The Legends of Ron Santo

Ron Santo was not only was a player for the Chicago Cubs, but he was a die-hard Cubs fan. No one ever cheered harder and wanted to see the Cubs win more than Ron. He was the first person to criticize the players when they are not playing like he knew they were capable of and the first person to congratulate them when they did a good job. Ron was known for how emotionally involved he would get when he was announcing the games on the radio with life long friend, Pat Hughes. Ron Santo may never get into the Hall of Fame, but he always said his Hall of Fame is Wrigley Field.

Ron, was signed by the Chicago Cubs in 1959, and made his debut on June 26, 1960. He played for the Cubs for over 13 years. He was a power-hitting third baseman, nine-time All-Star, and recipient of the Gold Glove award 5 times. His playing career spanned from 1960 to 1974, mainly for the Chicago Cubs. Ron was a player who had to over come adversity, as he had to deal with diabetes.

On September 28, 2003, Santo's jersey, #10, was retired by the Cubs organization, making him only the third player to have his number retired by the Cubs. I do not think there was ever another player in baseball happier than Ron, to get his number retired. Even thought many believe that Santos numbers are good enough to get him into the MLB Hall of Fame, he has been left out and is one of the best players to not be elected. He said to see that Cubs #10 flag get raised was one of the proudest moments of his life. Ron Santo passed away December 3, 2010.

Ron was a big supporter and contributor to the American Diabetes Association. For more information on diabetes, the association, or  if you would like to donate to them, check out their Website.