[Huck]

As an adult, Sandberg was my favorite player. I liked the fact that he just shut his mouth and played the game. Last night, while sitting on the couch, I saw the feed come across my phone and I was just shocked. In 2001, at the Richmond Classic show, I had Sandberg sign a replica jersey. I was hemming and hawing on whether to have Sandberg sign on the front or back of the jersey. Sandberg said "on the back number in silver looks really slick" - that was enough for me.

"The reason I am here, they tell me, is that I played the game a certain way, that I played the game the way it was supposed to be played. I don’t know about that, but I do know this: I had too much respect for the game to play it any other way. And if there is a single reason I am here today, it is because of one word: "Respect." I love to play baseball. I’m a baseball player. I’ve always been a baseball player. I’m still a baseball player. That’s who I am."