Cubs honor Ron Santo
MESA, Ariz. -- The Chicago Cubs and the city of Mesa honored former broadcaster and third baseman Ron Santo with a special ceremony before Thursday's game.
All the Cubs' on-field personnel wore blue hats with Santo's No. 10 during pregame activities. A plaque was presented by Cubs owner Tom Ricketts that will be on permanent display under the Cubs radio booth at HoHoKam Park honoring Santo. Ricketts also presented a replica plaque to Santo's wife Vicki, and Santo's daughter Linda threw out the first pitch to Kerry Wood.
A large No. 10 was also painted into the grass just behind home plate to commemorate Santo, who died of complications from bladder cancer at the age of 70 on Dec. 3.
"What a privilege it was for me to get up at Harry Caray's [Restaurant] after Ron's funeral and start telling stories," Cubs manager Mike Quade said.
Quade said he was most impressed by Santo's passion for baseball and the Cubs.
"I'd like to think we all have a certain amount of [passion]. The passion through and through that he had, the most passionate person in the world could equal that and that's about it," Quade said. "A lot of people feel the way he did but probably not with the enthusiasm that he did it [with]. His enthusiasm was exceptional."
The Cubs also plan to honor Santo during the regular season at Wrigley Field. "Ron Santo Day" will be Aug. 10, and the team will unveil a Santo monument before the game against the Washington Nationals.
Santo becomes the fourth person with a statue of his likeness outside Wrigley Field, joining Ernie Banks, Billy Williams and Harry Caray.
A nine-time All-Star in his 15-year career, Santo hit .277 with 342 homers and 1,331 RBIs. He also won the Gold Glove award five times. He joined the Cubs radio team in 1990.
Among those paying tribute to Santo with short speeches were former teammates Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins and Randy Hundley, Mesa mayor Scott Smith, and Santo's son Jeff.
During his speech, Ricketts praised Santo, a diabetic, for raising more than $60 million for juvenile diabetes research.
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs for ESPNChicago.com and ESPN 1000.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
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