Ron Santo is one of my favorite all-time Cubs. When I was still in grade school, Santo trekked down to my little home town in rural Illinois to eat a bad chicken dinner and speak at an event sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. What a thrill it was to shake his hand and beg for an autograph!
Other things to like about Santo: He played through diabetes his entire career. After his playing career he suffered through the amputation of parts of both his legs, yet he’s continued to work as the radio announcer for Cub games. He is the ultimate homer announcer. Whenever I can, I listen to his broadcasts streaming over the web. Santo loves the Cubs and roots passionately for the team.
When Santo began his career, the Cubs were a lousy team. In 1960, they finished 7th in an 8 team league, with a 60-94 record. They did exactly the same thing in 1961. When the team began to turn things around in 1968, Santo became famous for jumping up and clicking his heels after a Cub win. The 1969 Cubs flopped in September, and it was a downhill slide after that.
I’m saddened that Santo was once again denied entrance to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee. His stats aren’t overwhelming, but he is the most inspirational Cub of all time. Only Ernie Banks overshadows Santo as the representative of everything good about Cubdom.
Another Cub great, Greg Maddux, retired yesterday. He somehow won 355 games without much of a fastball. In true Cub fashion, the organization squandered Maddux’s talent by allowing him to leave as a free agent at the height of his career. Maddux spent his most productive years leading the Atlanta Braves to numerous division titles.
Maddux will be a first round Hall of Famer. No doubt about that. He didn’t dominate games. He simply won them.
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