Ryne Sandberg’s legacy faces turmoil as his children sue his widow for allegedly mishandling his trust. Justin and Lindsey Sandberg have filed a lawsuit against their stepmother, Margaret Sandberg, claiming she attempts to shift control of the trust managing their father’s name, image, and likeness rights to herself, her son, and the family’s financial advisor.
The lawsuit states this alteration contradicts Sandberg’s wish for collaboration between his second wife and biological children.
The siblings’ lawsuit, submitted in April at the Lake County Circuit Court, follows the first report by the Sun-Times. Representatives Norm Finkel and Adam Hirsch, acting for Justin and Lindsey, have not provided a comment. Margaret Sandberg remains unreachable.
Ryne Sandberg, widely known as “Ryno,” earned fame on June 23, 1984. Memorable for his two home runs during later innings, he captured the public’s admiration in what’s often termed the “Sandberg Game.” Sandberg achieved nine Gold Gloves and seven Silver Sluggers, leading to his Baseball Hall of Fame induction in 2005. He also pursued a managerial career in baseball before his demise last July at 65, due to metastatic prostate cancer.
Sandberg’s illness, identified a year earlier, seemed in remission temporarily before spreading to other organs. His trust allegedly included “clear instructions” for Margaret, Justin, and Lindsey to jointly manage his rights; this reportedly ensured positive reflections on his legacy and family collaboration.
Married to Margaret Koehnemann since 1995, following a divorce from Cindy, Sandberg noted disappointment in any hindrance to cooperative decisions regarding his NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness). Yet, the suit accuses Margaret of ignoring the siblings and refusing necessary document endorsements related to a new bank account for the trust—contradicting Sandberg’s explicit wishes.
A July 16 note, allegedly penned by Sandberg shortly before his death, aimed at revising the trust by including additional trustees: his stepson and financial advisor. The document, signed and featuring “N.I.L” and “majority rules,” lists five names for a new committee.
During Sandberg’s Hall of Fame induction in Cooperstown on July 31, 2005, Margaret Sandberg sang as Stan Musial led “Take Me Out To The Ballgame.”
However, the lawsuit argues this note lacks legal merit due to non-delivery to the siblings before Sandberg’s passing, his deteriorating health impacting decision-making capacity, and witnessing experiences of sedation and intense pain documented by Justin and Lindsey in the final weeks of his life.
On July 20, Sandberg entered hospice, and evidence suggests his discomfort was evident to family, with visible distress described by his daughter on the day the note was allegedly composed. Short-term memory impairment added concern regarding its authenticity.
The siblings request court intervention to nullify the note as an amendment to the trust and mandate their stepmother to implement Sandberg’s original trust intentions. Court proceedings resume on July 31.