Sandberg resuming 'intensive' cancer treatment

DALLAS -- Ryne Sandberg made the decision nearly a year ago to go public with his battle with cancer, wanting to keep Cubs fans updated as he fought through treatments. After a year of positive developments, the Hall of Famer shared some tough news on Tuesday morning.

Sandberg posted a series of photos of his wife and family on his Instagram page, along with the following statement:

“To my Chicago Cubs, National Baseball Hall of Fame, the city of Chicago, and all my loyal fans, I want to share an update on my prostate cancer. Unfortunately, we recently learned the cancer has relapsed and it has spread to other organs.

“This means that I’m back to more intensive treatment. We will continue to be positive, strong, and fight to beat this. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for me and my family.”

That development comes after Sandberg rang the bell to celebrate being declared cancer free in mid-August earlier this year. The former Cubs second baseman initially began treatment for metastatic prostate cancer in January, and by May Sandberg was showing no signs of cancer in follow-up testing.

Sandberg, 65, spent 15 of his 16 Major League seasons from 1981-97 with the Cubs, ending as a 10-time All-Star with nine Gold Glove Awards, seven Silver Slugger trophies, a National League MVP Award (1984) and the then-record for home runs by a second baseman. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.

The progress Sandberg made throughout last summer in his cancer fight made for a celebratory day on June 23. On the 40th anniversary of The Ryne Sandberg Game -- his legendary two-homer, five-hit, seven-RBI performance against the Cardinals in 1984 -- the Cubs honored the franchise icon with a statue outside Wrigley Field.

“To be here for all this, this was a guarantee for me,” Sandberg said on that afternoon in June. “I kind of reverted back to my baseball days of having goals and my attitude was, ‘Work every day towards something.’ That’s what I’ve done.”

Sandberg will once again have to adopt that mentality as he tackles the latest setback.

“Ryne is an inspiration to cancer survivors everywhere,” Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said. “I know all Cubs fans join my family and me in sending positive thoughts to Ryne and keeping him and his family in our prayers as he faces this next round of treatments to defeat cancer. Ryne has the heart and soul of a champion, and that will serve him well in this challenge.”