John Blanchette

July 31, 2005

Gruff, fiery Dallas Green is another polar-opposite personality from Ryne Sandberg, but he was also Sandberg's professional patron.

Dallas Green. (Associated Press)

"He traded for me, he found me a new position to play, stuck with me and gave me a long-term contract and security after only two years in the big leagues," Sandberg said. "It's impossible to know how my life might have been different without Dallas."

Green jumped from manager of the Philadelphia Phillies to the Chicago Cubs as general manager in 1982 and insisted Sandberg be included when the teams swapped shortstops Larry Bowa and Ivan DeJesus. Sandberg, too, had been a shortstop, but Green knew from his Phillies experience that the youngster could play anywhere in the infield.

"He had great hands and never missed a ball, no matter where he was playing," recalled Green, now back with the Phillies as a consultant. "Plus he was a guy who played the game with a passion for playing it the right way. That's how he was brought up and that's how he came to the big leagues."