Ryne Sandberg Dies at Age 65, Hall of Famer and Cubs Legend Played 16 MLB Seasons

Major League Baseball and the Chicago Cubs announced that Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg died on Monday. He was 65.

Sandberg announced in Jan. 2024 that he had been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer.

He played 16 MLB seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs and was a 10-time All-Star, one-time MVP, nine-time Gold Glover and seven-time Silver Slugger.

Sandberg led the National League in runs on three occasions, led the NL in homers in 1990 (40) and in wins above replacement in 1984 (8.5). He led all of baseball in triples in 1984 (19) as well, his MVP season. In total, he hit .285 for his career with 282 home runs, 1,061 RBI and 344 stolen bases.

He is one of the iconic all-time Cubs and one of the greatest second baseman in history, both at the plate and in the field.

Unsurprisingly, the tributes to his legacy came pouring in after news of his death:

"The level of the consistency and the longevity that he did it is just incredible," Cubs infielder Nico Hoerner told reporters in 2024. "He's definitely his own standard. Talk about a player that did everything on the baseball field."

That made him a Cubs' legend, and the love affair went both ways.

"I truly lived my field of dreams right here at Wrigley Field," he told Cubs fans on Sept. 20, 1997, his final season before his retirement.