COUNTDOWN TO THE NATIONAL: Chicago sports legends expected to attract big crowd at NSCC

Chicago has always been a great sports town.

From the Cubs and White Sox World Series teams of the early 1900s to the great Bears teams of the ’80s, the Bulls dynasty in the ’90s and the Blackhawks six Stanley Cup champions, Chicago sports fans have always had a team and legendary players to cheer for.

But Chicagoans also have skin as thick as a deep dish pizza, enduring years of futility in most of the major sports.

The 1970s, ’80s and ’90s were lean years for Chicago baseball, with the Cubs and White Sox producing few winners. The Bears, meanwhile, stumbled through the ’60s and ’70s until producing a Super Bowl winner and perennial contenders in the 1980s. The Bulls were good in the ’70s, but struggled in the ’80s before the arrival of a North Carolina kid named Michael Jordan. The Blackhawks? They’ve pretty much always been good, winning six Stanley Cups in three different decades.

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Still, the Chi-Town faithful has stood by their teams through thick and thin, even dubbing their hapless Cubs the “lovable losers.”

The Windy City also has had its share of legendary athletes, from Jordan and Scottie Pippen to Walter Payton, Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus, from Bobby Hull and Patrick Kane to Ernie Banks and Ryne Sandberg.

Several of Chicago’s finest will be on center stage at the National Sports Collectors Convention July 26-30, signing autographs for fans at the TRISTAR Autograph Pavilion.

Here’s a look at the Chicago stars sure to attract a big crowd.

Ryne Sandberg

“Ryno” is one of the most popular Cubs of all time and one of the most popular Chicago athletes ever.

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A Hall of Famer and one of the greatest second basemen in baseball history, Sandberg played in Chicago for 15 years (1982-97) and finished his career with a .285 batting average, 282 home runs, 1,061 RBI and 1,318 runs scored. A 10-time All-Star, he won nine Gold Gloves, seven Silver Slugger awards and was the 1984 NL MVP. He led the National League in runs scored three times and topped the league in 1990 with 40 home runs. His .989 fielding percentage was also a record for second basemen when he retired in 1997.

More importantly, “Ryno” led the “lovable losers” to the playoffs for the first time since 1945, advancing to the NLCS in 1984 and 1989.

Andre Dawson

Dawson played 10 seasons in Montreal, winning the 1977 Rookie of the Year award and making three All-Star games before moving to Chicago. “Hawk” was an instant fan favorite with the Cubs. In his first year in Chicago, he led the National League in home runs (49) and RBI (137) to win the NL MVP.

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Dawson played just 118 games in 1989, but hit 21 home runs and drove in 77 runs to help lead the Cubs to the NLCS.

Frank Thomas

You have to go all the way back to Luke Appling of the 1930s and ’40s to find a better Chicago White Sox player than “The Big Hurt.”

Thomas played 16 of his 19 big-league seasons on the South Side of Chicago, finishing his career with a .301 average, 521 home runs, 1,704 RBI and a .419 on-base percentage. A two-time AL MVP and the 1997 batting champion (.347), it’s hard to believe that Thomas made only five All-Star games.

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Despite a Hall of Fame career, Thomas played on just three playoff teams in 16 years in Chicago. He led the 1993 White Sox to the ALCS. Seven years later, Chicago returned to the playoffs before losing in the ALDS. Unfortunately, when the White Sox won their first World Series in 88 years in 2005, Thomas was injured most of the season and played in just 34 games.

Jim Thome

A Hall of Famer, Thome played most of his career in Cleveland and spent three seasons in Philadelphia before joining the White Sox from 2006-08. Thome hit 134 of his 612 career home runs in Chicago, including 34 in 2008 to lead the White Sox to the playoffs.

Dennis Rodman

The colorful and flamboyant Rodman spent only three seasons in Chicago, but they were memorable seasons. Despite numerous off-court controversies and his notorious on-court behavior, Rodman teamed with Jordan and Pippen to lead the Bulls to three straight championships (1995-96, ’96-97 and ’97-98).

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Rodman was truly an enigma. Though he averaged just 7.3 points during his 14-year career, he led the league in rebounding seven straight seasons and finished his career with 13.1 rebounds per game. He was also a terror on defense, winning the league Defensive Player of the Year award twice and making the NBA All-Defensive team seven times.

Harold Baines

A Hall of Famer and five-time All-Star, Baines played his first nine seasons and parts of five others with the White Sox. He hit 25 home runs and drove in 105 runs in his third season. He had a career-high 29 home runs in 1984, and then had his best season in Chicago in 1985 with 22 home runs and 113 RBI.

Brandon Marshall

After making the Pro Bowl three times in his first six seasons with the Broncos and Dolphins, Marshall had two huge seasons for the Bears in 2012 and 2013. In three seasons in Chicago — including an injury-shortened 2014 campaign — Marshall had 276 receptions for 3,524 yards and 31 touchdowns and played in two more Pro Bowls.

Jimbo Covert

Covert was the All-Pro left tackle who paved the way for Walter Payton and helped lead the Bears to three NFC Championship games and a dominating victory in the 1985 Super Bowl. A two-time Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection, Covert was named to the 1980s All-Decade team and one of the 100 greatest Bears players of all time.

Ken “Hawk” Harrelson

Harrelson enjoyed a modest nine-year major league career, with his best season coming in 1968, when he had 30 home runs and a league-leading 109 RBI for the Boston Red Sox. Harrelson was best known for his 33-year career as an Emmy-winning play-by-play man for the White Sox, which he famously dubbed “the good guys.”

Bob Love

The 6-8 forward known as “Butterbean” was a star for the Bulls throughout the 1970s, averaging more than 20 points per game six times. The three-time All-Star finished his 12-year career averaging 17.6 points and 5.9 rebounds.

Mark Carrier

A defensive back for the Bears from 1990-96, Carrier was a three-time Pro Bowler and the 1990 Defensive Rookie of the Year after leading the NFL with 10 interceptions.

Ron Kittle

A power-hitting outfielder who played three full seasons and parts of five others with the White Sox. His best season was in 1983, when he hit 35 home runs with 100 RBI (and 150 strikeouts) to make his only All-Star team and win AL Rookie of the Year.

Bobby Douglass

The quarterback for the hapless Bears of the early 1970s, Douglass played in Chicago from 1969-75 and was the primary starter from 1971-73, throwing more interceptions (34) than touchdown passes (19).

Jody Davis

The Cubs catcher from 1981-90, Davis was a fan favorite. He even had his own song, which Harry Caray sang to the tune of the Davey Crockett theme song. Davis was a two-time All-Star who hit 127 career home runs and won a Gold Glove in 1986.

Bill Wennington

The Bulls backup center on the championship teams from 1993-99.

Steve Trout

Trout pitched for both the White Sox (1978-82) and the Cubs (1983-87). His best season came in 1984 when he went 13-7 with a 3.41 ERA.

Doug Plank

The starting safety for the Bears from 1975-82, Plank helped lead Chicago to the playoffs in 1977 and ’79.

Bob Dernier

The Cubs starting center fielder from 1984-87, his best season came in 1984, when he hit .278 with 45 stolen bases to help the Cubs reach the playoffs.

Murray Bannerman

The Blackhawks goalie from 1980-87, he finished his career with a 116-125-33 record with a 3.84 GAA.

Eric Soderholm

Soderholm was the starting third baseman for the White Sox from 1977-79. The career .264 hitter slugged more than 20 home runs twice.

Paul Popovich

A bench player for the Cubs from 1964-67 and 1969-73, he was a career .233 hitter with 14 home runs.

Al Weis

A utility player for the White Sox from 1962-67, Weis was a career .219 hitter with seven home runs and 55 stolen bases.