Ryno

Back in the Spring of 1998 Tricia and I receieved a call from a Gallery in Arizona.  It was called Sweet Liberty in Phoenix, and we had done some custom commissioned work for them in the past.  The owner called us to inquire if we were able to carve a Rhino Baseball player.  Apparently the Chicago Cubs Spring Training facility was in nearby Mesa, and the wife of a player had asked if we could do this for her husband in time for Father's Day.  At first when Tricia told me about the call it didn't click - 'why would someone want a Rhino playing baseball'.  When I asked which team and she told me 'the Cubs' ... and it all fell into place.

I grew up playing baseball.  And like most baseball players, I didn't get a chance to play the game as long as I would have liked.  I also grew up watching the Braves on TBS and the Cubs on WGN, and Ryne Sandberg was one of my favorite players as a youngster.  There was nothing better on a lazy summer afternoon that to listen to Harry Cary call a Shawn Dunston/Ryne Sandberg twin killing.  Unless it was Ryno knocking five hits and seven RBI's to beat the Cards.

Tricia and I agonized over every detail of the Father's Day carving we did for Ryno: the right colors, how high the stirrup socks should be, which patches were on the uniform, the style of the Cubs logo, even the details of his infielders mitt.  In the end, we were pleased with the results.  I know Ryno was too, because many years later we saw our work on display in his office during a documentary about his career and the 1984 Cubs/Cardinals Ryne Sandberg game.

When I became a Dad and had the opportunity to coach my boys I used Ryno's Baseball Hall of Fame speech as a guide. Play the game with respect.  Respect the game, your teammates and your opponents. From T-Ball up until they finished playing Travel Ball, I tried to instill in our teams the respect and love of the game that Ryno had.

It was a great honor to be asked to create something for a ballplayer who had been a childhood hero of mine, and I'm overjoyed that he got some enjoyment in the piece we carved for him.  It seemed only fair after all the enjoyment he had provided me and the baseball world. 

Rest easy Ryno, and thank you for all the memories.

Jac