Ryne Sandberg obit

Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg has died after battling cancer

 

He was not on the list.

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.”

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.”

Sandberg was reportedly drafted after Bill Harper and Wilbur "Moose" Johnson, both Philadelphia Phillies scouts, persuaded Phillies director of scouting Dallas Green to draft Sandberg, despite his college football commitment. After the Phillies drafted Sandberg, Harper reportedly met with Sandberg, his parents, and brother Del at the Sandberg home. "His parents, particularly his mother, were very concerned about Ryne going to college and getting an education," Harper recalled. Sandberg reportedly received a $20,000 bonus, accepting the offer after taking a walk with his brother during the meeting.

In 1978, at age 18, Sandberg began his professional career with the Helena Phillies in the rookie-level Pioneer League. In his first professional season, Sandberg played exclusively at shortstop and hit .311 with a .390 OBP, one home run, 15 stolen bases, and 23 runs batted in (RBIs) in 56 games. Among his teammates at Helena were George Bell, a future MVP, and Bob Dernier, who later formed the "Daily Double" with Sandberg in Chicago. The three advanced through the Phillies system as teammates.

Remaining at shortstop in 1979, Sandberg played for the Class A Spartanburg Phillies in the Western Carolinas League. In 138 games, Sandberg hit .247 with seven triples, four home runs, 21 stolen bases, and 47 RBIs.

Sandberg played for the Class AA Reading Phillies of the Eastern League in 1980. With Reading, Sandberg hit .310, with a .403 OBP, 12 triples, 32 stolen bases, 11 home runs, and 79 RBIs. Playing in 129 games for Reading, Sandberg drew 73 bases on balls against 72 strikeouts. In the field, Sandberg played 120 games at shortstop and four at third base. Sandberg was selected to the Eastern League All-Star team.

Advancing to the Class AAA level Oklahoma City 89ers in 1981, Sandberg played 133 games before being called up by the Philadelphia Phillies. With Oklahoma City, Sandberg remained primarily at shortstop, while playing 17 games at second base. Sandberg hit .293, with a .352 OBP, 32 stolen bases, 9 home runs, and 62 RBIs.

Sandberg made his major-league debut as a shortstop for the Phillies in 1981. Playing in 13 games, Sandberg had one hit in six at-bats for a .167 batting average during his brief stint with the team. The one hit occurred at Wrigley Field using a bat borrowed from starting shortstop Larry Bowa.

The Phillies soon concluded that Sandberg was not a successor to Bowa at shortstop. While Sandberg had played both second and third base in the minor leagues, he was blocked from those positions by Manny Trillo and Mike Schmidt.

Some of his teammates include Andre Dawson, Mark Grace, Bob Denier, Lee Smith, Greg Maddox, Sammy Sosa, Leon Durham, Rafael Palmeiro, Keith Moreland, Jody Davis, and Rick Sutlciffe.