Major League Baseball and the Chicago Cubs have confirmed the passing of Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, who died on Monday at the age of 65. Sandberg had publicly announced in January 2024 that he was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer, which ultimately led to his untimely demise.

Over his 16 seasons in Major League Baseball, Sandberg primarily played for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago Cubs. He earned recognition as a 10-time All-Star, was awarded the Most Valuable Player (MVP) once, and received accolades such as nine Gold Glove Awards and seven Silver Slugger Awards. Throughout his illustrious career, he led the National League in runs scored three times, hit 40 home runs in 1990, and achieved a wins above replacement (WAR) of 8.5 in 1984. That season was particularly noteworthy for Sandberg as he not only led all of baseball with 19 triples, but also earned the MVP title.

Ryne Sandberg leaves behind an impressive legacy, finishing his career with a batting average of .285, 282 home runs, 1,061 runs batted in (RBI), and 344 stolen bases. He is celebrated as one of the all-time greats for the Cubs as well as one of the greatest second basemen in the history of the sport. Following the announcement of his death, numerous tributes highlighted his impact on the game. Cubs infielder Nico Hoerner remarked, "The level of the consistency and the longevity that he did it is just incredible. He's definitely his own standard. Talk about a player that did everything on the baseball field." Sandberg himself fondly expressed his connection to the Cubs, stating on September 20, 1997, during his final season before retirement, "I truly lived my field of dreams right here at Wrigley Field."