Nearly four months after announcing he was cancer-free, Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg announced that the cancer has spread to other organs in his body and that he is ready to receive more treatment.
“To my Chicago Cubs, the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the city of Chicago and all my loyal fans, I want to share an update on my prostate cancer.” Sandberg wrote in a statement. on Tuesday.
“Unfortunately, we recently learned that the cancer has relapsed and spread to other organs. This means that I have returned to more intensive treatment. We will remain positive, strong and fight to beat this.
“Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for me and my family.”
Sandberg, 65, revealed in January that he had been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. In July, she informed her fans that scans had shown no signs of cancer and then rang the bell, signaling that her body was cancer-free after an eight-month battle.
Sandberg played all but 13 games of his 16-season MLB career with the Cubs. He joined the majors in a brief stint with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1981 and was traded the following offseason to the Cubs. He became a full-time starter in his first season in Chicago in 1982 and made the first of 10 consecutive All-Star Game appearances in 1984.
He was named National League Most Valuable Player that season and led the league in triples and runs scored. He led the National League with 40 home runs in 1990 and won the Home Run Derby at Wrigley Field that same season. He won seven Silver Slugger Awards and nine Gold Gloves in his career.
Sandberg, a beloved Cub known on the field for his production and reliability, played in at least 115 games in 14 of his 15 seasons in Chicago. He played less than 150 games only four times. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.
“Ryne is an inspiration to cancer survivors around the world.” wrote Cubs CEO Tom Ricketts. in a statement. “I know all Cubs fans join my family and I in sending positive thoughts to Ryne and keeping him and his family in our prayers as he faces this next round of treatments to beat cancer. Ryne has the heart and the soul of a champion and that will serve him well in this challenge.
In June, the Cubs unveiled a statue of Sandberg outside Wrigley Field.