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.

Chicago, Kerry Woods Kind of Town

Kerry Wood is just a player who Cubs fan want to root for him and see him do well.  Kerry Wood is going on his 11^th year of playing with the Cubs. The Cubs drafted Wood with the 4^th selection in the MLB Amateur Player Draft in 1995. He made his big league debut three seasons later in 1998 and on his career fifth start that year against the Astros, he tie a MLB record 20 strikeouts in a game. Every one thought Wood was on a path to stardom.

Kerry Wood’s career has been a good one, but he has been plagued by injuries problems. In his 14 major league seasons, he has been on the DL at least once in 13 out of 14 seasons.  Still no matter where Kerry has been, he has been a fan favorite, either in Chicago, Cleveland, or New York.

After the 2010 season, Kerry was a free agent once again and he was one of the top relievers on the market. Kerry could have gone almost anywhere and made 7-times the amount of what he is making in Chicago. On December 10, 2010 at Ron Santo funeral, Kerry Wood was talking to the Cubs about the possibility of returning to Chicago.

On December 16, 2010, Kerry announced that he signed a one-year deal worth 1.5 million dollars, basically taking a hometown discount. At his press conference Kerry said that if Jim Hendry and him did not run into each other at the funeral, the deal probably would of never happened. He said that this is the place his family and him want to be. That being said, the July 31 trading deadline is coming up in a little over a month and there will be a market for veteran relievers. So, with the Cubs most likely being out of the playoff race, the question is will Kerry Wood leave Chicago for a chance at a ring. Stay tuned.


Give a look at Kerry Woods Player Profile