Santo elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
You might say it's long overdue because it took 32 years to happen ... or because Ron Santo is no longer alive to enjoy it.
In any case, Santo finally had his dream come true this morning — just over a year after his death. Santo was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Golden Era committee. He needed votes from a minimum 12 of the 16 committee members to get in, and received 15. It makes you believe he'd have gotten in when he was still alive had the Golden Era committee been in place instead of the self-serving veterans committees that passed Santo over so many times over the years.
The fan in me that spent countless hours with Santo and Pat Hughes as they called Cubs games on the radio for all those years is thrilled, obviously. I don't believe you're allowed to be a Cubs fan and not want Santo in the Hall. That the honor meant so much to Santo, and that we had to share his disappointment each time he was passed over, only makes it sweeter to see him so honored today.
At the same time, I understand why Santo was considered a borderline Hall of Famer. For one thing, he played on Cubs teams that included Hall members Ernie Banks, Billy Williams and Fergie Jenkins — and they never won squat. For another, many of his numbers — 342 home runs, a .277 batting average, never finishing higher than fourth in MVP voting — are the kind that usually grant a player entry only into the public's Hall of Very Good.
Take a closer look at Santo's stats, and you'll realize he was a very valuable player, especially at a position like third base. His career OBP was .362 and his career OPS was .826. From 1964 through 1970, Santo had a run of seven straight seasons where he drew 86 or more walks and slugged 26 or more home runs. That's a fantastic run for a first baseman or a corner outfielder, let alone a third baseman. Gold Glove Awards are more a popularity contest than an indicator of someone truly being the best defensive player at their position, but the fact that Santo once won five straight is evidence that he could pick it in addition to being able to hit it.
I do think it's fairly close — not close enough that it should have taken this long, but close — but I do believe Santo is a deserving Hall of Famer. Today is a good day for all of us who suffered through all of those past disappointments with Santo — both those of the current Cubs on the field and those of him never getting his Hall spot.
