Over the past two summers, while driving across Northern Michigan for my job, I'd often tune my SiriusXM radio in to listen to Chicago Cubs games. The reason I listened wasn't because I was necessarily a Cubs fan, but it was to hear Ron Santo. Santo spent 14 of his 15 seasons, as a player, with the Cubs. A nine time All-Star and five time Gold Glove winner, he was one of the greatest third baseman of his generation. He should be in the Hall of Fame, but that is a conversation for another time. As a color commentator, however, he was not a Hall-of-Famer, but his game analysis wasn't his draw. Santo began broadcasting for the Cubs in 1990, and his appeal was his unapologetic passion and enthusiasm that he displayed during every Cub broadcast. He represented every Cub fan in the radio booth by cheering loudly for a homerun or expressing his disgust and disappointment when they committed an error. No one loved his team more than Santo loved the Cubs. His radio partner, play-by-play man Pat Hughes, was the perfect compliment to Santo's style. Hughes would set him up perfectly for a rant, or a story, without taking anything away from the flow of the game. They played off each other very well. Their partnership sadly ended, as we learned this morning, that we lost Ron Santo.
Santo suffered from several health issues. He was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 18. He ended up having both legs amputated, one in 2001 and the other in 2002. Despite this, he continued to broadcast and also became a spokesman for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). On Wednesday, it was reported that he lapsed into a comma and ended up dying Thursday due to complications of diabetes and bladder cancer. He was 70 years old.
The Cubs lost it's biggest fan. For me, driving across Northern Michigan in the summer will never be the same.
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