Ron Santo dies

Had a "oh shit" moment when I looked at the Sun-Times a few minutes ago. Really hated to read this.

I'm just young enough that I just started following baseball a year after he retired so my only connection to him is through his radio work.

As has been mentioned numerous times he wasn't exactly the most professional and polished radio guy in the world. But he made the games fun to listen to and really seemed to get along with whoever his radio partner was over the years.

Here's to you Ronnie.

 

RIP Ron. Got to hear a lot more of him since moving to IL. He was a homer's homer.. but it was all from the heart. And I'll listen to that any day over braying jackasses like Sterling and Harrelson.

 

Listened to Santo a lot over past few years on XM. He was clearly a "homer" in style but that is what made him great. There was nothing false about it as say compared to Sterling / Waldman. RIP

 

My Dad grew up with diabetes, so even though we were all Mets fans Santo was OK with us.

 

As a White Sox fan, listening to the Cubs on the radio was never my first choice.

But when I did, Ron Santo -- especially once he was teamed with Pat Hughes -- made even the blowouts entertaining to hear. And his efforts for JDRF and just general awareness of juvenile diabetes won't be forgotten.

A sad day. RIP to a great baseball player and good man.

 

I honestly thought he was unlistenable on Cubs broadcasts.

But an outstanding third baseman and an enthusiastic Cubs ambassador. RIP.

 

Dick, to be honest with you, there are a lot of analysts who are unlistenable, in their own way. Which is why listeners tune in to hear what they are going to say, whether it's butchered or not.

 

Well, you and I have a different standard for broadcasts then.

 

Don't want to rain on the parade, but why do some folks think he's a Hall of Famer? Because he was a super great guy and played for the lovable loser Cubs?

15 seasons, 2,254 hits, 342 HRs, 1,331 RBI, .277 average, .362 OBA, 9 All Star games, 5 Gold Gloves, zero MVPs.

 

Because those are HOF numbers for at 3rd baseman in that era. People always underestimate how rare offense was from 3B back then. It wasn't quite the middle infield, but it was closer to that than 1B or OF.

Add me to the list of people who thought he seemed like an amazing person and genuinely nice guy, but found his radio broadcasts to be absolutely unlistenable. He turned into self-parody years ago. But if you can watch This Old Cub without a tear in your eye, you are a stronger man than I.

 

He was -- in a very quiet way -- one of the strongest people I've ever been around. He had so many health problems, so many of them profound, yet he still had a smile on his face, a big friendly greeting for everyone and a joy in being around the game.

Wrigley won't be the same, just like NY trips won't be the same without Bill Shannon in the press box.

Hall of Fame, homer broadcasting....I don't care. Ron Santo was a tremendous guy.

 

Ken Boyer's stats
15 seasons, 2143 hits, 282 hrs, 1141 rbis, .287 batting average, .349 OBA, 11 All Star games, 5 Gold Gloves, 1 MVP

Both third basemen. Relatively same era. Boyer won a World Series with the Cards when he was league MVP. Who is better?