In order to help lure one of the most popular players in Cubs history, Vonachen said the Chiefs dug deep to secure Sandberg a condominium and a car while in town.Pete Vonachen has done plenty of selling in his day.
So the former Peoria Chiefs owner had plenty of practice before trying to convince Ryne Sandberg that managing the Peoria Chiefs would be a good career move. Sandberg relented, and on Tuesday the Chicago Cubs announced the Hall of Fame second baseman would manage the Chiefs for the 2007 season.
"Ryne Sandberg as manager - that's about as big as it gets," Vonachen said. "That's probably the biggest thing that's happened for the Chiefs other than building our new ballpark Downtown."
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Sandberg said he felt pretty sure he wanted to manage even before talking with Vonachen, whose son Rocky is the team's president. Pete Vonachen's urgings calmed any doubts."He just wanted to make sure that it was going to get done, and that there was no looking back," Sandberg said. "He just reconfirmed what a great town it is, what a great tradition they have going there, and that he imagined his phone was going to start ringing off the hook after the announcement (Tuesday)."
"It was a lot of people pitching in," Vonachen said. "I give the Cubs a lot of credit, too. They probably had to do a lot of things they wouldn't do for every minor-league manager."
That ringing off the hook. It happened.Chiefs general manager Ralph Converse said the phones were unusually busy for a snowy winter day Tuesday, as word spread of Sandberg's hiring.
Sandberg makes his managing debut against the Rattlers at Fox Cities Stadium on Thursday, April 5 with game two and three on April 6 and 7.
The Chiefs return to Fox Cities Stadium May 12& 13 and August 20-23. Call the Rattlers for tickets soon.
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