Ron Santo, the legendary Cubs third baseman and one of the most popular players in the franchise’s long history, died Thursday night in Arizona. He was 70 years old.
Ron Santo Dies: Legendary Cubs Player, Longtime Radio Announcer Passes Away 70
Santo spent 15 seasons playing Major League Baseball, all but one them with the Chicago Cubs (he played his final year with the White Sox). Friends say he slipped into a coma on Wednesday; Santo died of complications from bladder cancer and diabetes.
Following his playing career, Santo eventually became the color analyst for Cubs radio broadcasts in 1990, where he was just as popular as during his playing days, quickly becoming known for his unabashed enthusiasm for Cubs, both in support and criticism. He was expected to be in the booth for the 2011 season, saying, “Doing the Cubs games is like therapy for me.”
“He absolutely loved the Cubs,” said Santo’s broadcast partner, Pat Hughes. “The Cubs have lost their biggest fan.”
Santo made his debut with the Cubs in 1960 and during his 15 years as a player, was selected to the All-Star Game nine times, won five Gold Glove awards. He famously battled type 1 diabetes throughout his life; the dieseas eventually took both of his legs, both amputated below the knee.
In 2003, the Cubs retired his No. 10. Despite his on-field success -- he finished with 342 career home runs and a career 125 OPS+ -- Santo never made it to Baseball’s Hall of Fame. The closest he came was 1998, his 15th and final year of eligibility, when he garnered 43.1 percent of the voting; 75 percent is required. When added to the Veterans Committee ballot -- for players retired more than 20 years -- Santo finished third in 2003, tied for first in 2005, and first in both 2007 and 2009, but every time his total number of votes still fell short of the required number (in 2007, he received 39 of the necessary 48 votes). He’ll be up for admission again in 2012.
Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts released the following statement:
“My siblings and I first knew Ron Santo as fans, listening to him in the broadcast booth. We knew him for his passion, his loyalty, his great personal courage and his tremendous sense of humor. It was our great honor to get to know him personally in our first year as owners. Ronnie will forever be the heart and soul of Cubs fans.”
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