Scott Sanderson, who pitched for Cubs’ 1984, ’89 playoff teams, dies at 62

The death Thursday of former Cubs pitcher Scott Sanderson sent shock waves throughout baseball, as former teammates and longtime friends in the game mourned his sudden passing.

“Scotty was such a good guy,” said Cubs manager Joe Maddon, who spent three seasons with Sanderson in Anaheim when Maddon was an Angels coach. “Really thoughtful, kind – oh man, just a wonderful man.

“I saw him at the Cubs Convention a couple years ago, and we really had a fun conversation. … It’s just a shame. I didn’t know he was that ill.”

Sanderson, a graduate of Glenbrook North High School, had battled throat cancer in the last year. He was 62.

The Cubs honored Sanderson before Thursday night’s game with a moment of silence and his image on the left-field video board.

A 1991 All-Star with the Yankees, Sanderson pitched for seven teams from 1977 to 1996, including the White Sox in 1994.

He went 163-143 with a 3.84 ERA in 2,561 2/3 career innings that included 407 starts.

Sanderson pitched on four playoff teams, including an 8-5 season with a 3.14 ERA for the Cubs in 1984 – the Cubs’ first postseason team since 1945. His six-year Cubs career also included the 1989 playoff season.

Sanderson also was a player agent after his playing days.

Longtime Cubs broadcaster Pat Hughes joined the broadcast team after Sanderson’s career with the Cubs but often ran into him years ago at a youth soccer complex in Libertyville, where their kids played.

“I would see him there. I would see him in the off-season,” Hughes said. “He would occasionally come to Wrigley; he would sing Take Me Out to the Ballgame.

“He was one of those guys, I never saw him in a bad mood. He always had a smile on his face; he was always pleasant; he was cheerful, optimistic, and I’m just stunned with his passing today.”