Yankees Hall of Famer Wade Boggs' emotional response to Ryne Sandberg will break you

The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cooperstown, the annual crown jewel of any legend of the game's storytelling circuit, was muted by a sad undercurrent this past weekend. Ryne Sandberg of the Chicago Cubs, a member of the Hall of Fame's class of 2005, canceled his appearance and put out a statement on July 16 noting, "While I am continuing to fight, I'm looking forward to making the most of every day with my loving family and friends."

The rest of us read between the lines, especially as Cubs fan favorites like Jon Lester and Kerry Wood rallied the Wrigley crowd on Sandberg's behalf. But what we intimated Sandberg's brothers in Cooperstown already knew, casting a pall over a weekend of revery. According to Jayson Stark of The Athletic, there was "so much sadness" throughout the gathering as "his fellow Hall of Famers braced for the news".

Among those most affected was Wade Boggs, one of the toughest SOBs in Red Sox and Yankees history who spent 18 seasons making pitchers' lives relentlessly miserable. A cross-league contemporary of Sandberg's, Boggs was tied to the Cubs second baseman in eternity when they both entered the Hall of Fame in the Class of 2005.

You never forget your brother, and when broached for comment ahead of the weekend's festivities, Boggs gave up the game a bit while speaking to Jon Morosi. With nothing left to do but hope and pray, Boggs broke down and removed all pretense, asking for peace in Sandberg's final hours and beyond.

Beloved Yankees Hall of Famer Wade Boggs' heart broke for Ryne Sandberg before his death

Sandberg passed away on Monday, having given all he could to a relentless fight that began in Jan. 2024. Treated for prostate cancer, Sandberg was given a clean bill of health before the depressing revelation that the disease had returned and spread.

He starred for the Cubs at a time when WGN was national, and when every baseball-loving kid could be inspired by his hard-nosed pursuit of perfection (and perfectly tailored Wrigley swing) every afternoon. Sandberg, quite simply, is the bedrock of the Cubs' emergence from lovable loserdom and their creation of a national brand.

Undoubtedly, Boggs will carry a piece of that tenacity with him forever, too. After all, you never forget your classmate.