Former Philadelphia Phillies second baseman and manager Ryne Sandberg announced Monday that he is currently battling prostate cancer in an Instagram post.
The 64-year-old occupies a strange place in Phillies history.
A 20th-round pick by the Phillies in the 20th round of the 1978 MLB Draft, Sandberg appeared in 13 games for the 1981 Phillies, before being traded to the Chicago Cubs for shortstop Iván DeJesús the following offseason. The trade would end up as one of the most lopsided in MLB history, as Sandberg would make 10 All-Star Game appearances, win nine Gold Glove Awards, take home seven Silver Sluggers and win the 1984 NL MVP in 15 seasons with the Cubs. “Ryno” was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.
Sandberg rejoined the Phillies in 2011, serving as the manager of the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs for two seasons. In 2013, he was added to Charlie Manuel’s staff as the bench coach, with it generally believed he could eventually succeed the winningest manager in franchise history. That happened when the Phillies fired Manuel in August of 2013. The Phillies performed well enough for Sandberg to earn the job on a full-time basis, but he ultimately struggled to connect with modern players in parts of three seasons on the job. He also didn’t have close to good enough talent to work with. Sandberg shockingly resigned in June of 2015, with Pete Mackanin replacing him.
But whatever tension may have existed between Sandberg and the organization at the time of his resignation appears to have healed over time. He’s been seen both at Spectrum Field and Citizens Bank Park in recent years. Sandberg has also remained connected to the sport, serving as an ambassador for the Cubs.
On behalf of every at Phillies Nation, we wish Sandberg the best in his battle.
