Santo for Hall

Ron Santo elected to Hall of Fame

December 5, 2011 By Scott Lewis Leave a Comment

From Bruce Levine @ espnChicago.

It took 32 years, but former Chicago Cubs third baseman Ron Santo was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Monday with at least 75 percent of the vote from the Golden Era committee.

Santo was the only player elected. He received 15 of 16 votes. Jim Kaat received 10 votes, while Gil Hodges and Minnie Minoso received nine each.

Upon his induction, Santo, who died just over a year ago at age 70, will be the 47th Hall of Famer to have played for the Chicago Cubs.

After an illustrious 15-year major league career and 21 years as a broadcaster on Cubs radio, Santo succumbed to bladder cancer and pneumonia on Dec. 3, 2010.

The long wait for induction into the Hall of Fame had been maddening for Santo and his family. Santo was passed over by the veterans committee in 2003, 2005 and 2008. After that committee, comprised of current Hall of Famers, failed to elect anyone for eight consecutive years, the Hall of Fame changed the election rules.

The Golden Era committee was comprised of 16 individuals, including Hall of Fame players, baseball executives and veteran baseball reporters. Seventy-five percent of the 16 votes was needed for induction (12 or more).

The fiery Santo is the 11th third baseman in history to be elected to the Hall of Fame. Fourteen of his 15 years were spent with the Cubs. In the winter of 1973, Santo was traded to the White Sox where he spent his final season on the South side. In 2003, the Cubs retired his No. 10 jersey and after his death they dedicated a statue in his memory outside the ballpark on Aug. 10, 2011.

Santo’s career numbers have always been impressive. He hit .277 with 342 home runs and 1,331 RBIs and his 337 Cub home runs rank him fourth in team history.

The Cubs icon was the top defensive third baseman of his era after Baltimore’s Brooks Robinson. Santo still holds numerous defensive records and he led the National League in assists from 1962-68. A five-time Gold Glove winner, he was also named to nine All-Star teams.

Despite battling diabetes in an era where medication for his disease hadn’t yet become effective, Santo played in 1,536 games during the decade from 1960-69 — the third most games played by any major leaguer in that time span.

From 1967-72, the Cubs, under the leadership of Hall of Fame manager Leo Durocher, were always a first-division team. However, the Cubs never made the postseason during Santo’s career. The Cubs captain played in 2,243 games, the fifth most in baseball history without making the postseason. Three of Santo’s teammates from that era were previously elected to the Hall of Fame  Ernie Banks, Billy Williams and Fergie Jenkins.

A Seattle native, Santo signed with the Cubs at age 18 in 1958, making it to the major leagues two years later.

After retiring from the game, Santo began a successful business career, owning truck stops and restaurants until he became the color commentator on Cubs radio broadcasts in 1990. He also was a tireless fundraiser, helping raise an estimated $40 million for juvenile diabetes research during his lifetime.

Santo spent 21 years in the broadcast booth. During that time the Cubs played 3,333 games, going to the postseason four times with an overall record of 6-15. They were swept in 1998, 2007 and 2008.