Ryne Sandberg, the Hall of Fame second baseman, declared on Thursday that he is cancer-free, just over half a year after revealing to the public that he had been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer.
“Rang the Bell this morning!” Sandberg shared on Instagram. “We did it; we won! What a dream team of family, physicians, friends, nurses, and fans who have supported me and Margaret over the last 8 months! We feel extremely grateful by all of the love, prayers, thoughts, and wonderful comments that have come our way! Modern medicine has come a long way, so early detection is still critical. Annual doctor’s checkups! Time to celebrate!”
Sandberg, 64, appeared in 16 Major League seasons between 1981 and 1997, 15 of which were spent with the Cubs. He was selected the National League Most Valuable Player for the 1984 season at the age of 24, and he was a 10-time All-Star, nine-time Gold Glove Award winner, and seven-time Silver Slugger Award winner throughout his remarkable career. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.
On June 23, this year, the 40th anniversary of what became known as the “Sandberg Game,” a contest that cemented Sandberg’s place as one of the top players in the game, he was honoured with the unveiling of a statue in his likeness outside Wrigley Field. His statue joined other franchise luminaries Ernie Banks, Fergie Jenkins, Billy Williams, and Ron Santo in standing outside the venerable ballpark.
“My life changed a lot in 1984, but it was nothing compared to what happened six months ago,” Sandberg told the audience at the monument unveiling ceremony. “My thoughts today are about love, life, family, and friends. My teammates fit under all of these groups. But, until my cancer diagnosis, I suppose I never completely comprehended it.”
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