Ryne Sandberg, a Hall of Fame second baseman who became one of baseball\u2019s best all-around players while starring for the Chicago Cubs, has died. He was 65.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sandberg was surrounded by his family when he died at his home on Monday, according to the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sandberg announced in January 2024 that he had been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. He had chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and then said in August 2024 that he was cancer-free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But he posted on Instagram on Dec. 10 that his cancer had returned and spread to other organs. He announced this month that he was still fighting, while \u201clooking forward to making the most of every day with my loving family and friends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said Sandberg \u201cwill be remembered as one of the all-time greats in nearly 150 years of this historic franchise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHis dedication to and respect for the game, along with his unrelenting integrity, grit, hustle, and competitive fire were hallmarks of his career,\u201d Ricketts said in the team\u2019s statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sandberg was born and raised in Spokane, Washington. He was selected out of high school by Philadelphia in the 20th round of the 1978 amateur draft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He made his major league debut in 1981 and went 1 for 6 in 13 games with the Phillies. In January 1982, he was traded to Chicago along with Larry Bowa for veteran infielder Ivan De Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It turned into one of the most lopsided deals in baseball history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sandberg hit .285 with 282 homers, 1,061 RBIs and 344 steals in 15 years with Chicago. He made 10 All-Star teams \u2014 winning the Home Run Derby in 1990 \u2014 and took home nine Gold Gloves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRyne Sandberg was a legend of the Chicago Cubs franchise and a beloved figure throughout Major League Baseball,\u201d MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said. \u201cHe was a five-tool player who excelled in every facet of the game thanks to his power, speed and work ethic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even with Sandberg\u2019s stellar play, the Cubs made just two postseason appearances while he was in Chicago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was the NL MVP in 1984, batting .314 with 19 homers, 84 RBIs, 32 steals, 19 triples and 114 runs scored. Chicago won the NL East and Sandberg hit .368 (7 for 19) in the playoffs, but the Cubs were eliminated by San Diego after winning the first two games of the National League Championship Series at Wrigley Field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 1984 season featured what Cubs fans still call \u201cThe Sandberg Game,\u201d when he homered twice and drove in seven runs in a 12-11 victory over St. Louis in 11 innings on June 23.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chicago paid tribute to Sandberg and that game when it unveiled a statue of the infielder outside Wrigley Field on that date in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe was a superhero in this city,\u201d Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said during a TV broadcast of the team\u2019s game on July 20. \u201cYou think about (Michael) Jordan, Walter Payton and Ryne Sandberg all here at the same time, and I can\u2019t imagine a person handling their fame better, their responsibility for a city better than he did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sandberg led Chicago back to the playoffs in 1989, hitting .290 with 30 homers as the Cubs won the NL East. He batted .400 (8 for 20) in the NLCS, but Chicago lost to San Francisco in five games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sandberg set a career high with an NL-best 40 homers in 1990 and drove in a career-best 100 runs in 1990 and 1991, but he never made it back to the postseason. He retired after the 1997 season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005, receiving 76.2% of the vote by the Baseball Writers\u2019 Association of America in his third try on the ballot. The Cubs retired his No. 23 that same year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sandberg also managed Philadelphia from August 2013 to June 2015, going 119-159. He got the interim job when Charlie Manuel was fired, and he resigned with the Phillies in the middle of a difficult 2015 season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n