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Chicago Cubs' Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg passes away at age 65

Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg had been battling cancer and recently announced he was persisting through 'a challenging few months' of treatment.

By J.P. Hoornstra

Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame players Fergie Jenkins, Andre Dawson, Ryne Sandberg, Lee Smith and Billy Williams are seen prior to a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field on April 8, 2019.
Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame players Fergie Jenkins, Andre Dawson, Ryne Sandberg, Lee Smith and Billy Williams are seen prior to a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field on April 8, 2019. / Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
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Ryne Sandberg died Monday, his family announced in a post to the Hall of Famer's Instagram account.

Sandberg, 65, had been battling cancer and recently announced he had been experiencing "a challenging few months" going through treatment.

"To all my Fans and extended baseball Family - I wanted to share an update regarding my health. It’s been a challenging few months as I have been going through treatment on a regular basis," he wrote in an Instagram post July 16. "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!"

In Jan. 2024, Sandberg announced in an Instagram post that he had begun treatment for metastatic prostate cancer.

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Sandberg was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005. He played the majority of his 16 major league seasons with the Chicago Cubs, making 10 National League All-Star teams, winning nine Gold Glove Awards at second base, and seven Silver Slugger Awards. He retired in 1997 with a career batting average of .285.

After his playing career ended, and eight years after his Hall of Fame induction, Sandberg took over as the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies — the team that drafted him out of high school in 1978 — in 2013. He managed the Phillies to a 119-159 record over parts of three seasons.

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Sandberg is the Cubs' career record-holder in runs (1,316) and is tied for the franchise record with a home run in five consecutive games from Aug. 7-11, 1989. His 103 runs scored in 1982 remain the franchise single-season rookie record.

Sandberg finished sixth in National League Rookie of the Year voting that season. Two years later, in 1984, he won his only NL MVP award.

Sandberg is credited with popularizing the name "Ryne," which surged in popularity as he gained fame with the Cubs. Sandberg was himself named for abaseball player — Ryne Duren — whose own ascent to big league fame in 1959 inspired the name in his generation.

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