Baseball lost one of its all-time greats today.

Hall of Fame Second Baseman, Ryne Sandberg, passed away today after a long battle with cancer. 

He was 65.

Ryne Sandberg arrived in Chicago via one of the most lopsided trades in baseball history as the future Hall of Fame arrived with Larry Bowa for Ivan DeJesus.  Sandberg was converted to an infielder, and after playing only six games in the Majors with Philadelphia, he would be converted from Outfield to Third Base (he would then move to Second a year after)

As a rookie, Sandberg collected 172 Hits, and in 1983 he maintained that solid hitting and would win the first of his nine straight Gold Gloves at Second.  "Ryno” would win the National League MVP in 1984 when he batted .314 (his first of what would be five .300 seasons), and he would lead the NL in Runs Scored (114) and Triples (19) and was a Home Run away from 20.  He was also an All-Star for the first time, which began a streak of ten straight.

Sandberg was the heart of the Cubs for over a decade, and while he had moderate power numbers in the first half of his career but he went yard at least 26 times in four straight years (1989-1992), including a National League leading 40 in 1990.  He would retire early in 1994 and came back to play two more seasons before retiring permanently after 1997.

He would accumulate 2,385 Hits with 282 Home Runs and 1,061 Runs Batted In as a Chicago Cub, and he would enter the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.

We here at notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the fans, friends, and family of Ryne Sandberg.

Regular visitors to Notinhalloffame.com are aware that we are gradually compiling the top 50 lists for every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL, and MLB. Once that is done, we will examine how each team honors its past players, coaches, and executives.   Eventually, this will extend to the college ranks.  As such, it is important to us that the University of Washington has announced seven new members and two teams to their Athletic Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame ceremony will take place on October 10, and the class will be honored the following day during the Huskies’ home game against Rutgers.

The Husky Hall of Fame first came into existence in 1979.

The new inductees are:

Makare Desilets, Women’s Volleyball, 1994-97.  Deslitis helped bring Washington to three NCAA Tournaments and was a two-time First Team All-Pac-12 Selection.  Her 222 total Blocks in 1997 is a single-season school record, as is her overall 677 total Blocks.  She would later play for the U.S. National Team for two years.

Bob Ernst, Rowing Coach, 1974-2015.  Coaching both the Men’s and Women’s teams, Ernst led the Huskies to six National Women’s Championships (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, and 1987) and the men to two National Championships (1997 and 1999).  He was also a ten-time Men’s and Women’s Pac-10 Coach of the Year.

Ray Horton, Football, 1979-82.  Playing at Cornerback, Horton helped the Huskies reach four bowls, including two straight Rose Bowls.  A First Team All-Pac 10 Selection in 1981, Horton played ten years in the NFL; six with Cincinnati and four with Dallas.

Becky Newbry, Softball, 1996-99.  Newbry was a First Team All-American in 1999, helped the Huskies win the 1996 Pac-10 championship, and the school reach the College World Series four times.  She batted .286 for Washington.

Jamie Redd, Women’s Basketball, 1996-1999.  A three-time All-Pac 10 Selection, Redd left UW as the school’s top scorer with 2,027 Points.  Redd also helped Washington reach two NCAA Tournaments.

Nick Taylor, Men’s Golf, 2007-10.  Taylor won four tour tournaments, was a two-time Pac-10 Co-Player of the Year, and won the 2010 Ben Hogan Trophy as the National Player of the Year.

Reggie Williams, Football, 2001-03.  Playing Wide Receiver for Washington for three seasons, Williams still holds the school record for Receptions (238) and had 3,536 Yards and 22 TDs as a Husky.  In 2022, he was an All-American with 94 Receptions, 1,454 Yards, and 11 TDs, and later played five seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

1987 and 1988 Women’s Varsity Eight Crews.  Winning back-to-back National Championships, Washington capped off the decade with seven National Championships.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the incoming members of the University of Washington Athletic Hall of Fame.

The Los Angeles Chargers selected Justin Herbert with the sixth overall pick in 2020 with the hopes that the Oregon Duck could take them to the promised land.  That hasn’t happened yet, but Herbert has been arguably a top ten NFL Quarterback who has the goods to get there.

Herbert won the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2020 (4,336 Yards & 31 TD) and was a Pro Bowl Selection in his second season after throwing what has been his best year to date with 5,014 Passing Yards and 38 Touchdowns.  Herbert has not thrown more than 30 touchdowns in a year, but his accuracy has improved, so much so that last season he only threw three Interceptions.

Herbert has yet to win a playoff game, but with the right pieces around him, the Chargers have their pivot for years to come.

After two years starting at Florida State, Derwin James established himself as one of the top Safeties of the 2018 Draft, and he was the second one taken (17th Overall) by the Chargers, where his rookie year was so incredible that he was a First Team All-Pro and the runner-up for the Defensive Player of the Year.

Blessed with a high football IQ and versatility at the Safety position, James’ ascent was derailed in his sophomore year with right foot issues that held him to five Games, and he lost his third season (2020) with knee issues.  Despite the ailments, James bounced back in 2021 and recorded over 100 Combined Tackles each season from 2021 to 2023 and was a Pro Bowler three times in four seasons.

James begins the 2025 season as the top Defensive Back in L.A., and could potentially be a top-twenty all-time Charger.