http://www.ehanauer.com/www.ehanauer.com/Blog/Entries/2010/12/14_Ron_Santo_1940-2010.html

So many words have been written about Ron Santo's life and death that there isn't much I can add. Except maybe my own Santo story.

In 2002 my wife, Karen, was the editor of Diabetic Cooking Magazine. She started a feature called "Tales from the Front" in which she did interviews with people from all walks of life who were coping with the disease. We were going on our annual spring training pilgrimage to Mesa, Arizona, and an article on Santo was an easy sell to the publisher who, like us, was a long time Cubs fan. So we contacted Ron through the Cubs, and he invited us to his home in Scottsdale.

Ron had recently had his right leg amputated and was still learning to get around on his new prosthesis. So he was on crutches, but was upbeat and gracious throughout the interview. It was tough for Karen to keep him on the subject of diabetes, because he and I started talking Cubs. When he came up to the Cubs, I was still living in Chicago and he quickly became one of my favorite players. So we reminisced about those days, and the discussion rambled to the prospects of today's Cubs. Karen tried valiantly to keep him on message, but we were having too much fun talking baseball. Consequently, an interview that should have been done in 30 minutes lasted nearly two hours. I shot the photos for the piece, including the one above where Ron is posing with the picture of the all-time Cubs team. Naturally, he is at third base.

About four years later, I ran into Santo in the Wrigley Field press room before a game. By this time his left leg had been amputated and he was walking around on two prostheses. One was decorated with Cubs home pinstripes, the other with traveling grays. Both bore his number 10. I introduced myself, and reminded him about the interview for Diabetic Cooking. Now, I don't know if he really remembered that one out of countless interviews, but if he didn't he did a good job of acting like he had.

Everybody has written about Santo's graciousness and positive outlook on life. I was fortunate to experience it first hand. That he didn't make it into baseball's Hall of Fame during his lifetime is the Hall of Fame's shame. Sometimes we equate clutch hitting or pitching with courage. Courage is living life to the fullest and maintaining an upbeat, positive outlook in the face of multiple problems and misfortunes. Ron Santo exemplified courage. He led a Hall of Fame life.

Johnny Schmitz died last weekend at age 90 in his hometown of Wausau, Wisconsin.  He was the Cubs' premiere left handed pitcher of the late 1940s.  He won 18 games for the last place Cubs in 1948.  He was traded to the Dodgers in the 8 player Pafko deal, later pitched for the Yankees, Reds, Orioles, and Senators.   In 1946, he led the National League in strikeouts with 135.  There obviously weren't as many free swingers then.  Schmitz was also especially tough against the Dodgers, which is probably why they traded for him. 

WGN went to the well once too often with its "What it Means to be a Cub" program Sunday night.  According to it, Cubs history began in 1969 and ended in 2003.  The theme seemed to be that getting close and failing is better than going over the top and winning.  We got the same tired excuses about Leo not resting his regulars, about the collapse in 84.  At least we were spared Bartman, except for a couple of seconds of a still photograph.

Two recent Cubs headliners were conspicuous by their absence:  Number 17 and number 21.

Instead we had Doug Dascenzo with gray hair to remind us of our mortality.

Could have done without Pepitone, and the embarrassing attempts at singing by him, Ernie, and the 84 guys.

I won't be buying the book.

I'll bet Vineline wishes that print media had a delete button.  There's a sympathetic story about Bradley in there, citing the difficulties of first year free agents in Chicago.  It draws a parallel between Bradley's first year and that of Moises Alou, implying that Bradley would come back strong next season.

The co authors, Bruce Levine and Joel Bierig, probably will be wearing grocery sacks over their heads tonight.

Of course, this went to press just before he was fired.  Talk about bad timing.

DLee hit number 32 into the basket today, but even he probably will have to admit it was a cheap home run.  The Cinci lfer had a bead on it and probably would have caught it had the basket not been there.  Wrigley Field has among the shallowest power allies in the majors, and the basket essentially moves them in even further.

It was originally put up in the early 70s to prevent drunken bleacher bums of that era from jumping onto the field.  I think today's drunken bums would be less likely to do so, primarily because of the heavy penalties awaiting them.   The basket is an eyesore in a beautiful ballpark, and is a reminder of the days when fans could not be trusted.  

It should be relegated to the dumpster of memory. 

Was anybody else offended besides me last night, as the Padres celebrated their 1984 pennant with the Cubs in town?  I watched the fiasco on San Diego TV because I refused to go to the game.  

With their ridiculous friar mascot, scoreboard exortations to the fans to make noise (they don't know when to do it?), and the Pod Squad shooting t-shirts into the crowd between innings, the ballpark experience is arguably the most bush in the majors.

And it doesn't seem to be working, because attendance was consistently below 20,000 until the Cubs came into town.  

Below is a link to the San Diego Union Tribune's beat writer regarding the Peavy talks.  Sounds like Hendry is standing firm, and has taken Marshall off the table.  Lou agrees.  That's good news.  Also, the Padres need a shortstop.  The guy who took over after Greene was hurt isn't considered a major league starting shortstop.  Again, good news for us, and enhances the value of Cedeno.

They quote a specious article in the Sun Times that Peavy was seen shouting "Go Cubs go," in a Vegas bar.  Maybe it was a Peavy impersonator.

Here's the link:

htttp://www3.signonsandiego.com/weblogs/padres/2008/dec/09/day-two-gm-meetings/?padres

on DVD.  In honor of his leaving.  Who would have thought the highlight of his career would come in his fifth major league game?  His curveball was unhittable.  Too bad his elbow ligament was coming apart at the time.  He never threw that curve again after his rookie year.

The other factor that impressed me is how much better Bob Brenly is as an announcer than Steve Stone.  Steve was obviousman, mainly reading from the press releases.  He's nowhere near as good as in the memories of some Cubs fans.

One final note:  Aramis Ramirez would have eaten up that ground ball to third that Orie couldn't handle.  If it had occurred in the 6th instead of the second inning, Kerry would have had a no hitter.

How will the economic meltdown affect baseball and the Cubs?

We've already seen the effect on the sale of the team, with the billion dollar price tag a forgotten memory.   What about season tickets?  Will corporate bigwigs still shell out the big bucks?  What about sponsorship?  

In the depression baseball attendance tanked, despite the fact it was cheap entertainment.  The price tag has risen exponentially.  Auctions for premium seats aren't going to bring 2008 prices any more.  

Fewer tickets may end up in the hands of scalpers, and that's a good thing.

What about the free agent market?  With the specter of less income from ticket sales, advertising, and souvenir sales looming, how high are teams going to bid?  And what will Joe, the ex plumber, think about supporting multi millionaires wearing home laundry with his unemployment check?

I think Lou has brought a level of maturity to the Cubs.  They now act like they expect to win, just like the Yankees used to.  There are still joyous celebrations like after A-ram's walkoff homer, but on the whole they are acting like pros.  Contrast that with the sophomoric antics of the White Sox, typified by quotes from Guillen, Danks, and Pierzinski. Like their fans, their jealousy of all things Cub overrides their focus on playing winning baseball.

It makes quite a difference when adults are in charge.

This post contained an article completely copied/pasted from another source. There wasn't a single word written by the poster, so I deleted all of it.

This is just another reminder: you can't do that here. That's a copyright violation and can get me and BCB in legal trouble.

The usual procedure is to put a link to the source, maybe copy a paragraph or two, and write something yourself.

It was about The Former Employee's new troubles. If the original poster would like to fix this, that'd be great.

Thanks for understanding.

From the San Diego Union Tribune:

Padres C Michael Barrett, bothered by a sprained right elbow ligament, threw before the game and could go on a rehab assignment soon. ...


 Former Cubs' pitcher Mark Prior, now with the Padres, had a setback in his rehab from shoulder surgery in April 2007. When he felt discomfort in his shoulder at extended spring training in Arizona, he was sent back to San Diego for an MRI, manager Bud Black said. Prior might visit Dr. James Andrews, who performed the surgery, to be checked out.

Today's ballplayers are the most skilled ever to play the game.  So many of them, however, are spoiled kids who never grew up.  

Lou Brissie pitched 7 years in the majors, after world war II combat injuries resulted in 23 operations on his left leg.  He would have lost it but for a military doctor who he convinced to save it for a baseball career that hadn't really started at the time.

At age 83, he is connecting with today's wounded veterans.  There's a great story on him at the ESPN website.  Reading it will make you forget stock market woes and the chaotic world we live in, at least for a while.  

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3101709