For 15 seasons, Ryne Sandberg was a staple for the Chicago Cubs. The legendary infielder, who accumulated all kinds of recognitions throughout his career, today shared some sad news with Major League fans: he was diagnosed with cancer.
Sandberg, now 64, entered Major League baseball in 1981 with a brief stint in the ranks of the Philadelphia Phillies. In 1982, the second baseman finally signed up with what would become the team he loved, the Cubs.
In his 15-year career, Sandberg was named an All-Star 10 times, was the National League Most Valuable Player in 1990, and won the Gold Glove nine times and the Silver Slugger seven times. The team retired his number in 2005, the same year he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Now, 27 years after his retirement, the legendary former player announced that last week, he was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer.
Sandberg assures that he will fight
The player gave the notice on Monday on his Instagram account in a statement addressed “To my Chicago Cubs, the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the extended Baseball family, the city of Chicago, and all my loyal fans.”
Sandberg said: “I have begun treatment and am surrounded by my loving wife Margaret, our incredibly supportive family, the best healthcare team, and our dear friends.”
He indicated that he is trying to maintain a positive mindset and a strong attitude “to fight to beat this. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time for me and my family.”
The Cubs promptly responded to the news, posting on their account on X that reads: “Ryne, we send you love, strength, and support on your journey. With locked arms, we are rallying around you and your family on the journey ahead to conquer this battle.”
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— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) January 22, 2024
Ryne was a Cubs icon
In his career with Chicago, Sandberg had a .285 batting average, 2,386 hits and 282 home runs, drove in 1,061 runs, and stole 344 bases.
His best season was in 1984 when he was named MVP after hitting .314 with 19 home runs, leading the league with 19 triples and 114 runs scored.
Sandberg also served as manager with a three-season career leading the Phillies, with which he accumulated 119 wins in exchange for 159 losses.
Baseball Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg announces he has cancer
Longtime Chicago Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg announced Monday he has been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer and has begun treatment.
“Last week, I learned that I have been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer,” Sandberg, 64, wrote in an Instagram post. “I have begun treatment, and I am surrounded by my loving wife Margaret, our incredibly supportive family, the best medical care team, and our dear friends. We will continue to be positive, strong, and fight to beat this.”
“Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time for me and my family,” he added.
Sandberg won nine straight Gold Glove Awards during his 16 seasons in the big leagues and was named an All-Star for 10 consecutive years, from 1984 to 1993. The National Baseball Hall of Fame refers to him as “one of the game’s best second basemen.”
He began his career in 1981 with the Philadelphia Phillies, who drafted him out of high school, and was traded to the Cubs after that season, according to the Hall of Fame website. By the time he retired following the 1997 season, the Spokane, Washington, native held “the record for most Gold Glove Awards by a second baseman (nine), the most consecutive errorless games by a second baseman (123) and the most home runs by a second baseman (277 of his 282 home runs came as a second baseman),” according to the site.
In a statement, the Chicago Cubs wrote, “Ryne, we’re sending love, strength and support your way.”
“With locked arms, we are rallying around you and your family on the journey ahead to conquer this battle,” the team said.
Sandberg was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.
Jane Forbes Clark, who chairs the Board of Directors at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, said in a statement the institution had Sandberg “and his wonderful family in our thoughts.”
“Part of what made Ryne a tremendous talent on the field was his quiet intensity, and we have no doubt he’ll bring the same tenacity to this fight,” she wrote. “During this difficult time, we join Cubs fans in Chicago, and baseball fans everywhere, in sending love and support to Ryne and Margaret and the entire Sandberg family.”
