Former Cubs Great Shares Emotional Conversations Ryne Sandberg Had in Final Days

Andy Nesbitt | Jul 29, 2025

Ryne Sandberg died Monday at 65. / Jerry Lai-Imagn Images

The baseball world suffered a huge loss Monday when Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg died at the age of 65 following a diagnosis of metastatic prostate cancer.

Sandberg played 16 years in the majors, with the final 15 of those coming with the Cubs. He was a legend in Chicago and fans were rightfully heartbroken over the news.

On Tuesday, Sandberg's longtime double-play partner, Shawon Dunston, shared that he and some other former teammates had special conversations with Sandberg before his death.

"The last couple of days, he wanted to speak to me, Andre [Dawson] and Mark Grace," Dunston said during an emotional appearance on the MLB Network. "He told us that he loved us and he loved all you fans too. Go Cubs."

Here's that segment:

"The last couple of days, he wanted to speak to me, Andre [Dawson] and Mark Grace. He told us that he loved us and he loved all you @Cubs fans too. Go Cubs."

An emotional Shawon Dunston speaks on the impact his legendary double play partner, Ryne Sandberg, made on him. pic.twitter.com/OiHCJpAEcD

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 29, 2025

The Cubs will celebrate Sandberg with a patch on their uniforms for the rest of the season. The team will be back home at Wrigley on Friday, which will likely be an emotional day for a fanbase and a city that lost a former player that they all loved.

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