One by one, Cubs fans have been placing roses at the foot of Ryne Sandberg’s statue at Wrigley Field following the baseball legend’s death this week. Among them, was the man who sculpted the statue.
Lou Cella was seen on video placing a rose at the foot of the artwork he created, in remembrance of a man he admired deeply.
“I spent time with Ryne and Margaret sculpting Ryne Sandberg over the last year and I got to know him,” he told NBC Chicago through tears. “Our group there sees a lot of famous athletes, you know, done people like Frank Thomas, Michael Jordan, things like that. But Ryne kind of got to us. He just had a warm way about him.”
Cella, who was visibly emotional at the statue Tuesday, remembered Sandberg’s commitment to family – his kids and grandkids.
“I will be eternally grateful to the Cubs for allowing me to sculpt that and get to know Ryne a little bit,” he said. “He was the first real Cubs star that I saw from start to finish.”
Cubs fans started trickling into Gallagher Way late Monday night, having heard the news that the legendary second baseman affectionately known as “Ryno” had passed away after a battle with prostate cancer. He was 65.
Rudolfo Ramirez wiped away tears as he placed a baseball near the statue, with a note thanking Sandberg for being his childhood hero. Ramirez had watched him play since he was a kid.
“Number 23.. He was number 1. He was number 1,” he said.
“I cried harder than I thought I would,” said Megg Principe, who still has a signed poster from Ryno she got when she was 8. She showed up to Gallagher way after leaving her bartending shift, wearing a vintage Sandberg jersey.
“I was one of those 8-year-olds that got to meet him. He made me feel like I was the only 8-year-old he had spoken to,” she said.
Sandberg had been battling metastatic prostate cancer since January 2024. After a brief remission, he was dealt a setback in December when he announced that his cancer had returned and spread to other organs, leaving him to face more intense treatment.
He did throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day at Wrigley Field in early April, but his health had not improved, and the team announced he had passed away Monday.
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