SAD NEWS: Among the persons on the list in the early-morning jet disaster was the official manager of Phladephia.

SAD NEWS: Among the persons on the list in the early-morning jet disaster was the official manager of Phladephia.

Known more as a Cub than a Phillies prospect, Ryne Sandberg confirmed he is fighting cancer. He managed the Phillies for portions of three seasons.
NickTricome.JPGTRICOME, Nick
MLB’s Philadelphia Phillies
Ryne-Sandberg-Manager-Phillies-Archive-Image.jpgYONG KIM/MCT/SIPA USA / PHILADELPHIA INQUIRERFrom 2013 until 2015, Ryne Sandberg was the Phillies’ manager.
Ryne Sandberg, a former Phillies prospect and manager, revealed on Monday that he is fighting metastatic prostate cancer.

The 64-year-old Sandberg was selected by the Phillies in the 1978 draft with high expectations for his future. However, due to his versatility as an infielder who could play both second and third, he was obstructed from his position by veteran starters Manny Trillo and Mike Schmidt. As a result, Sandberg was traded to the Chicago Cubs prior to the 1982 season.

In a 15-year tenure that includes 10 All-Star selections, nine Gold Gloves, seven Silver Sluggers, and the 1984 NL MVP title, he pieced together a Hall of Fame career in Wrigleyville, hitting.285 with 2,386 hits, 282 home runs, and 344 stolen bases.

Following his playing career, Sandberg became one of baseball’s most sought-after managerial prospects and worked his way up the minor league coaching ladder, first with the Cubs organisation and then with the Phillies again.

After popular manager Charlie Manuel was sacked late in the 2013 season, signalling the end of the Phillies’ golden era, Sandberg was elevated temporarily before being granted full-time status.

But it was the wrong moment, and the wrong location. As the team saw it had to start again, Sandberg resigned in June 2015 to give Pete Mackanin full control of the team. The ageing Phillies were no longer competitive, and his judgement as the team’s captain never touched anybody.

Since then, Sandberg has stayed out of the big league coaching scene, spending most of his time as the Cubs’ public face in Chicago, where he began his Hall of Fame career.