Hall of Fame slugger Ryne Sandberg told his Instagram followers on Monday that he is undergoing treatment for metastatic prostate cancer.
“To my Chicago Cubs, National Baseball Hall of Fame, extended Baseball Family, the city of Chicago, and all my loyal fans, I want to share some personal news,” the 10-time All-Star wrote. “Last week, I learned that I have been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. I have begun treatment, and I am surrounded by my loving wife Margaret, our incredibly supportive family, the best medical care team, and our dear friends.”
The 64-year-old Sandberg noted that he was optimistic and asked fans to keep him in their prayers.
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“We will continue to be positive, strong, and fight to beat this. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time for me and my family.” (RELATED: Angels Slugger Anthony Rendon ‘Literally Hates Baseball,’ According To Former Teammate)
The tragic news comes from a figure who is near-universally beloved in the MLB. Sandberg enjoyed a highly productive 16-year MLB career that saw him win a National League MVP award as well as nine gold glove awards and seven silver sluggers.
He was also a key cog in a trade widely considered to be one of the worst baseball trades of all time.
The Phillies traded Sandberg to the Chicago Cubs in 1982 as an afterthought. They wanted to ship out shortstop Larry Bowa but needed to throw in something to sweeten the pot, according to The Zo Zone baseball blog.
The Phillies got back shortstop Ivan DeJesus, who hardly outperformed Bowa over his three year Philadelphia tenure.
The Cubs got Bowa, a solid short stop, and Sandberg, a Hall of Fame second basemen.
Years after his retirement, Sandberg went on to coach, working his way up through the Phillies’ minor league system eventually landing a stint as the manager of the Phillies.
But his time as skipper would be short. After taking over for the fired legend Charlie Manuel as interim manager in 2013, Sandberg lasted just one full season as manager in Philadelphia.
Shortly into the 2015 season, Sandberg resigned as manager after posting league worst record. He finished with a 119-159 managerial record during his time in Philadelphia, according to Baseball Reference.