Results tagged ‘ Ron Santo ’
9/20 Ramirez ties Santo
Aramis Ramirez hit a milestone home run on Thursday that meant much more considering the other name in the discussion. With his 337th career home run as a third baseman, Ramirez tied Hall of Famer Ron Santo for sixth place on the all-time list for homers from that position. The two became close after Ramirez was traded in 2003 to Chicago, where Santo was the Cubs’ radio analyst.
“I was a big fan of Ron Santo all my years in Chicago,” Ramirez told reporters in Pittsburgh. “He was a great guy, always in the clubhouse trying to give me advice, make me a better player. I admire the way he treated young players in Chicago.”
Santo was posthumously inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame this summer, an honor Ramirez called, “deserving.”
Ramirez actually has 340 career home runs — he also homered twice as a pinch-hitter and once as a designated hitter in Interleague Play. Santo hit 342 homers in his career.
– Carrie Muskat
9/10 Hughes, Santo on Frick ballot
Ron Santo and Cubs radio play by play announcer Pat Hughes are among the 41 broadcasters picked from the more than 200 eligible for the 2013 Ford C. Frick Award. The second round of online voting for the award began Monday and will run through Oct. 5 on the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Facebook site. The top three vote-getters among the 41 finalists will be placed on the final 2013 Frick Award ballot, with the other seven finalists determined by a Hall of Fame committee. The final ballot will be announced Oct. 9.
The Ford C. Frick Award is presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum for excellence in baseball broadcasting. The 2013 Frick Award winner will be selected by a 21-member electorate, with the winner to be announced at baseball’s Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn., in early December.
Santo was inducted posthumously into the Hall of Fame this summer.
The top 41 vote-getters from the first round of online voting were (in alphabetical order): Joe Angel, Richie Ashburn, Alan Ashby, Bert Blyleven, Lou Boudreau, Thom Brennaman, Rodger Brulotte, Joe Buck, Steve Busby, Skip Caray, Joe Castiglione, Tom Cheek, Don Chevrier, Gary Cohen, Jerry Doggett, Jacques Doucet, Dick Enberg, Ed Farmer, Ray Fosse, Hank Greenwald, Tom Grieve, Tom Hamilton, Ken Harrelson, Mark Holtz, Pat Hughes, Jim Hunter, Todd Kalas, Bill King, Mike Krukow, Duane Kuiper, Eric Nadel, Joe Nuxhall, Phil Rizzuto, Ron Santo, Mike Shannon, Charlie Slowes, Dwayne Staats, Steve Stone, Pete Van Wieren, Mike Wilner and Bert Wilson. Every broadcaster, active or retired, who has broadcast at least 10 consecutive years for a team or network was eligible for consideration during the first round of voting. Voting in the Fan Finals begins with a clean slate for each candidate, as vote totals do not carry over from Round One.
Presented annually since 1978 for excellence in baseball broadcasting, the Ford C. Frick Award is given to an active or retired broadcaster with a minimum of 10 years of continuous major league broadcast service with a ball club, network, or a combination of the two. The Frick electorate includes all living Award-winners and five historians/veteran media members appointed by the Hall of Fame.
7/27 Ron Santo Day at Wrigley
Long time Cubs third baseman and radio analyst Ron Santo, inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame last Sunday, was celebrated on Friday at Wrigley Field. There were No. 10 flags on top of the ballpark and a “10″ imprinted in center field in honor of Santo, who passed away in December 2010, one year before the Golden Era committee voted him into the Hall of Fame. Santo’s wife, Vicki, and Santo’s sons, Ron Jr. and Jeff, and daughter Linda and her two children, Sam and Spencer, received a photo from the ceremonies in Cooperstown in which the family posed with the plaque. The family then shook hands with Cubs manager Dale Sveum, the coaches and all the players lined along the dugout. Santo’s grandson Spencer Brown threw a perfect strike to recently retired Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood for the ceremonial first pitch. As they took the field, the Cubs players clicked their heels as they did last Sunday in St. Louis in honor of Santo, who first did the celebration in 1969.
– Carrie Muskat
7/27 Extra bases
The Cubs open a three-game series against the Cardinals on Friday at Wrigley Field, which also is Ron Santo Day. Ceremonies are expected to begin around 1 p.m. CT. As of now, Ryan Dempster and Matt Garza are both still on the roster.
* Since making his Cubs debut June 26, Anthony Rizzo is first among NL rookies with a .323 batting average, is tied for first with five home runs, and second in RBIs with 12.
* Alfonso Soriano is one home run away from his 11th 20-homer season. One more, and he’ll join Andre Dawson as the only players to hit 20 or more home runs in each of their first six seasons with the Cubs.
* In case you missed it, here are the pitching matchups for this weekend:
Friday: LHP Travis Wood (4-5, 4.33) vs. RHP Lance Lynn (12-4, 3.10)
Saturday: RHP Jeff Samardzija (7-8, 4.25) vs. RHP Joe Kelly (1-3, 2.78)
Sunday: LHP Paul Maholm (9-6, 3.88) vs. RHP Adam Wainwright (8-10, 4.31)
– Carrie Muskat
7/22 It’s Santo’s day
Legendary Cubs third baseman and longtime WGN Radio broadcaster Ron Santo will be posthumously enshrined into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., today. The ceremony begins at 12:30 p.m. CT. Santo was voted into the Hall last Dec. 5 by the Golden Era Ballot Committee.
On Sunday, the Cubs will wear No. 10 patches on their jerseys to commemorate Santo’s election into the Hall.
* In the 15 Major League seasons of Santo’s playing career with the Cubs (1960-73) and White Sox (1974), he was one of four players to amass 2,000 hits, 300 home runs and 1,300 RBIs, joining fellow Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson and Billy Williams.
* Including Santo, a total of 47 former Cubs players, managers and executives have earned enshrinement into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
– Carrie Muskat
7/19 Hall of Fame events
Ron Santo will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, and fans of the Cubs third baseman can watch the TV premiere of “This Old Cub” special edition on MLB Network on Saturday.
This is an updated version of the documentary about Santo, who passed away Dec. 3, 2010. It will air at 12 p.m. CT Saturday. The intimate and indepth film focuses on Santo’s life, both on the field and off, and how he dealt with complications from diabetes that forced him to have both legs amputated below the knee. It includes humorous and very touching highlights from his days as a player and in the radio booth with broadcaster Pat Hughes. The film was produced and directed by Santo’s son Jeff, and the new version includes the statue dedication at Wrigley Field in August 2011, the Hall of Fame election announcement on Dec. 5, 2011, and excerpts from an interview between father and son recorded two weeks before Ron died. Fans also can purchase their own copy of the documentary at www.santofilms.com.
Santo was voted into Cooperstown on Dec. 5, 2011 by the Golden Era Ballot Committee. A nine-time All-Star, he received 15 of 16 votes.
* On Saturday in Cooperstown, the Cubs will host a fan fest at the Fenimore Art Museum from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. CT. Special guests will include Hughes, Hall of Famers Billy Williams and Fergie Jenkins, and teammates Glenn Beckert and Randy Hundley. There will be a question and answer session, video of Santo moments, and food and drink. The Cubs contingent in Cooperstown also will include members of the Ricketts family, as well as former Cubs manager Lou Piniella.
* Sunday’s induction ceremony will begin at 12:30 p.m. CT at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown. Cubs fans who can’t get there can celebrate Santo’s honor at a viewing party at Captain Morgan Club next to Wrigley Field.
* On July 27, which will be the Cubs’ first home game after the ceremony, the team will celebrate Santo at Wrigley Field, with the first 10,000 fans receiving a commemorative Ron Santo Hall of Fame plaque.
– Carrie Muskat
7/17 Countdown to Cooperstown
Fergie Jenkins can’t wait until Ron Santo is able to add “Hall of Fame” after his name. Unfortunately, as Cubs fans know, the honor came too late for Santo to do that himself. Santo, the long time Cubs third baseman and radio color man, will be inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday in Cooperstown. As part of a week-long series of events, Santo, who died in December 2010, almost one year to the day before he was elected into the Hall, was celebrated on Tuesday at the “Cubs Corner” luncheon sponsored by WGN Radio.
“Everybody’s asking how we’re gearing up for it and what we’re looking forward to,” Ron Santo Jr. said. “Personally, I’ve never been there, so I’m looking forward to actually going to Cooperstown and seeing the museum and the town and everything I’ve heard about. It’s just icing on the cake to watch the presentation on Sunday to see dad’s plaque finally go up.”
Santo’s wife Vickie will deliver the speech Sunday, and has been practicing, Ron Jr. said, but not in front of family.
“I think she’d probably be more nervous doing that in front of us than in front of the crowd,” he said.
Jenkins, who was Santo’s Cubs teammate, and inducted into Cooperstown in 1991, will attend the festivities Sunday.
“I think the family in general will be really excited because of the fact that Ronnie is getting inducted,” Jenkins said. “Unfortunately, Ronnie isn’t with us, but now with Ron Santo’s name, you’ll see ‘HOF’ behind it, it’ll be very important. This is an opportunity to get put in a class of great athletes, and Ronnie was a great athlete.”
Santo’s son, Jeff, who directed “This Old Cub,” a movie about his father’s life, has put together a special edition of the film (available at santofilms.com) which includes footage of the statue unveiling at Wrigley Field for his father as well as the city of Chicago’s sendoff after his funeral. Fans also can celebrate Santo highlights on a CD compiled by Hughes, part of his “Baseball Voices” collection.
“This was something he wanted ever since he retired,” Ron Jr. said. “To him, it was the pinnacle.”
– Carrie Muskat
7/14 Ron Santo week
Ron Santo will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on July 22, and there will be a series of events leading up to the ceremony in Cooperstown. It will be finalized July 27 with Ron Santo Day at Wrigley Field, when the team will honor the former third baseman with a special pregame ceremony featuring members of his family. The first 10,000 fans in the gate will receive a commemorative Ron Santo Hall of Fame plaque, courtesy of PNC Bank, while commemorative memorabilia will also be available for purchase. The team has partnered with Scotts to incorporate an honorary design into the outfield grass of Wrigley Field for that afternoon’s game.
“Ron Santo embodied what it meant to be a Chicago Cub,” chairman Tom Ricketts said in a statement. “This franchise couldn’t be prouder as he is enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and we’re honored he will forever represent the Chicago Cubs in Cooperstown. Our family looks forward to celebrating this well-deserved accomplishment with Cubs fans worldwide.”
* July 17 – Cubs Corner Luncheon, Chicago
Ron’s son, Ron Santo Jr., plus former teammate and Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins, and Cubs WGN Radio broadcaster Pat Hughes will reflect on Ron’s Hall of Fame induction during a panel discussion at the Cubs Corner Luncheon at Wildfire restaurant in Chicago. The session will air on WGN Radio 720 AM from 12-1 p.m. CT. Tickets are $55 per person, inclusive of tax and gratuity. Each guest receives an autographed photo of a featured panelist upon check-in and lunch. On-site registration begins at 11 a.m CT. Tickets are available at www.cubs.com/cubscorner.
* July 21 – Cubs Fan Fest, Cooperstown, N.Y.
The Cubs will host a Cubs Fan Fest in Cooperstown on July 21 in honor of Ron Santo’s induction into the Hall of Fame. The party will be held in the lawn-tented section of Cooperstown’s Fenimore Art Museum from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET. This casual party is for Cubs fans who wish to celebrate Santo’s life and induction with other members of the Cubs community, including Ron’s teammates and several members of the Cubs front office. Special guests include Pat Hughes, Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins, Randy Hundley, Glenn Beckert, the Ricketts family and others. Attendees will enjoy a live question and answer session, video of memorable Santo moments, music, food and drinks. A suggested $10 donation at the event will help benefit Chicago Cubs Charities and the not-for-profit National Baseball Hall of Fame.
* July 22 – National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Cooperstown, N.Y.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place July 22 at 1:30 p.m. ET on the grounds outside of the Clark Sports Center. The ceremony is expected to last two hours. Seating for the event is unlimited and free of charge. A blanket or lawn chair is recommended for comfortable viewing. Ball caps, yearbooks and museum membership packages are available for purchase at the Hall of Fame induction site.
* July 22 – Hall of Fame Induction Viewing Party, Wrigley Field’s Captain Morgan Club, Chicago
Concurrent with the National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cooperstown, the Cubs will host a viewing party at the Captain Morgan Club adjacent to Wrigley Field starting at 11 a.m. CT. Attendees can watch the ceremony live on dozens of televisions from 12:30-2:30 p.m. CT just steps away from Ron Santo’s statue at the corner of Addison Street and Sheffield Avenue.
* July 27 – Ron Santo Day at Wrigley Field, Chicago
The first Cubs home game following the Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be dedicated to honoring Ron Santo in the ballpark he enjoyed the most. The following activities will highlight Ron Santo Day at Wrigley Field:
- The Cubs will honor Santo during an on-field ceremony featuring members of his family before the 1:20 p.m. CT game vs. the Cardinals.
- The first 10,000 fans will receive a commemorative Ron Santo Hall of Fame plaque, courtesy of PNC Bank.
- The outfield grass in center field will showcase an honorary No. 10 design that was chosen by fans through a partnership with Scotts, the Official Lawn Care Company of the Cubs and Major League Baseball.
- Chicago Kernel Gourmet Popcorn will hand out free samples of their gourmet popcorn at Wrigley Field and sell a limited-edition collectible art popcorn tin commemorating Ron Santo’s legendary career and induction into the Hall of Fame. Each tin includes a limited-edition Ron Santo baseball card.
- Majestic will offer commemorative Ron Santo Hall of Fame Cubs jerseys, T-shirts and patches for sale, with proceeds benefitting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).
Fans may purchase tickets for the July 27 game at Wrigley Field at www.cubs.com.
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