The roped-off area around Ryne Sandberg’s statue featured piles of flowers already stacking up. Visitors also left Chicago Cubs hats, baseballs with written messages, notes, and even a

Both a skilled fielder and a fearsome power hitter, he entered the national sports spotlight with two memorable home runs in a nationally televised 1984 game.

Since retiring, Szczur has built up a following on Instagram (125,000 followers) and TikTok (19,200 followers) posting, among other things, videos of himself painting. His most recent project was a tribute to Sandberg, a Hall of Fame Cubs infielder who died on Monday at 65 years old.