Phillies Former Manager Ryne Sandberg Joins Cubs at the White House

Sanberg left the Phillies after a disastrous tenure as manager

Despite having only a couple of days left in his Presidency, the Cubs accepted President Obama’s invitation to visit the White House. Obama is the first President to host the Cubs since Grover Cleveland, not to be confused with Phillies pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander.

Because the Cubs had not had the honor of visiting the White House in over a century, the organization brought some of their franchise greats. One of those is Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, who has a long history with the Phillies.

Sandberg was joined by fellow Hall of Famers Billy Williams and Fergie Jenkins at the White House.

Sandberg briefly played for Philadelphia before being traded to Chicago, and managed the team for parts of three seasons. After working his way up through the minors, Sandberg replaced Charlie Manuel in 2013, winning 20 out of 42 games left on the schedule. In his only full season running the dugout Sanberg was a disappointing 73-89, and shockingly resigned as manager the following season after a 26-48 start.

Next: Phillies Sign Michael Saunders

The Cubs organization presented President Obama (a lifelong Chicago White Sox fan) with two #44 jerseys, a piece of the Wrigley Field ivy, a “W” flag signed by the team, and a lifetime ticket to Wrigley Field.