Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg has passed away at the age of 65, the team announced Monday night.
Sandberg had been battling metastatic prostate cancer since January 2024. After a brief remission, he was dealt a setback in December when he announced that his cancer had returned and spread to other organs, leaving him to face more intense treatment.
He did throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day at Wrigley Field in early April, but his health had not improved, and the team announced he had passed away Monday.
In a press release following Sandberg’s death, the team announced they would wear a special jersey patch for the remainder of the season in his memory.
“Ryne Sandberg was a hero to a generation of Chicago Cubs fans and will be remembered as one of the all-time greats in nearly 150 years of this historic franchise,” said Cubs executive chairman Tom Ricketts on behalf of his family and the Cubs organization. “His dedication to and respect for the game, along with his unrelenting integrity, grit, hustle, and competitive fire were hallmarks of his career. He was immensely proud of his teammates and his role as a global ambassador of the game of baseball, but most of all, he was proud of Margaret, his children and his role as husband, father, and grandfather.”
Sandberg had released a statement on social media earlier this month:
“To all my Fans and extended baseball Family – I wanted to share an update regarding my health,” the statement said. “It’s been a challenging few months as I have been going through treatment on a regular basis.
“While I am continuing to fight, I’m looking forward to making the most of every day with my loving family and friends.
“I haven’t been to Wrigley Field as much as I hoped in the first half but I’m watching every game and am excited for the second half and to see Wrigley rocking like 1984!
“Thank you for all the messages of support. Go Cubs!”
Ryne Sandberg was a hero to Cubs fans, many of whom showed up to Wrigley Field to remember the player they affectionately called “Ryno.” NBC Chicago’s Natalie Martinez reports.
Sandberg was drafted by the Phillies in the 1978 MLB Draft. He appeared in 13 games for the Phillies during the 1981 season, then was traded to the Cubs in 1982, along with Larry Bowa in exchange for Ivan de Jesus.
Sandberg then played nearly his entire MLB career with the Cubs, winning National League MVP honors in 1984 while collecting nine Gold Gloves and seven Silver Slugger awards. He was a 10-time All-Star and won the 1990 Home Run Derby at Wrigley Field.
In all, Sandberg hammered 282 home runs and drove in 1,061 RBI’s in his big league career, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.
He would later serve as a manager at various levels of the Cubs’ organization before being hired by the Phillies in 2013. He would manage 278 games, with a record of 119-159 before resigning during the 2015 campaign.
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