Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne
Sandberg has died after battling cancer
[July 29, 2025]
By JAY COHEN
CHICAGO (AP) — Ryne Sandberg, a Hall of Fame second baseman who
became one of baseball’s best all-around players while starring for
the Chicago Cubs, has died. He was 65.
Sandberg was surrounded by his family when he died at his home on
Monday, according to the team.
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.
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 “looking forward to making the most of every
day with my loving family and friends.”
Cubs chairman 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," Ricketts said in the team's statement.
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.
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.
It turned into one of the most lopsided deals in baseball history.
Sandberg hit .285 with 282 homers, 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 took home nine Gold Gloves.
“Ryne Sandberg was a legend of the Chicago Cubs franchise and a
beloved figure throughout Major League Baseball," MLB Commissioner
Rob Manfred said. “He was a five-tool player who excelled in every
facet of the game thanks to his power, speed and work ethic.”
Even with Sandberg’s stellar play, the Cubs made just two postseason
appearances while he was in Chicago.
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.
“I’ve never seen a player work harder, and it seemed like the better
he got, the harder he worked,” former Cubs manager Jim Frey said.
The 1984 season featured what Cubs fans still call “The Sandberg
Game,” when he homered twice and drove in seven runs in a 12-11
victory over St. Louis in 11 innings on June 23.
Chicago paid tribute to Sandberg and that game when it unveiled a
statue of the infielder outside Wrigley Field on that date in 2024.
“Ryno was a great teammate and obviously a great player,” Hall of
Fame pitcher Greg Maddux told The Associated Press in a text
message. “He led by example on the field and a mentor off. I was
lucky to know him.”
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Chicago Cubs ' Ryne Sandberg slugs a triple during Wednesday, Aug.
29, 1984 game against the Cincinnati Reds in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jon
Swart,File)
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.
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. When he retired after
the 1997 season, he had hit the most homers as a second baseman in
major league history.
“He was a superhero in this city,” Cubs president of baseball
operations Jed Hoyer said during a TV broadcast of the team’s game
on July 20. “You think about (Michael) Jordan, Walter Payton and
Ryne Sandberg all here at the same time, and I can’t imagine a
person handling their fame better, their responsibility for a city
better than he did.”
Sandberg was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005, receiving 76.2%
of the vote by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America in his
third try on the ballot. The Cubs retired his No. 23 that same year.
“When you examine the offense and defense, you’ll find some years
where he was the best player you’ve ever seen in your life,” former
Cubs first baseman Mark Grace said.
Sandberg also managed in the minors with Chicago and Philadelphia
before he became the third base coach for the Phillies. He was
promoted to interim manager when Charlie Manuel was fired in August
2013, and he had a 119-159 record when he resigned with the Phillies
in the middle of a difficult 2015 season.
“Not only was he a Hall of Famer, he was a man who personified class
and dignity,” Phillies managing partner and CEO John Middleton said
in a statement. “We were honored that he was part of our
organization."
Sandberg spent some time around the Cubs during spring training this
year, and manager Craig Counsell said it meant a lot to everyone on
the team.
“We’re grateful that he was willing to spend that time with us when
things weren’t going great for him,” Counsell said after the team's
game at Milwaukee. “It’s a sad day for the Chicago Cubs. He was a
great Cub.”
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AP freelance reporter W.G. Ramirez in Las Vegas contributed to this
report.
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