
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, March 3, 1992                   TAG: 9203030153
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: MESA, ARIZ.                                LENGTH: Medium

SANDBERG SETS NEW STANDARD

Ryne Sandberg took baseball salaries to unprecedented heights Monday when he agreed with the Chicago Cubs on a four-year contract extension with an option worth a total of $28.4 million.

The 32-year-old second baseman, an All-Star for eight consecutive seasons, becomes the first $7 million-a-year-player in a sport where the previous high was Bobby Bonilla's $5.8 million average.

"I'm very happy; it's a big relief," Sandberg said at a news conference. "I think a lot of time and work went into this on both sides; it was handled very professionally."

Sandberg already was signed for 1992 at $2.1 million, tied for 160th in the salary standings. The new deal calls for a $3.5 million signing bonus to be paid in December, $5.1 million over each of the next four seasons and a guaranteed payment of $2 million for personal services to be paid in the four years after Sandberg retires. In addition, the Cubs have an option for 1997 at $5.9 million with a $2.5 million buy out clause.

"I couldn't be happier with the fact that we're going to have Ryne Sandberg playing second base for a long time with the Chicago Cubs," Cubs general manager Larry Himes said.

Sandberg, a nine-time Gold Glove winner, batted .291 last season with 26 home runs and 100 RBI, becoming the first second baseman to drive in 100 runs in consecutive seasons since Bobby Doerr of the Boston Red Sox in 1949-50. Sandberg's 200 homers as a second baseman are the fifth-highest total for that position in major Sandberg league history.

"He'll be in the Hall of Fame, and there are very few players in the game with that potential who elect to spend their career with one organization," Himes said.

Sandberg, eligible for free agency after this season, had given the Cubs a deadline of March 1 for an extension, then pushed back the deadline by a day.

"The whole idea with the deadline was that I didn't want to be interfered with in baseball season," Sandberg said. "To me, spring training is very important. That's when you begin to concentrate on baseball and focus on the season ahead."

by CNB