Ron Santo dead at 70

[waggy]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-ron-santo-chicago-cubs-obit,0,1699814.story

Legendary Chicago Cubs player and broadcaster Ron Santo died Thursday night in Arizona. He was 70.

Friends of Santo's family said the North Side icon lapsed into a coma on Wednesday before dying Thursday. Santo died of complications from bladder cancer, WGN-AM 720 reported.

"He absolutely loved the Cubs," said Santo's broadcast partner, Pat Hughes. "The Cubs have lost their biggest fan."

Hughes noted that with all the medical problems Santo had--including diabetes with resulting leg amputations, heart disease and bladder cancer--"he never complained. He wanted to have fun. He wanted to talk baseball."


RIP

he was a huge fan of the Cubs and a great player. chicago will miss him =(

 

[eplebnista]

May he RIP.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

He is/was/always will be a legend in Chicago, and sorely missed. He never hesitated to tell it like it is when broadcasting, his love of baseball and life was evident in everything he did.
RIP Ron Santo #10

And to the idiotic voters for the HoF, does it feel good to give an award posthumously, rather than when we could have seen Ron's smile and joy?
Fucking idiots.

 

[BoomerD]

Wow...how sad. I met Ron twice in my youth. Helluva nice guy.

RIP.

 

[Kommander_Kink]

Never heard of him, and I even knew who Walter Cronkite when he died.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Never heard of him, and I even knew who Walter Cronkite when he died.

Walter Cronkite is a slightly bigger name than Ron Santo. Ron was a Chicago Cub 3rd baseman. Most folks who aren't baseball fans or from the Chicago area wouldn't know. You should know that he was a very good man, who had compassion and cared for his fellow man.

 

[lxskllr]

Fuck that guy. GMO food is just wrong.

 

[zinfamous]

so sad.

Love Ronny.

 

[zinfamous]

Fuck that guy. GMO food is just wrong.

wat?

 

[whattaguy]

Listening to the Cubbies on the radio will never be the same again.

 

[x-alki]

RIP Ronny. I loved the banter between him and Pat Hughs.

lxskllr, you are an ass.

 

[mcurphy]

Oh man that is sad news. Ron was awesome. I loved listening to Pat and Ron on WGN for the Cubs games. I always muted the TV and had them on the radio for the play by play. He really made following the Cubs as enjoyable as it could be with their miserable past few seasons. I am now dreading the upcoming season even more.

Ron was a truly awesome person and will be missed. Chicagoland has lost another legend.

RIP Ron

 

[Tea Bag]

RIP Ronzo, he left no doubt to everyone that he bled cubbie blue when he was on the air.

 

[Sentrosi2121]

And to the idiotic voters for the HoF, does it feel good to give an award posthumously, rather than when we could have seen Ron's smile and joy?
Fucking idiots.

I thought he said that he would not have his family accept the HOF induction posthumously? He said that they can have me when I'm alive, not when I'm dead.

Santo was consistent that he did not want to make a posthumous entrance into the Hall of Fame. After being denied so many times, he was resigned to what is now the only possibility.

 

[Nintendesert]

Now that he never got to live to see the HoF. the committee can forever live with the disgrace and shame his death brought them. There are far lesser baseball players and people that had a far smaller impact on the game than he that got inducted.

 

[hclarkjr]

Now that he never got to live to see the HoF. the committee can forever live with the disgrace and shame his death brought them. There are far lesser baseball players and people that had a far smaller impact on the game than he that got inducted.

agree completely, he should be in hall of fame. he was class act

 

[waggy]

Now that he never got to live to see the HoF. the committee can forever live with the disgrace and shame his death brought them. There are far lesser baseball players and people that had a far smaller impact on the game than he that got inducted.

well said and very true.

 

[hclarkjr]

i am shocked at the lack of coverage on ESPN this afternoon about this. none of the afternoon shows has not mentioned it one time that i have seen. i did not know till i seen this post

 

[zinfamous]

i am shocked at the lack of coverage on ESPN this afternoon about this. none of the afternoon shows has not mentioned it one time that i have seen. i did not know till i seen this post

I'm sure PTI will bring it up, at least. Wilbon is a huge cubbie.

 

[mcurphy]

I'm sure PTI will bring it up, at least. Wilbon is a huge cubbie.

Yep it is on right now, and Santo is listed as the 3rd topic to be coming up.

Edit: Wilbon had some nice words to say about Santo.

 

[hclarkjr]

nicely done by them

 

[Perknose]

Ron Santo was a really good guy and one hell of a player. 9 time all star, 5 time gold glover, led the league in walks 4 times, OBP twice, and averaged nearly 25 HR's and 100 rbi's a season over his entire 14 year career at a time when those where elite slugger stats in any one season.

I grew up with Santo, Ernie Banks and Billy Williams being the three undeniably elite players on what were perennially woebegone Cubs teams.

He had the heart of a lion. He remained fiercely but genuinely positive despite repeated bouts of cancer that fucked multiple parts of his body and resulted in the amputation of one leg and then, finally, the other.

He loved baseball and he remained in love with the Cubbies his entire playing and announcing career. He was as much a part of Chicago as the Loop, the Sears tower, or the stockyards.

It's a shame he didn't make it into the HOF while he was still alive. While his career stats may have seemed just borderline, as many have pointed out, there are any number of less deserving players already who made it.

I'm just relieved our own stellar Philly icon and home town hero Richie Ashburn made it in before he died.

Tonight, I'm popping open a cold one and toasting Mr. Ron Santo, a class act on and off that field of dreams. :thumbsup: