An iconic player who helped redefine the second base position and authored one of the great singular performances in the long, storied history of the Chicago Cubs, Ryne Sandberg died on Monday after battling cancer. He was 65 years old.
Sandberg left behind a legacy of a quiet superstar who may have been reluctant to find the spotlight, but demanded it with a blend of power, speed and defense that made him one of baseball’s all-time greats. He spent the majority of his brilliant 16-year career with the Cubs, earning induction into the Hall of Fame in 2005.
"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."
At the time of his retirement, Sandberg stood as Major League Baseball’s record-holder for home runs as a second baseman (277 of his 282 shots). He was a 10-time All-Star who collected nine Gold Glove Awards, seven Silver Slugger trophies and won the 1984 National League Most Valuable Player Award.
“Ryne remained active in the game he loved as an ambassador for the Cubs, a manager for the Phillies and in the Minor Leagues, and a frequent participant at the Hall of Fame," said MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. "His many friends across the game were in his corner as he courageously fought cancer in recent years. We will continue to support the important work of Stand Up To Cancer in Ryne’s memory."
Sandberg rose to national stardom on June 23 of that ’84 campaign after what will forever be affectionately known as “The Ryne Sandberg Game.” In a wild win over the rival Cardinals, Sandberg had five hits, drove in seven runs and launched a pair of game-tying home runs off future Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter.
“My life changed a lot in 1984,” Sandberg said on the 40th anniversary of that game in 2024, when the Cubs unveiled a statue of the franchise great outside Wrigley Field.
Cubs fans were already embracing their young star, but that game in ’84 put him on the map among fans around the country. It was the catalyst for a career that saw “Ryno” put himself among the top five in Cubs history in homers, doubles (403), stolen bases (344), hits (2,385), runs scored (1,316), extra-base hits (761), total bases (3,786) and games played (2,151).
Born Ryne Dee Sandberg on Sept. 18, 1959, in Spokane, Wash., Sandberg was a three-sport star (baseball, football and basketball) for North Central High School. A standout quarterback, Sandberg signed a letter of intent to play football at Washington State University, but that did not stop the Phillies from taking a chance on him.
With the approval of Phillies director of scouting Dallas Green, Sandberg was picked in the 20th round of the 1978 MLB Draft. Led by scout Bill Harper, the Phillies offered Sandberg a $20,000 signing bonus and convinced him to pursue a pro career in baseball. By the fall of ’81, Sandberg was getting his first taste of the Majors with Philadelphia.
Ahead of the ’82 season, Green headed to Chicago to assume the role of general manager for the Cubs. A variety of circumstances playing out in Philadelphia – including a contract situation with veteran shortstop Larry Bowa – led to trade discussions with Chicago. Bowa was shipped to the Cubs for Ivan de Jesus, and Chicago’s front office convinced the Phillies to include Sandberg.
Sandberg’s lone hit in a Phillies uniform came on Sept. 27, 1981, when he connected for a single at Wrigley Field. It was the first of 1,259 career hits in regular-season play at the Friendly Confines.
Sandberg was the Cubs’ Opening Day third baseman in ’82 (with Bowa to his left at shortstop), but was moved to second base by September of that season. One year later, Sandberg picked up a Gold Glove Award for his work at his new position, representing the first of nine consecutive trophies through the ’91 season.
“He was never satisfied with what he did on the playing field,” Bowa said at Sandberg’s statue unveiling. “He was always prepared. He would take ground ball after ground ball, extra BP. You would never see Ryne Sandberg not prepared to play a baseball game.”
During the ’84 season, Cubs manager Jim Frey encouraged Sandberg to try to hit for more power – rather than settling for being a tablesetter for the offense. That push helped the second baseman transform his game and led to a breakout season.
“It was the kind of development that was right on time for me,” Sandberg said in 2024. “I don’t think I would’ve handled that as a rookie, but it worked. I just kept learning and adjusted throughout the years to do that, and all the results came.”
While Sandberg’s performance against Sutter and the Cardinals put him on the national radar, he was already in the midst of an incredible season. That summer, Sandberg hit .314 with 19 homers, 36 doubles, 19 triples, 84 RBIs, 32 steals, 114 runs and 200 hits. He received 22 out of 24 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America to win the NL MVP Award.
Sandberg’s play helped the Cubs win the division crown that year, sending the North Siders to the postseason for the first time since the 1945 World Series. The Cubs won the division again in ’89, but both teams fell short in the NLCS. In 10 playoff games, Sandberg did his part, hitting .385 (15-for-39) with seven extra-base hits, six RBIs and nine runs scored.
Sandberg went on to lead the NL in runs scored three times (1984, ’89 and ’90), set a career best with 54 stolen bases in ’85 and a personal-high in homers with 40 (leading the NL) in 1990. Sandberg topped 100 runs seven times, belted at least 25 homers six times, reached 30 steals five times and had two years with exactly 100 RBIs. He also won the Home Run Derby during All-Star Game festivities at Wrigley Field in 1990.
Along the way, Sandberg set an MLB record for second basemen with 123 consecutive games without an error, including a record 90 games in a row in one season (1989). He also established the MLB record for fielding percentage at his position (.989). Sandberg’s fielding brought him great pride, making him thrilled that his statue at Wrigley Field depicted him in a defensive stance.
“The level of the consistency and the longevity that he did it is just incredible. He’s definitely his own standard,” Cubs infielder Nico Hoerner said in 2024. “Talk about a player that did everything on the baseball field.”
After retiring from playing following the ’97 season, Sandberg had his number retired by the Cubs and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005. He pursued a managerial career in 2007, working his way up the Cubs’ system, topping out at the Triple-A level in 2010. Sandberg went on to manage the Phillies across the 2013-15 seasons.
"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. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Margaret and the entire Sandberg family."
Late in ’23, Sandberg went public with a battle with metastatic prostate cancer, sharing updates with Cubs fans throughout his journey. That ordeal gave him great perspective as he addressed a sea of adoring fans – as Cubs players looked on from the Wrigley Field ramps above – after being honored with a statue.
“My thoughts today are instead about love, life, family and friends,” Sandberg said that day. “I feel that love now. It was always there. But I was too busy grinding out an extra 60 ground balls every morning to know that it was happening. We are who we are and that was me. I love you guys.”