In the midst of the flurry of moves made by the big league club following the 24th Annual Cubs Convention, Ryne Sandberg was introduced as the new manager of the Tennessee Smokies at Smokies Park in Sevierville, Tennessee on January 20th.
The Hall of Famer was issued his familiar number 23 and spoke with the local press at a luncheon at the Double Play Café. Sandberg “outlined his thoughts on coming to East Tennessee and his expectations of his first year at Smokies Park” according to the official release from the team.
Ryne Sandberg will be the first Hall of Famer to manage the Tennessee Smokies and during his press conference he spoke of “the importance of Double-A ball in the minor league system.”
Here’s video from the luncheon and an interview following his introduction.