December 03, 2010

Cubs Player, Broadcaster Ron Santo Dies: Ron Santo, a nine-time All-Star third baseman for the Chicago Cubs and a beloved fan favorite as a radio announcer, has died at age 70 of complications from bladder cancer. "The Cubs have lost their biggest fan," said his broadcast partner Pat Hughes.

posted by rcade to baseball at 12:43 PM - 15 comments

Ron Santo dead at the age of 70.
So, did he get jobbed by the Hall of Fame voters or does his career fall a bit short of the Hall?

posted by NoMich at 07:23 AM on December 03, 2010

I so loved that Cubs infield. I ached for them in 1969.

When TV broadcasters would swoon over the classic Dodgers infield in the 70's, I always felt they hadn't previously given enough love to that Cubs infield.

posted by beaverboard at 07:38 AM on December 03, 2010

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posted by ursus_comiter at 07:52 AM on December 03, 2010

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posted by yzelda4045 at 08:41 AM on December 03, 2010

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posted by tommybiden at 09:40 AM on December 03, 2010

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posted by BornIcon at 10:27 AM on December 03, 2010

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posted by TheQatarian at 01:33 PM on December 03, 2010

RIP Ron Santo. I know you have gone to the HOF in the sky!!!

posted by Bag Man at 03:02 PM on December 03, 2010

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posted by THX-1138 at 03:03 PM on December 03, 2010

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posted by Howard_T at 04:26 PM on December 03, 2010

Yes he got jobbed by the HOF voters. It's an absolute crying shame he's not in despite all their "revamping" of the voting criteria.

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posted by irunfromclones at 05:09 PM on December 03, 2010

Thank Joe Morgan for leading voters against Ron. Glad to see Morgan lost his announcing job for next year.

posted by wwarrior at 06:02 PM on December 03, 2010

Thank Joe Morgan for leading voters against Ron.

What is that a reference to? I can't find anything in a cursory Googling and I'm struggling to imagine Joe Morgan not supporting the candidacy of anyone old enough to remember when the Vietnam War was still going on.

posted by yerfatma at 07:07 PM on December 03, 2010

The scuttle butt here in Chicago has been that the veterans hated Santo when he played, because of his hot dogging. After winning a game against the Reds in 1969, Santo got so excited that he ran to the showers and then jumped up and clicked his heels together. The fans cheered him and Manager Leo Durocher thought it was great, so he told Santo to do it after every win which he did. This was before high-fiving, sky pointing and chest bumping and any other form of self-appreciation that is so common today, but the other teams hated it. After Santo went through all his votes with the baseball writers, his only chance to get into the Hall was through the veterans vote and to this day, they still hate him. Perhaps now that he is gone, they'll vote him in, because for a guy who played his whole career with diabetes, he was great. RIP in Ronnie. I loved ya.

posted by Shotput at 07:48 PM on December 03, 2010

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posted by Demophon at 06:49 PM on December 04, 2010

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