Results tagged ‘ Ron Santo ’
7/3 Hall of Fame update
More than 40 Hall of Famers are expected in Cooperstown to celebrate the enshrinement of the class of 2012 during festivities July 20-23. They will gather to induct Reds shortstop Barry Larkin and the late Ron Santo, who will be enshrined July 22. Santo’s wife Vicki will deliver the speech to honor the former Cubs third baseman and broadcaster. Ceremonies will begin at 1:30 p.m. ET. If you have never been to Cooperstown, it’s worth the trip. Admission is free.
– Carrie Muskat
6/21 Ron Santo print
Are you a fan of Ron Santo? Artist John Hanley, in collaboration with Santo’s son, Ron Jr., have produced a commemorative print celebrating the former Cubs third baseman’s induction into the Hall of Fame.The 16” x 20” lithograph was created to honor Santo’s outstanding career. To further honor Ron Santo’s legacy, 10 percent of the proceeds will be donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). For more info about Hanley and the Ron Santo print, please visit his website at www.johnhanleyartist.com or email him at johnhanleyartist@mac.com. 
6/8 Countdown to Cooperstown
Ron Santo will be immortalized in Cooperstown in six weeks, and visitors to the Baseball Hall of Fame can celebrate his legacy now. Some of the artifact highlights include:
* A 1969 Chicago Cubs road jersey worn by Ron Santo
* A bat used by Santo in 1969, when he hit 29 home runs and notched a career-best 123 RBI
* A batting helmet used by Santo in 1966, featuring one of the first models that incorporated an ear flap
* Santo’s 1968 Gold Glove Award, his fifth straight at third base
The 2012 Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held at 12:30 p.m. CT on July 22 at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown and will be shown live on MLB Network.
– Carrie Muskat
5/8 Hall of Fame weekend
Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson was at Wrigley Field on Monday, continuing preparations for the upcoming induction ceremonies in Cooperstown on July 22, which will include Ron Santo. The family of the late Cubs third baseman and broadcaster was to meet with Idelson and provide some other info and tidbits for the ceremony. Santo passed away in December 2010. His wife Vicki will deliver the speech in Cooperstown. Fans, if you’ve never been to the Baseball Hall of Fame, this is a good reason to go.
– Carrie Muskat
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
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