Icons of the Ivy: Ron Santo
Ron Santo is one of the most beloved figures in Cubs history — both as a player and as a broadcaster.
He was a 9-time All-Star and received MVP votes in 7 straight seasons from 1963-69, earning a Gold Glove in 5 of those years.
Santo played over 2,100 games in a Cubs uniform, smacking 337 homers to go with a .279/.366/.472 batting line (.838 OPS) and 72.1 WAR.
His best offensive season came in 1964, when he hit .313, led the league with a .398 on-base percentage and carried a .962 OPS along with 30 homers, 114 RBI and 94 runs scored.
“Few players played with the emotion that Ron Santo showed during his 14 seasons with the Chicago Cubs,” Cubs team historian Ed Hartig said. “Early on, Santo learned that he didn’t have to wash his own uniforms and he consistently led the league diving for ground balls or sliding into bases.”
Santo ranks 2nd in franchise history in walks, 4th in homers, and 5th in games played and RBI.
About 15 years after his retirement, Santo joined the WGN radio booth as a color analysts on the game broadcasts in 1990. He partnered with Pat Hughes a few years later and the pair quickly formed a legendary broadcast duo.
The Cubs retired his No. 10 in 2003 and the flag still flies at Wrigley Field to this day.
Santo passed away in December, 2010 and was posthumously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in the Class of 2012.