Ron Santo dead at 70

[Henry Sugar]

I am a Cubs fan because of Pat Hughes and Ron Santo.  He was never a great color guy, but I could and did spend hours listening to their broadcasts of games.

RIP

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-ron-santo-chicago-cubs-obit,0,1699814.story

[reinko]

Milwaukee-born Brewers fan...Cubs fan today.  Santo was such an inspirational figure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9XtDyDUjIU

[GGGG]

Worst.  Broadcaster.  Ever.

[bilsu]

Worst.  Broadcaster.  Ever.

Way to show respect for the dead.

[GGGG]

Meh...he's dead.  I'm sure he doesn't really care.

[mu-rara]

Santo, Kessinger, Beckert and Banks...the infield third to first...Vince and Lou setting the infield

Let's go...batter up...we're taking the afternoon off...


great memories

[Canadian Dimes]

Superbar this Please....

[brewcity77]

Santo certainly wasn't the most astute, but I've never heard an announcer with such passion for a team. Ronnie certainly loved his Cubs, and while he may not have been the kind of broadcaster that educated the audience, there was no one better at relating to them in terms of enjoying the ups and (sadly more frequently) suffering the downs that the team went through. Couple that with all the work he did for JDF and you can't find many people in the business more genuine and giving of themselves than Santo. He will be missed.

[LastWarrior]

Meh...he's dead.  I'm sure he doesn't really care.

I care dipshit!  The man did more for juvenile diabetes awareness than anyone.  Have some g*d damn decency!

[NavinRJohnson]

I care dipcrap!  The man did more for juvenile diabetes awareness than anyone.  Have some g*d damn decency!

What's indecent about saying he was a bad broadcaster. I'm assuming Sultan said it when he was alive, as I did. Why shouldn't he say it when he's dead? Did he celebrate his death? Say he was a bad person? All he did was state what is as true today as it was yesterday.

[reinko]

I care dipcrap!  The man did more for juvenile diabetes awareness than anyone.  Have some g*d damn decency!

Easy.  I would put the thousands of doctors and nurses in this country that treat this disease on daily basis, and make it their life work ahead of the work than Ron did.  Not taking anything away from what he did of course.  RIP.

[mu-rara]

What's indecent about saying he was a bad broadcaster. I'm assuming Sultan said it when he was alive, as I did. Why shouldn't he say it when he's dead? Did he celebrate his death? Say he was a bad person? All he did was state what is as true today as it was yesterday.

Why concentrate on what you didn't like.  He was a great Cub player. 

[LastWarrior]

What's indecent about saying he was a bad broadcaster. I'm assuming Sultan said it when he was alive, as I did. Why shouldn't he say it when he's dead? Did he celebrate his death? Say he was a bad person? All he did was state what is as true today as it was yesterday.

Timing... Do you really think it's appropriate to make that comment on the day he passed?  What would you say if on the day that Al passed some fan from another team came here and said he was the worst coach ever.  He's entitled to his opinion but the timing and place  are not appropriate.  Didn't your parents raise you people better?

[tower912]

There was a time when this board would go at least a few hours before turning to the dark side.   I am a Cub hater, but I have whiled away the hours with my dad over a beer listening to Santo do a game.   God's Blessings on him and his family and my condolences to the Cubs fans who enjoyed him so much over the years.  

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

I'm the biggest Cub fan around and Santo was an endearing figure, for sure. But he WAS a terrible announcer. In fact, it was his awfulness as a broadcaster that made him endearing. He was not nearly as popular as a player. In fact, many opponents loathed him and he embarrassed more than one teammate publicly.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that Sultant is right, but his badness was what made him popular.

[Henry Sugar]

June 29, 2007 - Aramis Ramirez hits a walk-off home run to beat the Brewers (attached).

Santo doesn't do anything but scream like a banshee.  It's awesome.

[TallTitan34]

I love Santo, but he was an awful broadcaster.  One of his famous lines was asking Pat how the runner got to second base.  Despite this, he connected with his audience better than anyone.  He was a fan not a broadcaster.  And I didn't mind him in the booth one bit.  Him and Pat had a great chemistry.

Len Kasper said today that what you heard in the booth was the same as how Ron was off the field. As a result it felt like you knew him.

I assume WGN will be running "This Old Cub" at some point soon.  If you haven't seen it I highly recommend it.  It shows everything Ron went through as both a player and commentator with diabetes.  

[TallTitan34]

Nice audio Sugar!

The Score has been playing Ronnie clips all day.  One of my favorites......

Pat Hughes:  Here at spring training fans have seats right below our booth.  A fan has stood up  blocking my view of the plate, batter, and umpire.  Ronnie would you like to take over?

Ron Santo (yelling in background):   SIT DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!   WILL YOU SIT DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MUfan12]

June 29, 2007 - Aramis Ramirez hits a walk-off home run to beat the Brewers (attached).

Santo doesn't do anything but scream like a banshee.  It's awesome.

I don't even have to listen to that to feel like I was punched in the gut all over again. Ugh.

On the opposite end of the spectrum... Who has the Brant Brown call?

[MarquetteFan94]

Listening to a Cubs game won't be the same.  The chemistry between him and Pat Hughes was a pleasure to listen to.  He announced with the same passion as he lived his life.  He was as big a Cubs fan as anyone on the planet and announced the games that way.  Heaven forbid.  The guy was a gem in every sense, always had time for people, always had a positive disposition, never complained about his health and tirelessly worked to promote his foundation and a cure for diabetes.

All of the classless comments about him are completely shallow and worthless as he was always quick to make fun of himself for not being a great announcer or having his facts straight....or knowing how a runner got to second base....or wearing a hair piece for that matter.

RIP Ronny.

[Lennys Tap]

I played in a two day golf event that Santo participated in. After golf the first day, 16 of us played cards - 8 vs 8, a "team" game of gin. Santo was on my "squad" - a really great guy and a what a competitor (cards, golf, anything) - I'm a lifelong Sox fan, but a Ron Santo fan too.

[Henry Sugar]

Desipio checks in

http://www.desipio.com/?p=3276

[rocky_warrior]

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_16768504#ixzz174Ddadxr

Denver Post sports writer Adam Schefter

AS: Best part of being the Cubs' color commentator on WGN?

RS: I get a lot of letters saying, "How do I become a color commentator?" I say, "All you have to do is play 15 years in the big leagues and you get hired." I was so horrible my first year, and this tells you why WGN is so wonderful.

At the end of that year, I went to the general manager and I said, "This is not for me, I'm not myself." He said, "That's the problem, Ron. We know your personality. All we want you to do is be you. We're giving you the independence to be you." And boy, that's all I needed.

AS: Nicest thing somebody ever did for you?

RS: It just happened — the Chicago Cubs organization retiring my number.

That's why I've been very disappointed about not making the Hall of Fame. I just thought if I get in, I'm sure they would retire my number. I didn't get in, and when I was told, John McDonough, the vice president of marketing and broadcasting for the Tribune Company, said, "Hey, Ron, would you meet me in the board room?" I was in the board room and all of a sudden I see Dennis FitzSimmons, Jim Hendry, Andy MacPhail, Mark McGuire, all the top executives. I said, "OK, what's going on?" So John sits down and says, "Ron, when we're going to let somebody go, we all like to be in the same room." And I said, "If you're letting me go, you might as well shoot me." And that's when Andy MacPhail pulled out my uniform and he said, "This will never be worn again."

Ahhh, I was so emotional. I tell you, I'm an emotional guy, but not that emotional. Now my uniform is hanging there down the left-field line below Ernie Banks, and Billy Williams' is across from us. And I know after I'm gone, people are going to walk in there and ask, "Who is that No. 10?"

[JWags85]

June 29, 2007 - Aramis Ramirez hits a walk-off home run to beat the Brewers (attached).

Santo doesn't do anything but scream like a banshee.  It's awesome.

That was why I liked him.  I don't, well I guess didn't, love the radio broadcasts a ton, but if it was a close game or they were getting beat on, I tuned in cause Santo was priceless.  The only thing that made my smile during that horrible Dodgers series in 2008 was listening to Santo cause he sounded like an old Eastern European women in mourning.  Every Manny jack or Cubs error made him moan like he was being stabbed.  He wasn't Bob Uecker but he loved the Cubs and his passion was fun to listen to.

[MUEng92]

I would put the thousands of doctors and nurses in this country that treat this disease on daily basis, and make it their life work ahead of the work than Ron did.  Not taking anything away from what he did of course.  RIP.

According to the JDRF website, Santo's work led to more than $60 million in donations.  I would say a good chunk of those doctors and nurses wouldn't have a job without Santo's work.