Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg passes away

Tony Crumpton · Senior Editor · 16 hours ago

Hall of Famer and Chicago Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg has passed away at the age of 65, following a long battle with prostate cancer. He was surrounded by loved ones at his home.

"Ryne Sandberg was a hero to a generation of Chicago Cubs fans and will be remembered as one of the all-time greats in nearly 150 years of this historic franchise,” said Cubs Executive Chairman Tom Ricketts in a press release. “His dedication to and respect for the game, along with his unrelenting integrity, grit, hustle, and competitive fire were hallmarks of his career. He was immensely proud of his teammates and his role as a global ambassador of the game of baseball, but most of all, he was proud of Margaret, his children and his role as husband, father, and grandfather."

"Margaret and their children and grandchildren will always be a part of the Cubs family," Ricketts said. "Ryno will never be forgotten by the Cubs community and baseball fans around the world.”

Sandberg, affectionately known as “Ryno,” leaves behind a huge legacy both on and off the field. He was a 10-time All-Star and also won nine Gold Gloves.

He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.

On Sunday, Cubs President of Operations Jed Hoyer discussed the significant role that Sandberg played with the Cubs as a whole.

“I know Ryno watches our games — on behalf of everyone, I just wanted to say a really heartfelt thank you,” Hoyer said on the Marquee Sports Network broadcast. “This atmosphere is so incredible right now. You look out at all these people and all this excitement, and I think the ’84 Cubs and Ryne Sandberg started all of that.

“All of us owe him a debt of gratitude for creating this and creating all those memories. In the minds of everyone, he’s always going to be homering off (Bruce) Sutter. He’s always going to be rounding third and high-fiving (Don) Zimmer. He’s always going to be playing the game the right way.

“We all love you, Ryno, from the whole fan base.”

CubsHQ would like to extend our deepest condolences to the Sandberg family and the entire Cubs community.

Sandberg is survived by his wife, Margaret, his children, Justin (Ashley), Lindsey (Adam), Steven (Megan), BR (Katie), and Adriane, and his 11 grandchildren: Joshua, Micah, Eli, Brooklyn, Owen, Nathan, Weston, Adalyn, Bode, Stella, and Roman.

Rest in peace, Ryno.