Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg, known mostly for his time with the Cubs, has died at age 65, the team announced Monday. Sandberg announced in January 2023 that he had been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. In August, Sandberg said that he had been declared cancer-free, but by December, the disease was back and had spread to other organs.
“Ryne Sandberg was a legend of the Chicago Cubs franchise and a beloved figure throughout Major League Baseball. He was a five-tool player who excelled in every facet of the game thanks to his power, speed and work ethic. Ryne earned 10 consecutive All-Star selections, nine straight Gold Gloves, seven Silver Sluggers and 1984 National League MVP honors,” commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.
“Ryne remained active in the game he loved as an ambassador for the Cubs, a manager for the Phillies and in the Minor Leagues, and a frequent participant at the Hall of Fame. His many friends across the game were in his corner as he courageously fought cancer in recent years. We will continue to support the important work of Stand Up To Cancer in Ryne’s memory.
“On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Ryne’s family, Cubs fans everywhere and his admirers throughout our national pastime.”
In parts of 16 seasons, 15 with the Cubs, Sandberg hit .285 with 2,386 hits, 403 doubles, 282 home runs, 1,061 RBI, 1,318 runs and 344 stolen bases. He won the 1984 MVP and had two other top-five MVP finishes, racking up 10 All-Star appearances, nine Gold Gloves and seven Silver Sluggers in the process.
He also endeared himself to Cubs fans with the Ryne Sandberg Game in 1984, hitting two game-tying home runs off Hall of Fame Bruce Sutter on a national broadcast and launching his stardom during his MVP season. He went 5 for 6 with the two homers and seven RBI in a 12-11, 11-inning Cubs win and was a fan favorite in Wrigleyville for the rest of his life.
Sandberg was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005, his third try on the ballot.
“I don’t have the words to describe Cub fans who welcomed me as a rookie, were patient through my 1-for-32 start, and took me into their homes and into their hearts and treated me like a member of their family,” he said during his Cooperstown speech. “You picked me up when I was down. You lifted me to heights that I didn’t know I could reach. You expected a certain level of play from me and you made me play at that level for a long time.”
By the JAWS standard, Sandberg sits 11th all-time among second baseman. When he retired, his 277 home runs as a second baseman were a record for the position. He’s one of five players in history to reach 40 home runs in a season in which he played at least 75% of his games at second along with Rogers Hornsby, Davey Johnson, Brian Dozier and Marcus Semien. He joins Joe Morgan and Craig Biggio as the only second basemen ever to top 250 stolen bases and home runs.
“Ryne Sandberg had a relentless work ethic and an unshakable positive outlook,” Jane Forbes Clark, chairman of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, said in a statement. “With it, he inspired all those who knew him. He always emphasized his respect for the way the game should be played, for his teammates and for the Hall of Fame, especially during his 2005 Induction speech. We send our deepest sympathies to his wife, Margaret, and his family, as we remember and celebrate his life.”
When Sandberg arrived, the Cubs hadn’t been in the postseason since 1945. He played in two NLCS with the team. Though the Cubs lost both series, Sandberg hit .385/.457/.641, going 15 for 39 with five doubles, a triple, a home run, six RBI and nine runs in his 10 playoff games.
Sandberg came up with the Phillies in 1981 before being traded to the Cubs and then managed the Phillies from 2013-15.
He re-joined the Cubs in 2016 as a “goodwill ambassador.” He and his wife, Margaret, founded Ryno Kid Care, which was “dedicated to enhancing the lives of children with serious medical conditions and their families, by providing supportive, compassionate and meaningful programming.”
In the summer of 2024, the Cubs unveiled a statue of Sandberg during a ceremony to honor his career with the ballclub, immortalizing him forever at Wrigley Field.