{"id":81838,"date":"2025-08-22T20:28:39","date_gmt":"2025-08-22T20:28:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=81838"},"modified":"2025-08-22T20:28:39","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T20:28:39","slug":"hall-of-fame-second-baseman-ryne-sandberg-died-after-battling-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=81838","title":{"rendered":"Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg died after battling cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
NOTE: Live coverage of his funeral ended at 12:15 p.m. Friday<\/b><\/p>\n

CHICAGO (AP) \u2014 Ryne Sandberg, a Hall of Fame second baseman who became one of baseball\u2019s best all-around players while starring for the Chicago Cubs, has died. He was 65.<\/p>\n

Sandberg was surrounded by his family when he died at his home on July 28, according to the team.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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 \u201clooking forward to making the most of every day with my loving family and friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Hall
FILE – Former Chicago Cubs player Ryne Sandberg speaks before the team unveils a statue of him before a baseball game against the New York Mets in Chicago, Sunday, June 23, 2024. (AP Photo\/Nam Y. Huh,File)(Nam Y. Huh | AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said Sandberg \u201cwill be remembered as one of the all-time greats in nearly 150 years of this historic franchise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHis dedication to and respect for the game, along with his unrelenting integrity, grit, hustle, and competitive fire were hallmarks of his career,\u201d Ricketts said in the team\u2019s statement.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

It turned into one of the most lopsided deals in baseball history.<\/p>\n

\"Hall
FILE – Chicago Cubs ‘ Ryne Sandberg slugs a triple during Wednesday, Aug. 29, 1984 game against the Cincinnati Reds in Chicago. (AP Photo\/Jon Swart,File)(John Swart | AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sandberg hit .285 with 282 homers, 1,061 RBIs and 344 steals in 15 years with Chicago. He made 10 All-Star teams \u2014 winning the Home Run Derby in 1990 \u2014 and took home nine Gold Gloves.<\/p>\n

\u201cRyne Sandberg was a legend of the Chicago Cubs franchise and a beloved figure throughout Major League Baseball,\u201d MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said. \u201cHe was a five-tool player who excelled in every facet of the game thanks to his power, speed and work ethic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even with Sandberg\u2019s stellar play, the Cubs made just two postseason appearances while he was in Chicago.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never seen a player work harder, and it seemed like the better he got, the harder he worked,\u201d former Cubs manager Jim Frey said.<\/p>\n

The 1984 season featured what Cubs fans still call \u201cThe Sandberg Game,\u201d when he homered twice and drove in seven runs in a 12-11 victory over St. Louis in 11 innings on June 23.<\/p>\n

Chicago paid tribute to Sandberg and that game when it unveiled a statue of the infielder outside Wrigley Field on that date in 2024.<\/p>\n

\u201cRyno was a great teammate and obviously a great player,\u201d Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux told The Associated Press in a text message. \u201cHe led by example on the field and a mentor off. I was lucky to know him.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was a superhero in this city,\u201d Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said during a TV broadcast of the team\u2019s game on July 20. \u201cYou think about (Michael) Jordan, Walter Payton and Ryne Sandberg all here at the same time, and I can\u2019t imagine a person handling their fame better, their responsibility for a city better than he did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sandberg was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005, receiving 76.2% of the vote by the Baseball Writers\u2019 Association of America in his third try on the ballot. The Cubs retired his No. 23 that same year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you examine the offense and defense, you\u2019ll find some years where he was the best player you\u2019ve ever seen in your life,\u201d former Cubs first baseman Mark Grace said.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot only was he a Hall of Famer, he was a man who personified class and dignity,\u201d Phillies managing partner and CEO John Middleton said in a statement. \u201cWe were honored that he was part of our organization.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re grateful that he was willing to spend that time with us when things weren\u2019t going great for him,\u201d Counsell said after the team\u2019s game at Milwaukee. \u201cIt\u2019s a sad day for the Chicago Cubs. He was a great Cub.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

AP freelance reporter W.G. Ramirez in Las Vegas contributed to this report.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

AP MLB: apnews.com\/hub\/mlb<\/p>\n

Copyright 2025 KWQC. All rights reserved.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ryne Sandberg, a Hall of Fame second baseman who became one of baseball\u2019s best all-around players while starring for the Chicago Cubs, has died. 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