ST. PETERSBURG – On the 40th anniversary of the “Sandberg Game,” sportscaster Bob Costas will yet again speak Ryne Sandberg’s name into a microphone, set to give remarks at the Hall of Famer’s statue dedication outside of Wrigley Field.
The Cubs on Wednesday announced the schedule for the ceremony. Festivities are set to begin at 3 p.m. on June 23, before the Cubs play face the Mets on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball.
Costas, who called Sandberg’s legendary 5-for-6 performance with two game-tying home runs against the Cardinals in 1984, was joined by Larry Bowa and Shawon Dunston, who both played with Sandberg, and team chairman Tom Ricketts on the the list of scheduled speakers.
Sandberg is the fifth Cubs player to have a statue erected on Gallagher Way’s Statue Row, joining fellow Hall of Famers Ernie Banks, Fergie Jenkins, Ron Santo and Billy Williams.
After the unveiling of Sandberg’s statue, which is set to be broadcast live on Marquee Sports Network, Sandberg is scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch for the Cubs’ 6:10 p.m. game at Wrigley Field.
Sandberg has been undergoing treatment for metastatic prostate cancer since January, including chemotherapy and radiation. But he announced three weeks ago that he had finished chemo and tests had come back with no detection of cancer.