Ron Santo will stay on with the Chicago Cubs for another three years, which is just swell. It’s hard to find another more excitable color man in baseball.
Santo has signed a new three-year contract continuing his 20-year career in the booth and that gives leeway to accommodate him taking time off is his health requires it. “There are a lot of perks because of my legs,’’ said Santo, a double amputee because of his 50-year struggles with diabetes. “I go nuts when I can’t be at the games, but I have to think about my family and my health. So if I’m not feeling well or get wiped out, I’ll take certain days off, and they [WGN] have no problem with that.’’
Santo, who turns 70 in February, had some health problems last season and took some road trips off. The new contract continues to allow for those situations.
Santo and play by play partner Pat Hughes have teamed for the last 14 years and remain extremely popular, even in years when the team has performed poorly on the field. Hughes’ current contract extends through the 2010 season.
Santo experienced a problem in November when one of his artificial legs malfunctioned, but said he otherwise is feeling well. “You know, with mechanical legs, you sometimes can have some problems with screws and things,’’ he said from his Arizona home Monday. “I’m feeling good and I’m on a real good [conditioning] program now where I’m on a stationary bike, and my wife got me a special chair that I can do sit-ups in. My sugar levels have been great and I’m been feeling great.’’ CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.
Now, can we please put this man in the Hall of Fame? Forget you, Veteran’s Committee.
Yes, it’s fine. He’s a very nice man and he loves the Cubs….and more importantly, I rarely listen to WGN radio so, yeah…it’s fine.
I love baseball, but will never go to the Hall of Fame, unless Ron Santo is inducted. If ESPN would have been around in the 1960s and 1970s, the entire nation could have witnessed his talent at third base.
Well said, Rod. Freaking Veteran’s Committee…