Larry Bowa’s Trade Tale: How a Phillies Player Helped Bring a Legend to the Cubs

A Fun Story From Baseball’s All-Star Weekend

Imagine a big yearly picnic where the best baseball players gather to show off — that’s called All-Star weekend. This year it was held in Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park. Before a special young-players game, an old baseball man named Larry Bowa shared a story.

• Bowa managed the American League team (one of two big groups of teams in baseball). His team won 6‑1.
• Shane Victorino managed the other team, the National League team.
• Both men played for the Phillies teams that won the World Series (the final big contest to pick the year’s champion) in 1980 and 2008 — the only two times Philadelphia ever won it all.
• A young player named Caleb Bonemer (from the White Sox minor leagues, meaning not yet in the big show) played third base for Bowa and didn’t get any hits (0‑for‑2).

Meet Larry Bowa

Larry Bowa is like a baseball grandpa. He is now a spry 80 years old but still hits practice grounders and pitches batting practice.

• He played baseball for 16 years as a shortstop (the player who stands between second and third base to catch hits).
• He spent his first 12 years with the Phillies, and almost the last 4 with the Cubs.
• He later managed (coached) the Phillies and Padres for about six seasons ending in 2004, with a win‑loss record of 418‑435.
• Sunday’s Futures Game win was his first as a manager since 2004.
• Someone joked that Bowa is so old he “goes back to Connie Mack” (an old ballpark that closed in 1970 to make way for the Vet). Victorino laughed loudly; Bowa clarified they meant Connie Mack Stadium.

[!IMPORTANT]
Bowa says: “When you have good players, you win.” He should know — he was around many greats!

The Trade That Started as a Joke

Bowa told the Sun-Times newspaper a story about how he got traded from the Phillies to the Cubs (a team in Chicago) near the end of 1982. He brought along a young second baseman (the player near first base) named Ryne Sandberg, who was not famous yet.

• The official record says the trade happened on January 27, 1982, sending a player named Ivan DeJesus to Philadelphia. This trade might be the most important in Cubs history.
• Bowa likes to joke with Sandberg: “Don’t forget, you were the throw‑in in that trade.” A “throw‑in” is like a free toy added when you buy something — not the main item.
• But Bowa wasn’t kidding that Sandberg was included as extra.

How the Trade Happened (Step by Step)

1. Bowa was 35 and wanted to finish his career with Phillies. He thought he had a 3‑year promise from owner Ruly Carpenter, but it was just a handshake (no paper).
2. The team was sold to Bill Giles. Giles said he’d only give Bowa 1 year, not 3.
3. Bowa said: “Then trade me, I won’t play for one year.”
4. Bowa had a special right: he was a “5 and 10 player” — meaning 10 years in the big leagues and 5 years with the same team. This let him say no to any trade (right of refusal).
5. Dallas Green, who used to manage Phillies and was now running the Cubs, called Bowa and offered a 4‑year deal worth $2 million total — much better!
6. Green asked: “Who else should we bring?” Bowa said: “That Sandberg is pretty impressive.”
7. It took five weeks to finish the trade, with Green insisting on Sandberg.

[!IMPORTANT]
Bowa’s words: “Dallas called me and asked if I’d come to Chicago. I agreed. He offered me a four‑year deal, came up with the money ($2 million) and blew me out of the water.”

Ryne Sandberg: From Unknown to Superstar

Sandberg was chosen by Phillies in the 20th round of the 1978 draft (like a school picking students). He played only 13 games in 1981 with one hit.

• In 1984, he and Bowa helped the Cubs reach playoffs for first time since 1945, but they lost.
• That year Sandberg was named NL MVP (most valuable player) and later entered the Hall of Fame (a special club for the best ever) in 2005.
• Sadly, in 2025, Sandberg died at 65 from prostate cancer (a sickness). Bowa went to his funeral on Aug. 22, 2025, at Chicago’s Old St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.
• Bowa remembered: “I talked to him two weeks before he died and he said he played nine holes of golf. He never quit.”
• Sandberg had a life well‑lived and a 16‑year baseball career well‑played.

[!IMPORTANT]
Bowa admitted: “Sitting here talking to you right now I’d have never said he was going to be a Hall of Famer. He was a right‑handed hitter who hit base hits to right field. Great athlete. He could run, throw, catch the ball. And the Phillies just threw him in.”

The 1980 Phillies: A Dream Team

The Phillies won the 1980 World Series against the Royals in six games. They had a manager named Dallas Green and stars:

• Steve Carlton
• Mike Schmidt
• Pete Rose (all‑time hits leader with 4,256, but banned from Hall of Fame for betting on baseball as a manager)

The team fell apart fast:

• A players’ strike (a work stoppage) in 1981 canceled 713 games.
• Ownership changed: Tribune Co. bought Cubs; Carpenter sold Phillies to Giles; Green left to become Cubs general manager (the person who builds the team).

Related Stories From the Webpage

The original page also showed links to other articles:

• MLB All‑Star notes: Munetaka Murakami hit only 9 home runs in the Derby first round at Citizens Bank Park.
• Pete Crow‑Armstrong reps Cubs solo: The Cubs star said he learned from being called “face of the team” before his second All‑Star game.
• Cubs amazed by Crow‑Armstrong: Teammates say he’s the “total package” but not surprised by his great first half.

Summary

Larry Bowa, a longtime Phillies shortstop, told a charming story of how he engineered his own trade to the Cubs in 1982, taking along a little‑known Ryne Sandberg who became a Hall of Famer. The tale highlights baseball history, ownership changes, and the bonds between players. Bowa’s management win at the Futures Game reminded fans of his lasting love for the game, and Sandberg’s memory lives on.

FAQ

Q: What is the Futures Game?
A: It’s a special game during All‑Star weekend where the best young minor‑league players (not yet full big‑leaguers) show their skills.

Q: What does “5 and 10 player” mean?
A: It’s a rule: a player with 10 years in the big leagues and 5 years on the same team can refuse to be traded.

Q: Why was the Bowa‑Sandberg trade a big deal?
A: Because Sandberg became a superstar and Hall of Famer, helping the Cubs become good again.

Q: Who was Pete Rose and why isn’t he in the Hall of Fame?
A: He got the most hits ever (4,256) but is banned for betting on baseball games as a manager.

Q: What is the World Series?
A: The final playoff contest each year to decide the best team in Major League Baseball.