Everything about Ron Santo totally explained
Ronald Edward Santo (born
February 25 1940 in
Seattle, Washington) is a former
third baseman in
Major League Baseball who played almost his entire career with the
Chicago Cubs. He was named a
National League All-Star 9 times during his 15 seasons of play (1960 - 1974), and won five consecutive
Gold Glove awards for fielding excellence (1964-1968).
Baseball career
Santo made his debut with the Cubs on June 26, 1960. He played with the team until, then finished his career with the cross-town
Chicago White Sox in . During his 14-season run with the Cubs, Santo hit 337
home runs; he was the first third baseman to hit over 300 home runs and win five Gold Gloves, a feat since matched by only
Mike Schmidt, a Hall of Fame player.
In 1966, in the midst of trying to break the Cubs' team consecutive-game hitting streak, Santo was sidelined for nearly two weeks following a beaning that fractured his cheekbone. When Santo returned (and broke the record) he was wearing an improvised ear-flap on his batting helmet in order to protect the injury. Earflaps have since become standard equipment on batting helmets.
Struggle with diabetes
In the early years of his playing career, he carefully concealed the fact that he'd
Type 1 diabetes. He feared that had this information come out, he'd be forced into retirement.
Because the methods of regulating diabetes in the 70s were not as advanced as they're today, Santo would gauge his blood sugar levels based on his moods. If he felt his blood sugar was low, he'd snack on a candy bar in the clubhouse.
Broadcast career
Ron Santo joined the Cubs' broadcast booth in 1990 as the
WGN color commentator.
In Chicago, Santo is well-loved for his unabashed broadcast enthusiasm, which he reveals with groans and cheers during the game. He also possesses a charming sense of humor. During one game, in which
Angel Echevarria was batting, Santo casually asked play-by-play broadcaster
Pat Hughes, "Pat, do you believe in angels?" As excitable as Santo is when a great play for the Cubs occurs, he's equally as vocal in his displeasure, as is evidenced by his meltdown in 1998 when
Brant Brown, who was playing left field, dropped a fly ball against
Milwaukee during the team's successful run for the Wild Card. You can hear the call
here
. Ron also has been known to engage in discussions about his variety of
toupees.
Stats
Further Information
Get more info on 'Ron Santo'.
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