Ryne Sandberg, a Hall of Fame second baseman who kicked off baseball's shift to power-hitting middle infielders, has died. He was 65. The Chicago Cubs, the team he played for nearly all of his career, announced his death on Monday, per the New York Times, without providing any more information. Sandberg revealed in January 2024 that he was being treated for metastatic prostate cancer. He "will be remembered as one of the all-time greats in nearly 150 years of this historic franchise," Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts said in a statement, per the AP. "His dedication to and respect for the game, along with his unrelenting integrity, grit, hustle, and competitive fire were hallmarks of his career."
Sandberg broke in with the Phillies in 1981, going just 1 for 6 in 13 games. His slow start resulted in one of the most lopsided deals in baseball history and led him to his home for the rest of his 16 seasons. Along with shortstop Larry Bowa, Sandberg was traded to the Cubs for veteran infielder Ivan de Jesus. He immediately became a starter. Sandberg won the first of nine straight Gold Gloves in 1983, per USA Today, and was the National League's most valuable player in 1984. He hit .314 that season with 19 home runs and 32 stolen bases in helping the Cubs to the playoffs for the first time in 39 years.
He was named to 10 consecutive All-Star Games. Sandberg's career production at the plate included a .285 batting average, 2,386 hits, and 282 home runs. Defensively, he led NL second basemen in assists seven times and in fielding percentage four times. His MVP season included what Cubs fans still call "the Sandberg Game"—in which he had five hits in total, homered twice off future Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter, and drove in seven runs in a 12-11 victory over St. Louis in 11 innings, per MLB.com. Chicago unveiled a statue of Sandberg on the anniversary of that game last summer. "He was a superhero in this city," a Cubs executive said last week.
- Broadcaster Bob Costas, an eyewitness, discusses the Sandberg Game here.