Bear Hall of Fame member Ryne Sandberg died at 65 | MLB

Ryne Sandberg is a Hall of Fame second baseman and he becomes one of the best all-around players in baseball Chicago Bearalready dead. He is 65 years old.

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 prostate cancer. He received chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and then said in August 2024 that he had no cancer.

But he posted on Instagram on December 10 that his cancer has recovered and spread to other organs. He announced this month that he is still fighting while “looking forward to making the most of his life with my loving family and friends every day.”

Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said Sandberg “will be remembered as one of the great men in the history of this historic franchise for nearly 150 years.”

“His dedication and respect for the game, as well as his unyielding integrity, courage, noise and competitive fire are a hallmark of his career,” Ricketts said in a statement from the team.

Sandberg was born and raised in Spokane, Washington. He was selected from high school by Philadelphia in the 20th round of the 1978 Amateur Draft.

He made his American League debut in 1981 and won six games in 13 games with the Phillies. In January 1982, he was traded to Chicago with Larry Bowa for veteran infielder Ivan de Jesus.

It turned into one of the most unbalanced deals in baseball history.

Sandberg hit .285 with 282 home runs, 1,061 RBIs and 344 steals in Chicago. He formed 10 All-Star teams – winning the home run derby in 1990 and bringing back nine gold gloves.

“Ryne Sandberg baseball,” said MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. “He is a five-factory player who excelled in every aspect of the game because of his strength, speed and work ethics. ”

Even in Sandberg’s excellent game, the Cubs made only two playoff appearances in Chicago.

He was the 1984 NL MVP, batting .314, had 19 home runs, 84 RBIs, 32 steals, 19 triple and 114 scoring. Chicago won NL East in the playoffs, Sandberg won .368 (19 times) in the playoffs, but San Diego was eliminated after winning the first two games of the National League Championship Series at Wrigley Stadium.

The 1984 season featured what the Cubs fans still called the “Sandberg Game” when he ran seven runs in a 12-11 win over St. Louis in 11 innings on June 23.

Chicago pays homage to Sandberg and that game when it unveiled the infielder’s statue outside Wrigley Field in 2024.

“He’s the city’s superhero,” Jed Hoyer, president of the Cubs’ baseball business, said on a July 20 TV broadcast. “You’re going to think about (Michael) Jordan, Walter Payton and Ryan Sandberg at the same time, and I can’t imagine a person better dealing with his reputation and having a better responsibility to the city than he does.”

Sandberg led Chicago back to the 1989 playoffs, hitting a .290 with 30 home runs when the Cubs won NL East. He beat the .400 (20 of 8) in the NLCS, but Chicago lost to San Francisco in five games.

Sandberg scored 100 career-best runs in 1990 with the NL’s best 40 home runs in 1990 and 1991, but he never returned to the playoffs. He retired after the 1997 season.

“When you check off the offense and defense, you find that he was the best player you’ve ever seen in your life in a few years,” said former Cubs Mark Grace.

Sandberg was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005, with the American Baseball Writers Association receiving 76.2% of the vote in his third vote. The Cubs retired at No. 23 in the same year.

“Ryne Sandberg has a relentless work ethic and unshakable positive prospect,” said Hall of Fame President Jane Forbes Clark. “With it, he inspired everyone who knows him.”

Sandberg also managed Philadelphia with a score of 119-159 from August 2013 to June 2015. Charlie Manuel was fired and he resigned with the Phillies during the tough 2015 season.