“I’m not scared… but if I do leave, let Wrigley be where I’m remembered.”
Chicago – In a private video shared with fans on Sunday, Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, 65, revealed his final wishes for the first time as his battle with terminal prostate cancer entered its final stages.
Lying on a leather chair by the window, in the pale light of a Chicago afternoon, Sandberg – once a symbol of resilience and grace at Wrigley Field – spoke in a deep, husky voice:
“If I don’t make it back… leave an empty seat with my number 23, in the same spot, near the dugout. Don’t cry, just remember that I always tried for this city.”
In April 2025, Sandberg made an emotional appearance at Wrigley, throwing a ceremonial pitch to thunderous applause. Few people knew that just hours earlier, he had collapsed in the backroom after a long chemotherapy session, and could barely stand without his son helping him onto the field.
“He kept saying, ‘Wrigley is waiting for me, and no one can break that promise,’” his wife, Cindy, said through tears.
According to sources close to the (fictional) Sandberg family, he is working with the Cubs to establish the “Ryno Legacy Academy” – a free baseball training center for children with serious illnesses, scheduled to open in the suburb of Lakeview in early 2026.
“I’ve been fortunate to live my passion. Now I want to give it back, to kids who are fighting for their childhoods like I did.”
The project is expected to include:
5 miniature baseball fields, modeled to the exact scale of Wrigley Field.
Free dormitories and rehabilitation centers.
Private gallery: “The Ryno Room” – where items from his career and his battle with cancer are kept.
In a specially sealed envelope sent to the club, Ryne Sandberg wrote:
“I used to think fame was everything. But now, if someone calls me a good person, a teacher of less fortunate children – I have lived enough.”
At the upcoming “Legends Night” ceremony in August, the Cubs are considering renaming Gate 4 of Wrigley Field “Sandberg Gate” – as a tribute to the man who not only played for the city, but also chose Chicago as the place to end his life in the most peaceful way.
From a legendary on-fielder to a real-life cancer fighter, Ryne Sandberg not only left behind the immortal number 23, but also left a story that lives forever in the hearts of fans:
There is no greater home run than the courage to face death with a heart full of love.