Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg announced Monday that he's begun treatment after being diagnosed last week with metastatic prostate cancer.
Here's Sandberg's message in whole (you can click here to view it on his Instagram account):
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. 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. 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.
Sandberg, 64, played in parts of 16 big-league seasons, almost entirely with the Cubs. He amassed a career .285/.344/.452 slash line (114 OPS+) and notched roughly 68 Wins Above Replacement, per Baseball Reference. He was a 10-time All-Star as well as a winner of nine Gold Glove Awards, seven Silver Slugger Awards, and the 1984 National League Most Valuable Player Award. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005, earning more than 76% of the vote in his third year on the ballot.
More recently, Sandberg spent parts of three years managing the Philadelphia Phillies, his original club. He won 42.8% of his 278 contests before being removed from the post partway through the 2015 season.
The American Cancer Society estimates that roughly one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetimes, making it the second most common form of cancer among men in the United States (behind skin cancer).
