With the announcement today of Lou's retirement at season's end, there will be an open position on the Chicago Cubs bench. Will Ryne Sandberg be the next manager of the Cubs? Many Cubs fans hope so. But how do I feel about it?

A big part of me would love for Ryno to return to the North Side. He's been working his way back through the Minor League system for this opportunity and deserves a shot. Would there be anything more perfect than him being the man to bring the Cubs to the promised land after a century plus of heartache? How about this scenario? Ryno becomes manager and brings on Greg Maddux as pitching coach, Mark Grace as hitting coach, and Andre Dawson as bench coach.

On the other hand, a small part of me hopes he doesn't get the job. What happens if he fails? How will the fan base react? He was a very beloved player, but a couple of losing seasons could cause him to lose some of that fan base. But then again, that could mean less competition for me in the collecting front.

Keep in mind, that is only a small part - a really small part - that wishes he doesn't get the job. I would absolutely love to see Sandberg on the Cubs bench next year.

G&L Clothing is sponsoring a giveaway this Wednesday night at the Iowa Cubs/Omaha Royals game. The first 2,000 fans will receive a Ryne Sandberg bandana. Wednesday is also the 26th anniversary of the Ryne Sandberg game. I won't be able to attend the game, unfortunately. I am currently enjoying a relaxing vacation in Disney World with the family. If I had known sooner, I may have scheduled the vacation in Iowa. Okay, maybe not, the wife would have killed me. However, you can bet I will be scouring eBay for one of these - unless someone wants to hook me up with one.

Ryne Sandberg has been my favorite player since 1988. Growing up in Arkansas, I didn't have the luxury of going to Chicago Cubs games. I never got the chance to see Ryno play in person. Until last Memorial Day weekend, I never had even seen him in person. The Iowa Cubs were visiting the Nashville Sounds that weekend. We had planned a trip to visit my sister in Kentucky, and since this was only a two-hour drive from her house, we decided it was a perfect time to see him.

We arrived at Greer Stadium a few minutes before the game (not as early as I had hoped). Not being very experienced in the autograph-seeking game, I wasn't sure where the prime spots were. Once Sandberg came out to sign, a herd of people rushed up to see him. Not being in the proper spot, I had my little brother, who is a few inches taller, use his reach to get him to sign a card for me. I had hoped to get a picture signed as well, but I was more than happy to get the one card signed. It was surreal. Even though I didn't get to talk to Ryno, I got to a point where I didn't think I would ever get this close to him.

I chose to have him sign his 1983 Topps rookie card.

Here are a few pictures of Ryno at the ballpark. It was a great game, even though we had to fight the rain or the heat and humidity throughout. The I-Cubs did come out on top 5-3.

Another card joins the ranks of the jersey-numbered cards. This is the first multi-player card numbered as such. This 2009 Topps Triple Threads card features Dustin Pedroia and Ian Kinsler - not a bad couple of young second basemen with whom to be featured - and is numbered 23/27.

Okay, I may be a little obsessed now with cards numbered 23/XX. Here is another one I have recently added to the collection - 2009 Topps Triple Threads Relics #72 23/36. I am now in constant search for these specially numbered cards - as long as it doesn't break the bank.

A year ago, my passion was revealed to the world via this website. The collection has grown tremendously, but it is still far from being complete. I have reached several goals in my collection, but the ultimate goal has yet to be attained - meeting the man for whom this site was built. However, if things go according to plan, I will get my chance at some point this year.

Hopefully, the next year continues to bring great things to the collection.

So hours after I posted about my first jersey-numbered card, this card pops up on my radar. Another card from 2009 Topps Sterling, it is also numbered 23/25. Seeking jersey-numbered cards hasn't become an obsession yet, but it's getting pretty close.

I have never really paid attention to the serial number on cards I pick up, but this one stood out. It is numbered to Sandberg's jersey number - 23/25. This is the first card I have received numbered as such. I don't usually go out of my way to pick up cards numbered to 23, but I may start keeping a better eye on things.

I just got this back from PSA - a check from Pro Sport Services endorsed by Ryne Sandberg. I sent it to PSA basically for the encapsulation, but it's cool to have the authentication as well.

I'm still trying to find some information on Pro Sport Services. From what I can tell, they are either an agency or a marketing company.

With the college football season coming to a close and the NFL playoffs kicking off this weekend, I figured this was a good time to discuss Ryne Sandberg, the football player. Sandberg die-hards know that he was a three-sport star at North Central High School in Spokane, Washington. In fact, he was recruited by Division I schools to play quarterback and even signed a letter of intent with Washington State University. However, when the Philadelphia Phillies came calling, he chose the route of hardball, and we know where that took him.

A couple of months ago, I picked up a magazine about the history of North Central football (1908-1981). There is an article inside about the 1977 team led by quarterback Ryne Sandberg. Sandberg directed the team to its first undefeated season since 1928. All-City in 1976 and 1977, he was North Central's first All-American high school player. At the time the magazine was published, Sandberg held many school football records: total yards in a game, season, and career; attempts in a career; completions in a game, season, and career; and passing touchdowns in a season and career.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much else on Sandberg in the magazine. Even so, it was fun reading what I could about the team and Ryne, the football player.