running a tight ship, Sandberg also has gotten his hands full of infield dirt, especially around the second-base bag, where he carved out a Hall of Fame career as a player.

"For me, he has a lot to do with my development," infielder Darwin Barney told cubs.com. "The way he comes off as a manager and makes the clubhouse feel good ... guys just want to play hard every day. You know what he expects, and you know he wants to compete as much or more than you. That's his nature."

Players say they're fully aware Sandberg is a Hall of Famer, but not by anything Sandberg says about it.

"You'd never know," Fuld said. "He's out there every day doing the same things. I think he really prides himself on his routine and discipline. It shows, and it rubs off on guys."