Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg revealed on social media this week that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, and that he has begun treatment to fight the disease.
In the post, Sandberg revealed that he was in good spirits as his treatment began.
“Last week, I learned that I have been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer,” Sandberg said. “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. We will continue to be positive, strong, and fight to beat this.”
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Sandberg asked for thoughts and prayers for his family as he begins his treatment for the illness.
Sandberg is a legendary figure in Cubs history, having been acquired by the club from the Philadelphia Phillies in Jan. 1982. He won the 1984 National League MVP Award, and during his career he was a 10-time All-Star, a seven-time Silver Slugger winner and a nine-time Gold Glove winner.
In 16 big-league seasons, Sandberg hit 282 home runs and drove in 1,061 RBI’s, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005. His No. 23 jersey has been retired by the Cubs, and he was immortalized with a statue outside the ballpark.
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Sandberg was also drafted by the Phillies and played one season for the Phils in 1981.
He was the third base coach and infield instructor for the Phillies after the 2012 season and was then promoted to interim manager of the Phils in 2013.
He was then named the permanent manager of the Phillies later that year before resigning in 2015.