51 Facts About Ron Santo

Ronald Edward Santo was an American Major League Baseball third baseman who played for the Chicago Cubs from 1960 through 1973 and the Chicago White Sox in 1974.

In 1990, Santo became a member of the Cubs broadcasting team providing commentary for Cubs games on WGN radio and remained at that position until his death in 2010.

Ron Santo was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2012.

Ron Santo was an All-Star for nine seasons during his 15-year career.

Ron Santo led the National League in triples one time, in walks four times, and in on-base percentage two times.

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Ron Santo was a Gold Glove Award winner for five consecutive seasons.

Ron Santo led the NL in total chances eight times, in games, putouts and assists seven times each, and in double plays six times.

Ron Santo set NL records for career assists, total chances and double plays at third base, all of which were eventually broken between 1986 and 1988 by Mike Schmidt.

Ron Santo enjoyed his success despite battling diabetes since he was a teenager, a condition which was concealed from the public until 1971; it eventually necessitated the amputation of the lower half of both his legs.

Ron Santo was raised in southeastern Seattle, attending Franklin High School, and played newly organized youth baseball in the Babe Ruth League.

Ron Santo grew up near Sicks Stadium, home of the Pacific Coast League's Seattle Rainiers, and had summer jobs there as a batboy, groundskeeper and clubhouse attendant, while playing three sports in high school.

In that game Ron Santo hit a grand slam over the 354 foot mark in left center field and the Washington All Stars defeated Tennessee.

Ron Santo was signed as a free agent by the Chicago Cubs in 1959, and made his debut on June 26,1960.

Ron Santo continued to lead the NL in assists every year through 1968, breaking Ned Williamson's major league record of leading the league six times; Brooks Robinson went on to lead the American League eight times.

In 1963 Ron Santo broke the modern NL record with 374 assists at third base, passing Tommy Leach's 1904 mark of 371.

Ron Santo broke his own record in 1967 with 393 assists, which remained the NL record until Schmidt posted 404 in 1974.

Ron Santo finished fourth in the 1967 NL Most Valuable Player Award voting results.

Ron Santo's assist totals from 1963 through 1968 were the six highest by an NL third baseman between 1905 and 1973.

Ron Santo led the NL in putouts every year from 1962 through 1967 and again in 1969, tying the league record shared by Pie Traynor and Willie Jones in leading the league seven times; Tim Wallach later tied the mark as well.

Ron Santo was deeply saddened by the loss of teammate Ken Hubbs, the Cubs second baseman, killed in a plane crash just prior to the 1964 season.

Ron Santo was interviewed by Tom Harmon, narrator of the film A Glimpse of Greatness–The Story of Ken Hubbs, in which Ron Santo paid the highest respects to the young Hubbs.

When Hickman reached home plate, Ron Santo was so excited that after congratulating him by bear hugging and pounding him on his head, Ron Santo ran down the third base line and jumped three times, clicking his heels on each jump.

Ron Santo became the first player to invoke the ten-and-five rule under the collective bargaining agreement that was signed to end the 1972 Major League Baseball strike.

Ron Santo then asked Cubs management to try for a deal with the crosstown White Sox which was made official on December 11,1973, with the North Siders acquiring Steve Swisher, Steve Stone and Ken Frailing.

The White Sox already had a third baseman, Bill Melton, so Ron Santo was relegated mostly to designated hitter duty, which he hated.

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Ron Santo wanted to play in the field, but White Sox manager Chuck Tanner would not bench Melton and unsuccessfully tried Santo at second base.

Ron Santo worked with play-by-play announcer Pat Hughes, and these radio broadcasts were known as the Pat and Ron Show.

Ron Santo worked with Harry Caray, Thom Brennaman, Steve Stone and Bob Brenly.

Ron Santo briefly worked with Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers commentator Wayne Larrivee.

In Chicago, Ron Santo was known for his unabashed broadcast enthusiasm, including groans and cheers during the game.

Ron Santo feared that if this information were to be known, he would be forced into retirement.

Ron Santo was diagnosed with this disease at the age of 18, and was given a life expectancy of 25 years.

Ron Santo had both his legs amputated below the knee as a result of his diabetes: the right in 2001 and the left in 2002.

Ron Santo shared a bond in this respect with 2008 Cubs rookie Sam Fuld, who suffers from type 1 diabetes.

In 2002, Ron Santo was named the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's "Person of the Year".

Ron Santo inspired Bill Holden to walk 2,100 miles from Arizona to Chicago to raise $250,000 for diabetes research.

Ron Santo was eulogized by his longtime broadcast partner Pat Hughes, along with Cubs owner Tom Ricketts and MLB Commissioner Bud Selig.

Ron Santo was later cremated and his ashes scattered on the field at the Friendly Confines.

The statue is a portrayal of a young Ron Santo playing defense at third base, leaning to his right while throwing a ball.

For example, Ron Santo's career adjusted on-base plus slugging would rank him exactly in the middle of the ten major league third basemen who were in the Hall of Fame in 2011.

Ron Santo hit 216 of his 342 home runs at home, and only 126 on the road.

Ron Santo fell short of such traditional standards of Hall election as 3,000 hits and 500 home runs; however, by the time his career ended, only two third basemen had even collected 2,500 hits, and only one had reached the 500-home run plateau.

Ron Santo received 15 of the 16 possible votes and was the only one of the ten Golden Era Ballot candidates to be elected to the Hall of Fame by the Committee's first vote.

Ron Santo married Vicki in 1982 and they lived in Bannockburn, Illinois.

Ron Santo led the league in double plays six times, tying the major league record held by Heinie Groh; Mike Schmidt later tied this record.

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Ron Santo led the National League in total chances every season from 1961 through 1968.

Ron Santo appeared at third base in every Cubs game from April 19,1964 through May 31,1966, establishing a league record with 364 consecutive games at the position; his 164 games at third base in 1965 remain the major league record.

Ron Santo broke Eddie Mathews' NL record of 369 career double plays at third base in 1972, and in 1973 he broke Mathews' league records of 4,284 assists and 6,606 total chances.

Ron Santo was the first third baseman to hit 300 home runs and win five Gold Gloves, a feat since matched only by Schmidt and Scott Rolen.

Ron Santo became the first player in major league history to wear a batting helmet with protective ear flaps, when in 1966, in the midst of trying to break the Cubs' modern consecutive-game hitting streak record of 27 games, Ron Santo was sidelined for nearly two weeks following a pitch thrown by the Mets' Jack Fisher.

Ron Santo passed as an icon, and deserves a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame.