MLB Hall of Fame Ryne Sandberg died at age 65

Legendary second baseman Ryne Sandberg, a Hall of Famer who played nearly his entire career with the Chicago Cubs, died Monday at 65 after a long battle with cancer.

The player was surrounded by his family when he passed away at his home, according to the team. It was a year and a half ago that Sandberg announced he was suffering from metastatic prostate cancer. After undergoing several chemo and radiation treatments, Sandberg announced in August 2024 that he was free of the disease.

However, on Dec. 10, he posted on Instagram that his cancer had returned and spread to other organs. That same month, he shared with his followers that he was still fighting, though "looking forward to making the most of every day with my dear family and friends."

"One of the all-time greats"

Cubs president Tom Ricketts, said Sandberg "will be remembered as one of the all-time greats in nearly 150 years of this historic franchise. His dedication to and respect for the game, along with his unrelenting integrity, grit, hustle, and competitive fire were hallmarks of his career," the team's statement read.

In addition, the Cubs announced they will wear a special uniform patch as a tribute to the club legend through the end of the season.

"There is a whole generation of Cubs fans that adore Ryno," Cubs left fielder Ian Happ said in statements to ESPN following Chicago's 8-4 loss Monday. "You could feel it. You could feel it when he was around. I can't say enough what he meant to all of us, the fan base and the players."

Brief stint with the Phillies before becoming a legend with the Cubs

Born and raised in Spokane, Wash., Sandberg was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 20th round of the 1978 amateur draft. Three years later, he made his major league debut and batted 1-for-6 in 13 games with the Phillies. The following season he was traded to Chicago with Larry Bowa for veteran Iván De Jesus, a trade that ended up being one of the most lopsided deals in baseball history.

Sandberg batted .285 with 282 home runs, 1,061 RBIs and 344 steals in 15 years with Chicago. He made 10 All-Star teams, winning the Home Run Derby in 1990, and won nine Gold Gloves.

However, despite Sandberg's stellar numbers, the Cubs only reached the postseason twice while he was with the team.

Just two postseasons in his career

He was the National League MVP in 1984, batting .314 with 19 home runs, 84 RBIs, 32 steals, 19 triples and 114 runs scored. Chicago won the N.L. 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 NL Championship Series at Wrigley Field.

The 1984 season featured what Cubs fans still call "The Sandberg Game," when he hit two homers and drove in seven runs in a 12-11 victory over St. Louis in 11 innings on June 23.

In 1989, Sandberg again led the franchise to the playoffs thanks to numbers within the reach of few, batting .290 with 30 home runs when the Cubs won the NL East. He also batted .400 (8-for-20) in the NLCS, but it wasn't enough and Chicago lost to San Francisco in five games.

Most home runs by a second baseman in history upon retirement

Sandberg set a career high with 40 homers in 1990, the N.L.'s best mark, and drove in 100 runs in 1990 and 1991, the most of his career. These statistics did not help him return to the postseason. He retired after the 1997 season as the second baseman with the most home runs in major league history.

Sandberg was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005, receiving 76.2% of the votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America in his third year on the ballot. In addition, the Cubs paid tribute to their historic player by retiring his number 23 that same season. In 2024, they unveiled a statue Sandberg outside Wrigley Field.