The Cubs star had been battling metastatic prostate cancer.
Ryne Sandberg, the Hall of Famer and 1984 American Legion Baseball Graduate of the Year, died Monday at 65 after battling metastatic prostate cancer.
The Chicago Cubs said Sandberg died at home surrounded by family.
Sandberg announced his diagnosis in January 2024, but was cancer-free that August after chemotherapy and radiation treatments. However, in a Dec. 10 Instagram post, he announced that the cancer had returned and spread to other organs.
Sandberg played American Legion Baseball for Post 9 in Spokane, Wash., and was named his league’s MVP in 1977 after batting .457 for a District IV runner-up team.
He was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1978 and made his major league debut with them in 1981. But he played in just 13 games for Philadelphia before being traded to the Cubs before the 1982 season.
After initially playing third base for the Cubs, Sandberg moved to second base in 1983 to make room for Ron Cey. Sandberg won a Gold Glove Award at second base that season, then broke out in 1984 with a National League MVP season. He batted .314 with 200 hits, 114 runs, 36 doubles, 19 triples, 19 home runs and 84 RBIs as the Cubs won the NL East title.
The following July, Sandberg accepted the Graduate of the Year Award from Past National Commander Al Keller Jr. prior to a Cubs game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Sandberg finished his major league playing career as a 10-time All-Star, with nine Gold Glove Awards and seven Silver Slugger Awards. He batted .285 for his career with 2,386 hits, 282 home runs and 1,061 RBIs. He also managed the Phillies from 2013-2015, with a record of 119-159.
Sandberg was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.
- Baseball