According to multiple reports, Ron Santo has been elected into the Hall of Fame. This has to be a bittersweet day for the Santo family as he should have been the one receiving the call from the hall. Santo passed away one year and two days ago and one could only imagine how happy he would have been to finally be on his way to Cooperstown.
Ron Santo, the player, should have been enshrined a long time ago. There are many theories as to why Santo was not elected over the years but the bottom line is the numbers Santo put up during his career are very comparable to Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson. Robinson was inducted into Cooperstown in 1983.
Ron Santo received 15 of 16 votes and will be inducted on July 22. Santo was the only player elected by the Golden Era Committee. Today’s announcement is about Ron Santo the player, not the Cubs’ broadcaster or fan favorite.
During his 15-year career, Ron Santo compiled a .277/.362/.464/.826 line with 365 doubles, 67 triples, 342 home runs and 1331 RBI … with the Cubs, .279/.366/.472/.838 with 353 doubles, 66 triples and 337 home runs in 2126 games.
Ron Santo was a nine-time All-Star, finished in the top 10 four times in MVP voting, finishing as high as fourth in 1967. Santo won five consecutive gold gloves (1964-1968) and finished in the top three in batting average in the National League three times. Santo led the league in OBP in 1964 and 1966 and finished in the top ten seven times (1964-1969, 1972). Santo also finished in the top 10 in OPS five times (1964-1967, 1972), finishing as high as second in 1964 with a .962 OPS.
From 1963-1969 Santo finished in the top 10 in the NL in home runs and from 1964-1967 only Willie Mays (158), Harmon Killebrew (157), Frank Robinson (141) and Hank Aaron (139) hit more longballs than Ron Santo (124).
Ron Santo said when the Cubs retired his number back in 2003 that was his Hall of Fame.
Ron Santo is now in the Hall of Fame and it is well deserved but I would have liked to have seen him stand at the podium and have another day under the sun.
There is no doubt about it … Ron Santo is clicking his heels today.