Results tagged ‘ Ron Santo ’
1/24 Plan now to attend HOF ceremonies
Are you planning on attending Hall of Fame induction ceremonies to honor late Cubs third baseman Ron Santo? The events will be July 20-23 in Cooperstown, N.Y., and more than 50 Hall of Famers are expected to return. Santo, who was named to nine All-Star Games in his 15 big league seasons, received 15 of 16 votes from the Golden Era Committee members at the Winter Meetings in December to gain induction. He is the 12th third baseman elected to the Hall of Fame and the 15th overall (including Negro leagues players).
The July 22 induction ceremony will place on the grounds outside of the Clark Sports Center, which is located on lower Susquehanna Avenue, just one mile south of the Hall of Fame. The ceremony is held rain or shine, unless severe weather forces the cancellation of the event. Seating for the event is unlimited and free of charge. A blanket or lawn chair is recommended for comfortable viewing. As the weather in Cooperstown can be quite warm in July, it is recommended that visitors bring a cap and sunscreen. It’s a tremendous weekend.
– Carrie Muskat
1/14 Extra bases: Santo, DeJesus, Campy & more
Ron Santo’s wife, Vicki, his son, Ron Santo Jr., and former teammates Randy Hundley, Glenn Beckert, and Billy Williams talked about the late third baseman, who was elected into the Hall of Fame in December. The session at the Grand Ballroom of the Chicago Hilton was standing room only. All agreed they were sad that the news came after Santo had passed.
“Ronnie would’ve been happier than anybody who’s ever been elected to the Hall of Fame,” said WGN Radio’s Pat Hughes, who was Santo’s partner for 15 years, and the emcee.
Vicki Santo will deliver the speech in honor of her husband in the induction ceremonies at Cooperstown on July 22.
* Extra bases: David DeJesus is the leading candidate to leadoff for the Cubs but Dale Sveum said he’s considering using Tony Campana in certain matchups. … During a Q&A session in which kids were the reporters, Campana was the star. Nearly every question was directed to the speedy outfielder, which prompted Reed Johnson to ask the kids if they did that because the 5-foot-8 Campana was the same size as they were. … Campana, by the way, would have liked to be an astronaut if he wasn’t playing baseball. … New pitching coach Chris Bosio said he expects the pitchers to be prepared, dictate the tempo of the game, and throw strikes. “We’re going to turn Wrigley Field into a homefield advantage, hopefully like they’ve never seen before,” he said. … The Cubs have not asked for more night games but would like more flexibility with the schedule so they could have a late game on Friday after a road trip, Tom Ricketts said. No plans for a video scoreboard.
– Carrie Muskat
12/5 Cubs notebook
Carlos Zambrano could pitch this weekend for Magallanes in the Venezuelan Winter League. Zambrano is healing after taking a line drive off his face that required 16 stitches. He’s made three starts in Venezuela.
* Theo Epstein says they are still adding to the front office and interviewing people at the Winter Meetings for scouting and player development positions. This time at the Hilton Anatole also gives him the chance to meet some of the staff.
“This is a good opportunity to have face to face conversations with guys I haven’t met before and haven’t worked with before,” Epstein said. “It’s a nice chance to do that instead of being in isolation at Wrigley all the time.”
* Although he did not know him well, Epstein said he was moved by the outpouring of emotion for late Cubs third baseman Ron Santo, who was elected into the Hall of Fame on Monday.
“What a beloved figure by everyone,” Epstein said. “People couldn’t be happier for him and his family and the organization and our fans. It’s long overdue and well deserved. It’s a great day for everyone’s who come across Ron Santo.”
– Carrie Muskat
12/4 Cubs to know Monday re: Santo & Hall
The Cubs are hoping for good news Monday at the Winter Meetings when they find out if Ron Santo made it into the Hall of Fame. The 16-member revamped Veterans Committee cast its votes on Sunday in Dallas. Santo, who died one year ago Saturday, is one of the candidates on a Veterans’ Committee ballot representing the Golden Era of the sport from 1947-72. Santo’s competition includes former players Gil Hodges, Ken Boyer, Minnie Minoso, Tony Oliva, Jim Kaat, Allie Reynolds, Luis Tiant, and executives Charlie Finley and Buzzie Bavasi.
Santo failed to make the Hall of Fame in his 15 years of eligibity on the Baseball Writers Association of America ballot and also in numerous forms of the Veterans Committee. He missed by nine votes in a 2008 ballot of a post 1943 committee, and his highest vote total on the BBWAA ballot was 43.1 percent in 1998.
Hall of Famer Billy Williams, Santo’s former teammate, is on the Golden Era Committee, along with Hank Aaron, Al Kaline, Ralph Kiner, Tommy Lasorda, Juan Marichal, Brooks Robinson, Don Sutton. Major League executives Paul Beeston, Bill DeWitt, Roland Hemond, Gene Michael and Al Rosen, and veteran media members Dick Kaegel, Jack O’Connell and Dave Van Dyck also are on the committee. A 75 percent vote is needed, which, in this instance, would be 12 votes.
– Carrie Muskat
11/21 Cespedes, Jaramillo, Ryno & Santo
The Cubs are expected to get a first-hand look at Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes on Tuesday in the Dominican Republic. Jason McLeod, senior vice president of scouting and player development, was part of the Cubs contingent in the Dominican. Cespedes set a single-season record by hitting 33 home runs. The 26-year-old right-handed hitting outfielder has worked out for the Red Sox and Yankees, among other teams. However, his asking price, believed to be around $50 million, may be a little steep. McLeod also had a chance to scout 19-year-old Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler in the Dominican.
* Hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo will return next season and be part of new Cubs manager Dale Sveum’s staff, baseball sources said. Jaramillo talked to Sveum over the weekend. Sveum is still putting together his staff, and an official announcement was expected soon, possibly after the Thanksgiving holiday. Coaches Bobby Dernier and Ivan DeJesus will not return, according to a source.
* Ryne Sandberg, who guided the Phillies’ Triple-A team to its first winning season and into the International League championship series, will return as the IronPigs manager in 2012. Sandberg had interviewed for the Cardinals’ Major League manager vacancy, which ultimately went to former St. Louis catcher Mike Matheny.
* Tuesday is the official release date for WGN Radio’s Pat Hughes new CD highlighting Ron Santo’s career. It’s a fun-filled collection of Santo clips from the “Pat & Ron Show” broadcasts, including discussions between the two on cage dancing, cake, “Al Fonseca,” Brant Brown, and more. It’s an absolute must for fans of Santo, who died last December. The CD is the 10th in Hughes’ “Baseball Voices” series, which naturally is the perfect one to honor No. 10. You can purchase it on Cubs.com or at baseballvoices.com.
– Carrie Muskat
11/3 Santo has another chance at HOF
Former Cubs third baseman Ron Santo was one of 10 former players named to the Baseball Hall of Fame’s “Golden Era” ballot, which will be voted on by a special committee Dec. 5 at the Winter Meetings. The committee consists of 16 members, including Hall of Famers, executives, historians and media members. A candidate must receive at least 12 votes to be elected. Santo was a finalist on several occasions through the Veterans Committee. The long time third baseman and broadcaster died last December.
The other finalists on the ballot include Minnie Minoso, Buzzie Bavasi, Jim Katt, Allie Reynolds, Ken Boyer, Luis Tiant, Charlie O. Finley, Gil Hodges and Tony Oliva.
– Carrie Muskat
8/30 Santo, Hughes on Frick ballot
You can help Ron Santo and Pat Hughes get into baseball’s Hall of Fame. Santo and Hughes are among the 75 candidates vying for the 2012 Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in baseball broadcasting. This is Hughes’ 16th season as WGN Radio’s play by play announcer. Santo’s last season as the team’s analyst was 2010. The former Cubs third baseman, who died last December, began his broadcasting career in 1990 and teamed with Hughes for 15 seasons.
Fans can cast votes for the Cubs radio broadcasters at the Hall of Fame’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/baseballhall. This is the ninth consecutive year the fans will select three of the 10 names on the ballot for the Frick Award. Voting runs from Thursday through Sept. 30, and fans can cast votes once per day through September.
The Hall of Fame has trimmed the list of fan-eligible candidates to 75, with two representing every current big league team and 15 at-large selections. The selections were based on popularity, longevity and past voting results in the online fan balloting. Eligible candidates must have a minimum of 10 years of continuous Major League broadcast service with a ball club, network, or a combination of the two.
Results of the fan voting will be announced Oct. 5. The final 2012 Frick Award ballot will be comprised of the three fan selections, along with seven other candidates, determined by a Hall of Fame staff research team. The winner will be announced Dec. 6 at the Winter Meetings.
– Carrie Muskat
8/10 Santo’s passion
Everyone has their special memory of Ron Santo. Mike Quade got a chance to interact with the late third baseman and broadcaster daily, and that relationship developed when he got the manager’s job last August.
“What a character,” Quade said of Santo, who will be honored Wednesday with a statue outside Wrigley Field. “Growing up as a kid and all of us who have watched him and the way he went about his business and the blue collar type of approach he had, all of that is near and dear to my heart as well as everybody else’s. The fact you can come to this ballpark and take a look at he and Billy [Williams] and Ernie [Banks] and some of the great players here on a daily basis with a statue out there is something special.”
The Cubs tweaked their batting practice schedule so the players could attend the ceremony on the corner of Addison and Sheffield. Santo’s passion for the Cubs and the game inspired catcher Koyie Hill to create the “PASS10N” t-shirts.
“It was nuts — his passion,” Quade said. “I don’t think I’ve met anybody who had passion like Ronnie did and it was sincere as the day is long. To ride on a plane with him after a loss — you could’ve won 10 in a row and you lose a game and he’s devastated and it was real. I think for all the things you remember about him — and back in the day when you could be with a club for years and years and years, he and Ernie and Billy meant as much to the city as anybody baseball wise, at least in my lifetime.
“We miss him. This is going to be a real good day.”
– Carrie Muskat
8/10 Williams & Santo together again
Billy Williams has shared a spot in the Cubs lineup with Ron Santo, and played with the third baseman in the Minor Leagues and Major Leagues. The Hall of Fame outfielder is more than willing to share his corner at Addison and Sheffield streets outside Wrigley Field.
On Wednesday night, the Cubs will unveil a statue honoring the late Santo, who died in December at the age of 70. The bronze will be placed on the same corner near the right field corner as a statue of Williams.
“I wish he could have been here for this,” Williams said of his former teammate. “I’m really thrilled about it. With Ernie and myself having been pillars of this organization, it’s only fitting for him to have a statue.”
Santo’s statue will be the third of a Cubs player, joining Banks, whose bronze is at the Clark and Addison corner, and Williams, whose statue was added last year. There also is a bronze of broadcaster Harry Caray at the corner of Sheffield and Waveland.
“We’ve been sharing third, fourth place all the time [in the lineup],” said Williams, who played for the Cubs from 1959-74, while Santo played from 1960-73. “We were in Double-A, Triple-A baseball together. Rogers Hornsby put his stamp of approval on us. It’s nice [the statues are together]. I like sharing the corner with the guy.”
Williams will join Santo’s former teammates Banks, Fergie Jenkins, Randy Hundley and Glenn Beckert at the festivities, which will begin at 5:30 p.m. CT.
– Carrie Muskat
8/8 Santo statue dedication on Wednesday
The Cubs will unveil a statue of late third baseman and broadcaster Ron Santo on Wednesday at the corner of Sheffield and Addison streets outside Wrigley Field. The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. CT, and guests scheduled to attend include members of the Santo and Ricketts families and several of Santo’s teammates, including Ernie Banks, Glenn Beckert, Randy Hundley, Fergie Jenkins, Milt Pappas and Billy Williams. In honor of the event, the Cubs will donate $10 from every ticket sold on Cubs.com using the special promo code “JDRF.” The Cubs play host to the Nationals that night at Wrigley Field.
– Carrie Muskat
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