Was Ryne Sandberg part of an elite middle-infield combination in the 1990s? No. But it wasn’t Sandberg’s fault. It was this guy’s:

Which letter of “Sanchez” did he dot?

The diminutive, sunglasses-flipping Rey Sanchez. There have been some light-hitting infielders who have worn Cubs uniforms in the past, but at least most of them were taller than I am. Sanchez was not. Sanchez manned the middle infield for the Cubs for–oh, God, was it really most of the 1990′s? He flexed Augie Ojeda-like power, once belting fifteen homeruns in the course of his fifteen-year career. For those of you keeping score, that’s one home run per year. And by “those of you keeping score,” I of course mean, “you, Paul Bako, so you feel better about yourself.”

To make matters worse, when Sandberg retired (the first time) Rey Sanchez was his replacement. Sanchez responded by clubbing a career-high 3 home runs and driving in 27. Thanks for the memories, Rey.

Low Point: At one point in his career, Sanchez went TWO HUNDRED FIFTY-SIX games without hitting a homerun.

Did You Know? You can have your own game-used Rey Sanchez bat for $250! Brand-new! Guaranteed to have no scuffs!