Ryne Sandberg, a Hall of Fame second baseman and third baseman for the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies, died Monday, per the Cubs. He was 65.
Sandberg was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer in 2024, and though he was briefly cancer-free later that year, the disease came back. He threw out the first pitch before Chicago's home opener as recently as April.
Born in Spokane, Wash., Sandberg was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies and played 13 games with them in 1981. He was traded to the Cubs in Jan. 1982 in a move the Phillies would come to sorely regret.
After two solid seasons as a regular, Sandberg became a superstar in 1984. He slashed .314/.367/.520 with 19 home runs and 84 RBIs, leading the National League in bWAR, runs and triples. With his help, Chicago stopped its infamous postseason drought at 39 years, winning the East Division title.
It was the first of 10 All-Star years with the Cubs, who he also helped make the playoffs in 1989. He led the league in runs on two other occasions, and added a 40-home run season in 1990.
Well-liked throughout the game and long a strident evangelist of baseball's fundamentals, Sandberg managed Philadelphia from 2013 to '15. He went 119-159 in three seasons.
More MLB on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ryne Sandberg, Hall of Famer Who Helped Restore Cubs’ Glory, Dies at 65.
