Reactions to the Long-Awaited Ron Santo Hall of Fame Selection

Taking a break from the rumor mill to enjoy some of the heart-felt reactions to Ron Santo’s selection to the Hall of Fame yesterday…

  • The Santo family is, understandably, thrilled by the news, but frustrated by the timing. But Vicki Santo said she knows Ron would ultimately be happy. “I can see him sitting on the sofa here and he’d be pumping his fist in the air, saying, ‘Yes, yes,’” Vicki said. “We feel he was meant to be there …. Unfortunately it didn’t happen in his lifetime. But this is going to continue his legacy, who he was, and what he meant to baseball. I think it’s going to be a tremendous event in Chicago, how he persevered.”
  • Cubs great and long-time friend Billy Williams, who was a part of the Golden Era Committee that elected Santo (and who lobbied for his friend): “When you look at his numbers on paper, he had some good years in the big leagues. When you look at that, we’re measured by what we do on the baseball field and sometimes we’re measured by what we do off the baseball field. With Santo, he was a broadaster, he really built up the game of baseball and of course, [Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation], he worked for them, and he raised more than $60 million for Juvenile Diabetes. He did a great job through the years. All those numbers, this is what I’m most proud of, all those numbers, he never did complain — ‘I feel this, I feel that.’ He went out and played the game the way it should be played and played hard. It was tough for him. But he still put up numbers that enabled him to be in the baseball Hall of Fame.”
  • Cubs Owner and Chairman Tom Ricketts: “All who knew Ron or welcomed him into their homes on the radio recognize he was so much more than a Hall of Fame baseball player. As an athlete, he was our All-Star. As a radio analyst, he carried our passion. For those battling illness or disease, he remains an inspiration. And for all of us who had the honor of calling him our friend, he is forever beloved. Though it is bittersweet that Ron is not here to enjoy this day, we are comforted by the pride members of the Santo family have for their husband, father and grandfather. On behalf of the Chicago Cubs organization and all of our fans, we congratulate Ron Santo’s family on this historic day and look forward to his induction next summer.”
  • Fellow Hall of Fame third baseman and contemporary (and another Golden Era Committee member) Brooks Robinson: “Everyone on our committee could not see how he did not get in with the writers. This is really the best way to do it — the way we did it here.”
  • MLB Commissioner Bud Selig: “This is a great day for baseball and for Cubs fans everywhere. I am thrilled that the memory of my dear friend Ron Santo will be preserved forever in the halls of Cooperstown. As a star player and a beloved broadcaster, Ron was a staple of the Cubs’ experience every single day for decades, representing all the goodwill of both the franchise and the game he loved. I always admired Ron’s courage and loyalty, and I miss him very much. Today, I am so proud to know that his contributions to baseball will receive the highest honor. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I congratulate Ron’s wife Vicki, their four children and their grandchildren.”
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

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