Just due: Santo gets his spot in Cooperstown

MLB.Com ^ | 5 December 2011 | Carrie Muskat

[Vigilanteman]

Cubs great earns election to Hall via Golden Era Committee

DALLAS -- Ron Santo is clicking his heels in heaven.

Santo, the enthusiastic, popular and very resilient former Cubs third baseman, was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Monday by the Golden Era Committee. Santo was one of 10 candidates on a ballot representing the era of the sport from 1947-72.

"I can see him sitting on the sofa here and he'd be pumping his fist in the air, saying, 'Yes, yes,'" Santo's wife Vicki said Monday from her Arizona home. "We feel he was meant to be there."

Santo died Dec. 3, 2010, so the news comes a year too late, but Vicki was undeterred in her enthusiasm.

"To have this come after his passing, it just shows you can't give up," Vicki said. "I'm a believer in what's meant to be. I believe he was meant to be in the Hall."

Santo's competition included former players Gil Hodges, Ken Boyer, Minnie Minoso, Tony Oliva, Jim Kaat, Allie Reynolds and Luis Tiant, and executives Charlie Finley and Buzzie Bavasi.

[Vigilanteman]

It is about damn time. One of the finest third basemen to ever play the game and a great human being to boot!

Santo played secretly with juvenile diabetes most of his career, only agreeing to let the cat out of the bag in his final year as a fundraiser for the cause.

If anybody every writes a book on the greatest second place teams in baseball history, the 1969 Chicago Cubs will be due their own chapter.

[Artemis Webb]

Ron Santo was a good man. But he should not have been admitted to The Hall of Fame. He doesn’t have the career numbers to merit it.

[Chipper]

Amen. Should have happened long ago.

[BuckeyeTexan]

Screw Cooperstown! Until Pete Rose is admitted, they can KMA.

[Ticonderoga34]

A childhood hero of mine gets his due.

Interesting enough, the Cub teams of the late 60’s had four Hall of Fame players (Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins and Santo), a Hall of Manager (Leo Durocher) and never made the post season.

[Vigilanteman]

BS. Let's start with a better lifetime batting average than Mike Schmidt . . . playing mostly in a pitcher's era. Then there is the string of gold gloves second only to Brooks Robinson. An outstanding broadcast career. And charitable service far beyond his salary grade.

Ron Santo had it all and did it all.

[taillightchaser]

How about electing him to the broadcaster wing? Cub fans loved him and he was a role model to a lot of folks.

[glorgau]

He led the league in 3b putouts 6 years in a row and assists 7 yrs in a row. He hit 342 HR’s. Averaged 100 rbis for 10 years. He had the stats.

[OrangeHoof]

If he was going to eventually go in, it sucks that they waited until after he was dead. It’s not like nobody knew he was in failing health. The only guy I want to see inducted posthumously is Pete Rose.

[SoJoCo]

He doesn’t have the career numbers to merit it.

A .277 lifetime average, 342 home runs, 1,331 RBIs, nine time All Star and five time Golden Glove winner in a 14 year career doesn't merit Hall of Fame?

[Retired Greyhound]

I’m happy for the Santos family, but the Hall of Fame has too many players.

If you have to think about whether someone belongs in the Hall of Fame, then they don’t.

The Hall of Fame should be reserved for players like Ruth, DiMaggio, Mays, Mantle, Cobb, Wagner, etc.

Way to many “very good” players have been admitted (Robin Yount, Paul Molitor - nice players, but not HOF material, IMO).

But, again, I’m happy for the Santos family.

[Ticonderoga34]

One of the criterion for the Baseball Hall of Fame is that player was the best of his at his position for his era.

I don't think that you can compare Santo's stats with players from different eras. As been pointed out, Santo played in a pitchers era when averages and HR's were down across the board. A good case can be made that Santo was the best NL third baseman during his prime. Mike Schmidt came along later.

[magritte]

Santo played 3rd, which doesn’t have a ton of Hall-Of-Famers, which benefited him, as well as his post-playing career and the popularity that followed him. Didn’t hurt that Billy Williams was on the committee either. His career numbers made him a marginal Hall-Of-Famer, but a sentimental favorite.

[Erasmus]

As been pointed out, Santo played in a pitchers era when averages and HR's were down across the board.

I think what you're saying is B.S.

Before Steroids, that is.

≤}B^)

[bobby.223]

About time is right!!!!

[uncbob]

Agree

[raybbr]

The Hall of Fame should be reserved for players like Ruth, DiMaggio, Mays, Mantle, Cobb, Wagner, etc.

Forget anyone who isn't a Yankee, Red Sox, Met, ect. right?

[erod]

I’m a White Sox fan but Ronnie deserves it too bad it happened too late.

[bobby.223]

I agree. The Hall Of Fame USED to be reserved for the GREATS only, when we were younger, but entrance accomplishments have sequentially been ‘watered down’ for lack of a better term, through out the years for a variety of reasons. (first reason in my mind is the HOF likes the entire entrance jazz and pageantry and $$$$$ at Cooperstown and damn it, somebody is gonna go in each year!!) Still legit, ‘any era’, ‘GREATS’ all around players recently to tho. Schmitt and Griffey Jr., Seaver come to mind quickly but I would love it to go back to the way it was but....if it is what it is now, Santo deserves and should have been in a long time ago. Look at Tinkers, (to), Evers, (to) Chance being in! A damn crock! They never once led the NL in double plays!!! Except for Chance a few years, horrible sticks. They made it in on damn poem’s jingle!!!

[Retired Greyhound]

Forget anyone who isn't a Yankee, Red Sox, Met, ect. right?

Musial, Killebrew, Frank Robinson, Ernie Banks, Koufax...did any of them play for the Yanks, Sox or Mets?

No. They were all-time greats, no-brainers for the HOF.

The Hall now has too many marginal players.