Suddenly, Ryne Sandberg being taken seriously

A couple seasons ago, the idea of Ryne Sandberg managing the Cubs wasn't even on the map.

To those in the offices at Clark and Addison, it resided at the intersection of Laughable and Ridiculous.

A year back, he still wasn't in the conversation, but after three strong seasons in the minor leagues, Sandberg has become not just a legitimate managing candidate around the big leagues, but perhaps the front-runner to replace Lou Piniella.

This is quite a change for an organization that hadn't taken Sandberg seriously since he hung up his Gold Glove.

But to really understand the lack of comprehension, you have to go back to the early days of Andy MacPhail in Chicago.

The new regime didn't really understand Sandberg, what he meant to Chicago, or why he was beloved here, that it was the road he traveled that endeared him to the masses.

It was the way he raised himself from the lowest levels of the minor leagues to become the best in the big leagues.

It was the hard work, the attention to detail, the focus on every pitch regardless of importance, and the respect he showed his game and his uniform.

The bosses assumed when he began showing interest in managing that he wanted it handed to him because of his name and his plaque in Cooperstown.

After all, Hall of Famers don't go to A-ball, ride buses and throw batting practice.

Most take cushy front office jobs that involve tasks like sorting paper clips, or ask for coaching jobs so they can travel to card shows and golf courses.

When GM Jim Hendry granted Sandberg an interview three years ago and then offered him the Peoria (A) job, few in the organization thought he would take it, let alone run with it and become devoted to it.

"I had to earn their respect, and I completely understand that," Sandberg said Monday. "I think they had to learn who I was and I probably had to learn who they were a little bit. That's fair."

It's worth remembering now that the Phillies had as many as three shortstops in their organization rated ahead of Sandberg when they traded him to the Cubs.

So just as he did as a player, Sandberg has started at the bottom, fighting for respect and promotion.

"I'm good with that. That's pretty much who I am," Sandberg said. "I should have to earn it.

"No one should give anyone anything in this game. I have to earn it, just like the players I manage, who have to earn their playing time, and earn their promotions up the ladder."

While there are no guarantees of what will occur when Piniella walks away, Sandberg would seem to have a shot.

"He's legit," Hendry said of Sandberg's chance to manage in the big leagues. "He's really done a heck of a job down there. He has complete control of his club and he works some very long hours. It's unusual to see a guy of his stature doing what he's doing."

Of course, a lot could happen between now and next October.

A new owner is on the way in, Hendry has to prove his worth, the roster could turn over, and much of that could change Sandberg's status.

The good news for Sandberg is Tom Ricketts, a longtime Cub fan, won't need an introduction, as did some of the higher-ups at Wrigley Field the last 15 years.

But what if a new GM comes in a year from now and wants his own manager? What if it's still a veteran team, and the Cubs think Sandberg ought to start with a young club? What if Sandberg gets an offer from another organization?

One year is an eternity in baseball, where the only constant is the eternal inconsistency.

But Sandberg has become as a manager just what you would have suspected, if you really understood who he was in the first place.

To be surprised that he manages with a fire or demands accountability is to have been blind to the fire with which he played, or to the standard he forced himself to meet every day.

For those who never got it, that's why he's in the Hall of Fame.

He never felt like it was his job to manage his teammates as a player because someone else held the title, and he was working too hard at his own game to handle someone else's.

But as a manager he has no problem asserting himself, demanding much from his players, and commanding their respect the moment he walks in the room.

He's actually quite good at it.

So he's got a real shot at being the next Cubs manager, all things being equal.

If not, maybe it'll happen somewhere else.

Either way, his future as a manger looks bright.

And we really shouldn't be surprised.

brozner@dailyherald.com