5 Ryne Sandberg accomplishments that show how truly remarkable he was

Chicago Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg has sadly passed away at the age of 65.

The news of Sandberg's passing came after a near two-year battle with metastatic prostate cancer, a diagnosis that became grim after Sandberg released an ominous statement last week.

Sandberg played 15 of his 16 MLB seasons for the Chicago Cubs from 1982-1997, when he was a fixture for the team at second base. The city fell in love with his bashful personality and superstar-level play on the field, the latter of which earned him a first-ballot Hall of Fame induction in 2005.

5. 7X Silver Slugger

The Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award is given to the player who all the coaches and managers in the league think is the best hitter. It is one of the league's most prestigious offensive awards, and it is difficult to win multiple times, but Sandberg took home the NL Silver Slugger seven times in his career. That mark is tied for fifth all-time with fellow Hall of Famers like Ken Griffey Jr., Tony Gwynn, and Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez.

Sandberg first won the award in 1984, collected a consecutive one in 1985, and took home four straight from 1988-92.

4. 9X Gold Glove Winner

Although Sandberg was a very accomplished hitter, his defensive prowess in the 80s and 90s was truly extraordinary. The second baseman won nine-straight gold gloves from 1983-91, collecting a career defensive WAR of 13.5. When his statue at Wrigley Field was revealed last year, Sandberg said he wanted it to depict him playing defense instead of holding a bat.

“Well, some of the things I wanted with the statue was on the balls of the feet, ready for every single pitch,” Sandberg said. “Defense was very important for me. For me, it was bring your glove every single day.

3. 10X All-Star

Sandberg was named to the National League All-Star team in ten consecutive years, good enough for the second most All-Star appearances for a Cub behind only Ernie Banks (14). Sandberg's All-Star run was highlighted by his age-30 season during the 1990 campaign, when he smacked a career-high 40 home runs and 100 RBIs. Sandberg also led the league in runs scored with 116 while posting a .913 OPS.

One of the highlights of Sandberg's All-Star appearances was his win in the 1990 Home Run Derby, which was ironically held at Wrigley Field. Sandberg's consistent All-Star level play gave the Cubs a superstar player as a backbone to build around, and he helped the team make two playoff runs in 1984 and 1989.

2. 1984 NL MVP

Sandberg's All-Star run began with his MVP-winning 1984 season. The second baseman led MLB with 8.5 bWAR, 19 triples, and a .314/.367/.520 slash line. Sandberg became the seventh Cub to take home an MVP award, and the first in 25 years (Ernie Banks in 1959).

This season helped cement Sandberg as one of the best Cubs ever and contributed to his number, 23, being retired by the team in 2005. Only three Cubs after Sandberg took home the games most prestigious award, including Andre Dawson (1987), Sammy Sosa (1998), and Kris Bryant (2016).

1. The Ryne Sandberg Game

Perhaps Sandberg's most iconic game came in that MVP season. On June 23, 1984, Sandberg went 5-for-6 with 7 RBI in a contest against the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals. Sandberg also smacked two game-tying home runs off of Bruce Sutter. Sutter, who became a Hall of Famer himself, finished the season with a 1.54 ERA, 45 saves, and just nine home runs allowed.

The game is remembered for the performance that put Sandberg on the national map, and it arguably launched his Hall of Fame career. 1984 is also when the Cubs snapped a 39-year playoff drought by winning the division title.