Chicago Cubs Legend Ryne Sandberg (1959 - 2025)

[Zoneboy]

https://www.marqueesportsnetwork.com...e-passes-away/

Chicago Cubs legend and Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg passed away, the team announced Monday evening. He was 65.


Sandberg spent 15 seasons with the Cubs and became one of the icons of the storied franchise. He amassed 2,386 hits and 282 home runs with a lifetime batting average of .285 in addition to the 1984 National League MVP award, 10 All-Star appearances, nine Gold Gloves and seven Silver Sluggers. He was elected to the baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.

In January 2024, Sandberg announced he had been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. Just seven months later, he announced his cancer was in remission, before announcing in December 2024 that it had returned.

He was at Cubs Convention a month later, appeared at the team’s facility in Mesa, Ariz. for the beginning of Spring Training and threw out the first pitch at the home opener in April alongside fellow team hall of farmers Billy Williams, Lee Smith, Fergie Jenkins and Andre Dawson.

Sandberg provided another health update in July 2025, sharing his treatment plan and thanking fans for their support.

Sandberg was acquired by the Cubs ahead of the 1982 season from Philadelphia with Iván de Jesús for Larry Bowa. He became an everyday player immediately and won a Gold Glove in his second season.

However, his real breakthrough came in 1984 during a June contest that would later be dubbed “The Sandberg Game”. On June 23, in a nationally televised broadcast game against the rival Cardinals, Sandberg hit a game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth inning against future Hall of Fame closer Bruce Sutter, sending the game to extra innings. In the bottom of the 10th, with the Cubs trailing 11-9, Sandberg hit another home run, this one a 2-run shot off Sutter to tie the game and force an 11th inning, where the Cubs walked it off on a Dave Owen single.

That game put Sandberg and the Cubs on the national radar, and he went on to hit .314 with 19 home runs, a league-leading 19 triples and 84 RBI that season. He was a catalyst for the Cubs team that went on to win the 1984 East Division and make the playoffs for the first time since losing the 1945 World Series.

Sandberg won nine straight Gold Gloves from 1983 to 1991. He had a .989 fielding percentage – the major-league record among second baseman – when he retired in 1997. Sandberg ranks in the franchise Top 10 in WAR, runs scored, hits, doubles, home runs and RBI.

The Cubs retired his jersey number 23 in 2005, becoming the fourth Cub to have that distinction (Ernie Banks, Billy Williams and Ron Santo).

Sandberg stayed close to the game after his retirement, joining the professional coaching ranks in 2006 as the manager of the Cubs’ Class-A affiliate Peoria Chiefs. He left the Cubs organization in 2010, serving as the Phillies Triple-A manager from 2011 to 2012. In 2013, he was named the Phillies third base coach and named the interim manager in August.

He served as the manager of the Phillies until 2015, compiling a 119-159 record. He rejoined the Cubs organization as a team ambassador in 2016. He remained around the team, making appearances at games, Cubs Convention and speaking to the players at Spring Training.

Sandberg was enshrined in the team’s Hall of Fame. He was forever immortalized with a statue outside of Wrigley Field on the 40th anniversary of the Sandberg Game, joining Fergie Jenkins, Williams, Banks, Santo and broadcaster Harry Caray.

[Dude111]

Very sad........

[TJ]

As a Chicago native and lifelong Cubs fan, this one hurts. He was of my favorite players along with Cal Ripken Jr.. I remember “The Sandberg Game” very well. He was one of the best second basemen of all time.

Another part of my 1980s childhood has been lost. RIP Ryno.

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The Sandberg Game | The Signature Game of Hall-of-Famer Ryne Sandberg's Career

[TMC]

Ryne Sandberg, affectionately called Ryno, is one of the greatest all-around second basemen in baseball history. Known for being a five-tool player in his prime, Sandberg possessed a rare skill set for a middle infielder. He was a steady presence in the National League, consistently earning accolades and achieving notable records at his position. His namesake game is forever ingrained in the sport’s mythology. Beloved by Cubs fans, his dedication and durability made him a fixture in the lineup for 15 seasons.

• 0:00 Intro
• 0:35 Biography
• 2:11 The Next Level
• 4:32 INSANE Prime
• 8:24 Ryno’s Milestones
• 9:02 Career Overview
• 10:15 Conclusion
• 10:51 Post-credits scene

Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Costas joins "Cubs Postgame Live!" to reflect on the life and legacy of Cubs Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg, look back at "The Sandberg Game" that he called, and more.