Heroes, Part 1

It’s 11:00 pm. and I can’t sleep. 

My daughter, Charlie, shared with me tonight that Jet’s hero passed away. So Jet has been heavy on my heart.

Ryne Sandberg, a cherished second baseman (retired) for the Chicago Cubs died today after a battle with cancer. He was Jet’s hero. 

1984 was a big year for both Ryne and Jet. On June 23rd of that year, Ryne’s world got bigger and better during the game against the Cardinals. Ryne played so brilliantly that the game would be forever referred to as “The Ryne Sandberg Game”. Ryne also received the 1984 National League Most Valuable Player Award. 

Later that year, on December 30th, Jet took his first breath and his life (and mine) also became bigger and better. 

All through Jet’s youth and into his adulthood, Ryne was Jet’s hero.

As I am reading up on Ryne at this late hour, I see that Ryne was a “quiet superstar” who didn’t purposely draw attention to himself. But because of what he did, and how well he did it, the attention was automatic. This reminds me of my boy. Jet is one of the most humble people you will ever meet. He doesn’t intentionally draw attention to himself either. But his work speaks volumes and draws the crowd. 

Here’s one example of Jet’s humility. Several years ago, I was driving around O’Hare Airport in Chicago when I noticed several billboards of Brian Urlacher who is a former linebacker with the Chicago Bears. I knew Jet had been working with Brian on a project. I called Jet while I driving past one billboard after another and asked him about it. While Jet didn’t specifically design the billboards, they were the photos he took of Brian during the project they were working on. He didn’t brag on himself. He never told me that his work made it to billboards in the heart of Chicago. That was a proud momma moment for me. I was deeply moved by Jet’s humbleness.

A few years ago, Jet had the privilege to meet his hero. He and Ryne worked on a project together along with Brian Urlacher.

A dream come true. 

I wrote until the wee hours of the morning and am now finishing this post after speaking with Jet, sending him my sympathy, and getting permission to use his photos. 

Jet doesn’t post on Facebook much but he did this morning and he shared his words with me.

When I was a kid, Ryne Sandberg was a legend. Ryno was the kind of icon you only saw on TV, the player I pretended to be while playing little league. I remember saying things like, “I bet Sandberg could hit it over those trees way over there.”

Years later, as he was being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, I was just getting my start in the video industry. Then on April 1, 2016, three days before the start of a very special season for Cubs fans, our paths crossed.

They say you should never meet your heroes, but Ryno was the exception. I had the chance to interview him a couple different times on a few productions, and he was everything you’d hope for. Humble, gracious, and professional. A Hall of Famer in every sense of the word. He never hesitated to play along with whatever we had scripted, and we scripted some really crazy stuff.

He was kind to everyone on set. He welcomed us into his home and let us explore his incredible memorabilia collection. He shared his stories freely. It was surreal.

I knew he had been battling cancer, but I always hope for the best. Hearing the news during the Cubs game last night hit me harder than I expected. One moment I was watching the team he helped define, the next I was mourning the loss of a childhood hero and someone I was lucky enough to work with.

Today, I’m heartbroken. We lost a legend. Not just on the field, but in life. I’ll always be grateful I got to meet the man behind the myth.

The world woke up this morning minus one good man. Ryne Sandberg will be missed by so many in the sports world, by his family, and by a young boy who once idolized him only to grow up and eventually become his friend.

♥️

Andi