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Chicago Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg dead at 65

Barkley-Truaxby: Barkley Truax07/29/25BarkleyTruax
Ryne Sandberg
© Imagn Images

Longtime Chicago Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg passed away on Monday, the team announced on social media. He was 65. Sandberg has been battle prostate cancer since January 2024.

Sandberg made 10 consecutive appearances in the All-Star game during the prime of his career and won nine-straight Gold Gloves from 1983 to 1991. He was inducted in the 2005 Baseball Hall of Fame Class.

Sandberg’s legend began during the summer of 1984. Against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 23 — in a game which also saw Willie McGee hit for the cycle — Sandberg helped lead the Cubs to a massive comeback after trailing by six runs early.

Sandberg finished the game — which the Cubs won 12-11 in 11 innings — with five total hits, including seven runs that saw him hit two home runs late in the outing against future Hall of Fame closer and former Chicago Cub Bruce Sutter. This is the fabled “Sandberg game” and went on to win the 1984 NL MVP award that season

“My life changed a lot in 1984,” Sandberg said on the 40th anniversary of that game in 2024. He spoke those words when the Cubs unveiled his own statue outside of Wrigley Field.

The statue will forever immortalize the Hall of Famer forever alongside. His statue stands alongside other Chicago greats like Ernie Banks, Fergie Jenkins, Ron Santo and Billy Williams, as well as Hall of Famer broadcaster Harry Caray.

“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. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Ryne’s family, Cubs fans everywhere and his admirers throughout our National Pastime.”

Affectionately known as “Ryno” by Cubs fans, his name is plastered all over the Wrigleyville record books. He’s top five in Chicago history in all of the following stats — 282 home runs , 403 doubles, 344 stolen bases, 2,385 hits, 1,316 runs scored, 761 extra-base hits, 3,786 total bases and 2,151 games played in a Cubs uniform.

Sandberg played his final game at Wrigley Field in Sept. 1997, which was also the final game called by Harry Caray. He later became the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, a position he held from 2013-2015.