John Blanchette

July 31, 2005

The turning point of Ryne Sandberg's baseball career happened during a pinochle game in which he wasn't even participating.

Jim Frey, the new manager of the Chicago Cubs in 1984, began arguing with coaches Don Zimmer and Jim Snyder over cards that their young second baseman should hit for more power – and vowed to make it happen.

Jim Frey. (Associated Press)

The turning point of Ryne Sandberg's baseball career happened during a pinochle game in which he wasn't even participating.

Jim Frey, the new manager of the Chicago Cubs in 1984, began arguing with coaches Don Zimmer and Jim Snyder over cards that their young second baseman should hit for more power – and vowed to make it happen.

"I'm watching him in spring training and I see this big kid with a great swing," Frey recalled. "I told him I thought he could be the big guy in our lineup. He said he never thought of himself that way – and I told him he had to consider himself an MVP-type player."

So Frey tinkered with opening up Sandberg's stance and encouraging him to pull the ball, taking advantage of Wrigley Field's "friendly confines." In the right count – 2-0, 3-1 or 3-0 – he told Sandberg "I want you to hit me a three-run home run every once in a while."

Sandberg responded with 19 in 1984 en route to winning the National League MVP award. Eventually, he would break the record for most career home runs by a second baseman and lead the N.L. with 40 in 1990.

"Jim Frey," said Sandberg, "changed my entire mentality – and is probably the reason I'm going to Cooperstown."