Happy 69th birthday to Cubs great Ron Santo.
Once again, Santo was shut out of Cooperstown in 2008. It is a shame, not only as a Cubs backer, but as a baseball fan. I have had the opportunity to meet Mr. Santo on a few occasions, and he is a stand-up man who deserves to be inducted as a baseball immortal.
I just hope that will come in 2010 and he is around to see that day.
I agree. The fact that Ron Santo is not in the Hall of Fame is a joke. Actually, the Hall of Fame is a joke. Someone like Jim Rice can get elected, but Santo can't.
ReplyDeleteNot only are Santo's numbers Hall-worthy, he played his whole career with diabetes. In addition, I have yet to read a respected baseball writer who doesn't think he belongs. I have no idea what's holding him back. He was a premier third baseman for many years, who won a truckload of gold gloves. Are people afraid to elect another Hall of Famer from a team that didn't win anything (Ernie Banks, Billy Williams and Fergie Jenkins all got in)? That's the only thing I can come up with.
If Santo had even one world championship, he'd already be in the Hall. But that's ridiculous. It's an individual honor. I am one who believes that how many World Series a player won should be irrelevant when casting Hall of Fame ballots. Unfortunately, it seems to mean everything to voters.
Take Phil Rizzuto who played for the Yankees from 1941-1956. In his career he batted .273 with a .351 OBP, while hitting a whopping 38 homers. His OPS was .706 for God sakes. .706! But he won several world championships. You can guess why he got in.