Still Miss You, Mr. Santo
Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2016 11:57 am
I got dared. Dared to say something bad about the Chicago Cubs.
Geez.
What an easy dare.
Two words. Jason Heyward.
Nobody is THAT good defensively. I have no idea why he gets to play everyday.
Oh yeah, I do.
$$$$$$
Ok, enough bad stuff, we get enough of that from elections.
The media has made sooooo much about the Cubs throughout the years. The curses. Loveable losers. Losers. Wrigley Field empty. Wrigley Field full. Lets play two. Hey Hey. Let's get some runs. Holy Cow.
A reporter had the gall to call Cub fans "Long suffering".
Cub fans are anything but 'long suffering'. They've been entertained to the hilt. Loved the ride. They've had some of the best players and announcers ever to be associated with a team.
Everyday players like Don Kessinger, Glenn Beckert, Gary Mathews, Bill Madlock, Mark Grace, Jody Davis, Billy Buckner, Derek Lee, Ron Hundley.
Or go even further back with oldies Hack Wilson, Gabby Hartnett, Andy Pafko, Stan Hack, and Phil Cavaretta.
Plus Hall of Famers Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins, Ernie Banks, Andre Dawson, Ryan Sandberg, and Ron Santo.
If there was a heart of the Chicago Cubs. It would belong to Ron Santo.
And if there ever really was a 'long suffering' Cubs fan, that too, would be Ron Santo.
But although Santo wore his love for his Cubs on his sleeve, he was hardly long suffering. Even with a malady that ate away at his body, Santo thoroughly enjoyed his Cubs ride.
I think about Santo everyday as the Cubs proceed through their magic carpet ride.
The class he showed in getting shunned each year by the Hall of Fame.
An organization that I have quit caring about. An organization that could let an alive qualifier for a place in Cooperstown not enjoy the happiness that he had made it to the pinnacle while living.
Instead, waiting till his departure.
Unforgivable.
I think about how Santo would live and die on every pitch. Mirroring a real fan in the booth.
Not a fancy pants guy who can say, "The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plane" 100 times in a row as baseball analysts are today.
Santo was old school.
And he would have loved this Cubs team.
This Cubs team, like many others before them, offers hope.
Santo and Cubs fans too, only want hope for their team.
Hope has been their driving factor through the years.
And when that hope is dashed....there was always next year.
BUT, this might be next year.
And when listening to announcers talking about an MVP 'battle' between Rizzo and Bryant, I'll remember Banks and Santo, another first/third base combo and hope they have a front row seat in watching them.
And have my own hope that if the Cubs do, indeed, win the Series, that Kris Bryant gives a little click of his heels.
That, that would be cool.
Geez.
What an easy dare.
Two words. Jason Heyward.
Nobody is THAT good defensively. I have no idea why he gets to play everyday.
Oh yeah, I do.
$$$$$$
Ok, enough bad stuff, we get enough of that from elections.
The media has made sooooo much about the Cubs throughout the years. The curses. Loveable losers. Losers. Wrigley Field empty. Wrigley Field full. Lets play two. Hey Hey. Let's get some runs. Holy Cow.
A reporter had the gall to call Cub fans "Long suffering".
Cub fans are anything but 'long suffering'. They've been entertained to the hilt. Loved the ride. They've had some of the best players and announcers ever to be associated with a team.
Everyday players like Don Kessinger, Glenn Beckert, Gary Mathews, Bill Madlock, Mark Grace, Jody Davis, Billy Buckner, Derek Lee, Ron Hundley.
Or go even further back with oldies Hack Wilson, Gabby Hartnett, Andy Pafko, Stan Hack, and Phil Cavaretta.
Plus Hall of Famers Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins, Ernie Banks, Andre Dawson, Ryan Sandberg, and Ron Santo.
If there was a heart of the Chicago Cubs. It would belong to Ron Santo.
And if there ever really was a 'long suffering' Cubs fan, that too, would be Ron Santo.
But although Santo wore his love for his Cubs on his sleeve, he was hardly long suffering. Even with a malady that ate away at his body, Santo thoroughly enjoyed his Cubs ride.
I think about Santo everyday as the Cubs proceed through their magic carpet ride.
The class he showed in getting shunned each year by the Hall of Fame.
An organization that I have quit caring about. An organization that could let an alive qualifier for a place in Cooperstown not enjoy the happiness that he had made it to the pinnacle while living.
Instead, waiting till his departure.
Unforgivable.
I think about how Santo would live and die on every pitch. Mirroring a real fan in the booth.
Not a fancy pants guy who can say, "The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plane" 100 times in a row as baseball analysts are today.
Santo was old school.
And he would have loved this Cubs team.
This Cubs team, like many others before them, offers hope.
Santo and Cubs fans too, only want hope for their team.
Hope has been their driving factor through the years.
And when that hope is dashed....there was always next year.
BUT, this might be next year.
And when listening to announcers talking about an MVP 'battle' between Rizzo and Bryant, I'll remember Banks and Santo, another first/third base combo and hope they have a front row seat in watching them.
And have my own hope that if the Cubs do, indeed, win the Series, that Kris Bryant gives a little click of his heels.
That, that would be cool.
