It was long overdue, and the honoree sadly wasn't around to see it, but Ron Santo is finally in the Hall of Fame. The Golden Era Committee of the Hall of Fame announced on Monday that Santo was inducted, receiving 15 of the committee's 16 votes -- three more than were required for induction.
Santo was a nine-time All Star who won five consecutive Gold Gloves for the Chicago Cubs, the only team he played for over his 15-year career. Santo will be only the 11th third baseman inducted in the Hall of Fame. According to Baseball Reference, Santo accumulated the seventh-most WAR of any third baseman in baseball, with one still-active player and six Hall of Famers ahead of him.
The committee did not induct any of the other players on the ballot, though Jim Kaat came up with 10 votes, just two votes short. Gil Hodges and Minnie Minoso each had nine votes, and Tony Oliva had eight votes. Luis Tiant, Ken Boyer, Allie Reynolds, Buzzie Bavasi, and Charlie Finley each received fewer than three votes.