CHICAGO -- Ryne Sandberg, a Hall of Fame second baseman who became one of baseball's best all-around players while starring for the Chicago Cubs, died Monday at age 65.
Sandberg was surrounded by his family when he died at his home, 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.
The Cubs said that they would wear a special jersey patch to commemorate Sandberg for the rest of the season.
"There is a whole generation of Cubs fans that adore Ryno," Cubs left fielder Ian Happ said after Chicago's 8-4 loss Monday. "You could feel it. You could feel it when he was around. I can't say enough what he meant to all of us, the fan base and the players."
Sandberg was born and raised in Spokane, Washington. He was selected out of high school by the Philadelphia Phillies 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 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 collected 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 only two postseason appearances while he was with the team.
He was the National League 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 NL 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.
The Cubs paid tribute to Sandberg and that game when they 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," Jed Hoyer, Cubs president of baseball operations, said during a TV broadcast of the team's game 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 Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005, receiving 76.2% of the vote by the Baseball Writers' Association of America in his third year on the ballot. The Cubs retired his No. 23 that same season.
"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.
"It was an honor to be around a man battling for his life but wanting to come to the baseball park and spend his day with us," Counsell said Monday night. "We were grateful he was willing to spend that time with us when things weren't going great for him.
"It's a sad day for the Chicago Cubs."