Ronnie-isms.

… watching him on TV as one of my heroes along with Ernie, Billy and Fergie. His passion for playing the game was unmatched, and he was the greatest third baseman of his era and one of the best players in the game in the 1960’s.

For him to have never made the playoffs and have been denied the Hall of Fame during his lifetime… together, those are nearly unbearably sad.

But I will remember him with joy, for that is how he lived his life.

Usually Ronnie said it after a great set-up from Pat to Ronnie. Pat would finish, there would be a pregnant pause, then Ronnie would say “yeah”.

I smiled every time he did that. I could only imagine the look on Pat’s face. :)

The only Cubs jersey I have ever owned (or will ever own) is a 1969 Cubs home jersey with #10 on ther back.

It is almost criminal that he did not get his deserved spot in Cooperstown before his passing. I suspect he will now.

He was always such a good sport if people teased him about something he said or did, or about his hair piece, etc. It would have been easy for someone who had all of the health problems he had in his life to be grumpy and pessimistic but he was exactly the opposite. The chemistry between him and Pat was unmatched, and I can honestly say I’ve never heard anyone say anything bad about Ron Santo the man. RIP Ronnie.

during an interview Ron always called players and managers “Big Fella” or “Big Boy”. Sometimes I think he forgot their name! He always ended the manager interview with “The Fine Fine Manager of the Chicago Cubs”. Good touch Ron, even in miserable seasons.

My favorite Ron story on the radio was the usual banter between Pat and himself. Pat asked what time he got to bed and Ron said he the managers and coaches were in the hotel bar and he thought it was 1:00 am so he said he had to get to bed. When he got to his room he noticed it was only 11:00 “but I was too lazy to put my legs back on” and go down to the bar. I damn near had tears laughing so hard.

I will miss #10 A LOT!

I’m a wreck. I feel so crushed. I’m going to miss him so much.

…besides all the usual suspects was his constant advice for/assessment of every pitcher in a Cubs uniform: “He’s got to keep the ball down, Patrick. He’s not keeping the ball down. When he keeps the ball down, he’s going to be successful.”

RIP, Ronnie. This is a really sad day in a tough off-season and Cubs baseball will never be the same without you.

… the way he said, “All-RIGHT!” when a Cubs player hit a home run.

A few of us, I’m sure, followed his minor league progress in the back pages of the Sporting News, and had no doubt he would be a tremendous player. As it turned out, he was even better than predicted.

His openness and honesty always were refreshing. When he first came to the team, I was amazed to hear him carry on conversations with kids as they called to him from the front row of box seats during the game. He had skill and confidence to burn.

I’ll never forget seeing him under the stands signing autographs after a 1961 game where he hit his 20th home run. I called over “Hey Ron, Number 20!” and gave up a thumbs-up. Most players then. or likely now, wouldn’t have acknowledged the call, but Santo looked up immediately and yelled back to me “Yeah, that’s a big one!”

As it turned out, I ran into him several times early in his career, especially during the year I spent carrying mail in the suburb where Ron and his family lived. He was always cordial and happy to spend a minute talking baseball.

My two favorite memories are seeing him bat against Don Drysdale in 40 degree weather on Opening Day 1963. Early in the game, no Cub could get around on Drysdale’s impossible sidearm delivery, but by his second at bat Ronnie had it timed, and ripped a typical double down the third base line. There really wasn’t anybody who could sneak a fastball past Ronnie in his prime.

The other indelible image I have is from the WGN-TV camera just behind third, on any play where Ron had to dive for a ball, jump up, steady himself, and fire to first. Few third basemen have ever looked better.

Of course, it’s a shame he won’t be around to see a winner, but he certainly had a great 50 years with the Cubs as he became an inspiration to many of us. My condolences to his family.

Ron always said he was working with this pitcher or that one on hitting. And when they got a hit he always brought up that he was showing him how to do that in the cage.

….was during a late season game in 2002 or 2003, when the team was on the road in Pittsburgh or Cincinnati or somewhere like that. As the broadcast was starting, Pat was grumbling about the cold weather, and Ron came back with a comment along the lines of, “Well, you know Patrick, when I left the hotel today I knew I could be confident of one thing: I am not going to have cold feet today.”

It was the only time I’ve ever heard Pat Hughes at a loss for words…he just kind of stammered for a moment, and then said, “Ron, don’t ever change.”

I had to agree – it was a pretty badass comment from a guy who’d recently had his second leg amputation.

RIP, Ron – you are loved and will be missed.

Santo would mumble stuff. I thought that was funny. And when he’d say “Gee Whiz!” angrily, I thought it was funny too. I never got to listen to Santo call many games, nor did I see him play any games, but I’m sadders today :(((((

For me, any hairpiece reference was golden. I think my favorite is when Ron’s hairpiece caught on fire at the old Shea Stadium.

Another favorite, though I can’t remember the exact dialogue (maybe someone can help me out here), was a broadcast from a few years ago. I remember Pat somehow go into telling Ron the differences between Alligators and Crocodiles, how you tell them apart by their teeth. I remember laughing so hard that I had to pull over on the road because I was afraid I would crash my car.

One other favorite is also from a few years back, when there was a praying Mantis up int he booth. Classic. You will be dearly missed Ron. Thanks for the wonderful memories and partial help with building my childhood :)

Gonna miss you so much, Ronnie.

But the games Ron & Pat played with names during a dull game could always make me chuckle

It feels a bit like the path we walked when Harry passed.

Everybody’s being asked about their favorite moments in the booth and inevitably it reverts to the stupidest things spoken.

Ron Santo was a great fan, player and human being.

a title he unconditionally gave to all Cub managers.

My father did though and that was his idol as a child playing baseball. I was lucky enough to get into baseball around age 5 when Ron stepped into the radio booth. His passion for Cubs baseball was unrequited. Even more important than that though was his compassion for other people. RIP #10, you will be missed.

My favorite memory will be of him and his little quips during the Kid K 20 strikeout game. The man had fun and always kept a positive attitude.

was I think the game last May when Fontenot hit his grand slam, anyway, Fontenot hit a home run in the 8th inning or so, and Ron says, “well, you know, Pat, Mercury is retrograde.”

Just shook my head, couldn’t stop laughing that he would say that.

But I grew up with him on the radio every season. It wasn’t spring until you heard him and Pat on WGN. “Chicago Cubs baseball is on the air!”

My favorites were the OH GEEZ or something of the sort.

‘big, big, big donation to the WGN neediest kid’s fund’

Chiding Pat about not slapping 20’s when it’s time to pay the check.

Pat’s sweater, Pat’s effeminate coat, ‘fine manager’, ‘big boy’, a pitcher gets a hit and Pat saying he saw Ronnie giving batting tips to him before the game, Pat chiding Ronnie about never paying for his cars, Pat saying Ronnie was trying to earn another gold glove by making a play on a foul ball heading towards the booth…

Sure, it’s all cheese. But I’ll miss the cheese.

We’d stream WGN on the Internet and sit on the floor of our tiny “home office” loft and listen to those games, including the crazy years of 2003, 2007 and 2008, but also those other not so great seasons.

Thanks, Katie. Wonderful post. Nice thread.

several seasons ago in Houston. The camera shot over to Ron and as Italians do, he was gesturing with his hands while talking. Stoney makes a pretty tasteless joke but it was funny none the less, Stoney says “It’s a good thing Ron didn’t lose his arms, or he wouldn’t be able to talk”

My favorite moments came when Harry would visit the radio booth and the talk between him and Ronnie would get pretty racy. I remember Harry once asking Ronnie if he wore his toupee in while getting intimate. Ron’s response was down right funny.

I’ll never forget the time when a Bear or former Bear player was in the booth getting ready to sing the 7th inning stretch and both Pat and Ron had read the players Bio and it said he was a Pro Bowler… meaning he was in the NFL all star game, but both Pat and Ron thought it meant they were in Professional Bowling and I believe Ron asked the player how long ago they started bowling! Only an inning later someone informed them that it referred to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii and not Bowling! God Bless you Ron for making the only HOF that really matters!

Rubbing dirt all over his hands and wrists before stepping in the box.

I always felt like they were visitors in my home and they were more than welcome. I know that sentiment has been echoed here but nevertheless, it was worth repeating. I grew up with “The Pat And Ron Show.”

One of my favorite Ronnie-isms happened this season. I even remember the game, May 17 against the Rockies. It was dreadfully gloomy outside and my uncle was driving me home as I visited for my grandma’s birthday. Pat begins to talk about Don Baylor.

Well, Ron casually called him “Elgin” Baylor a few times, and at first it went over Pat’s head, but then he soon would call Ron out on that. Ron, very non-chalantly, says, “Oh, I got confused. I saw Elgin Baylor play basketball a few times.”

Nothing but silence in the booth until the next pitch. You could not script the awkwardness that came from that statement, but my uncle and I were rolling in the car.

I could go all day with other excellent Ronnie-isms, but that one was the one I remember most off the top of my head.

Not to mention, I’m sure everyone remembers around 2002 or so when he and Pat got into a discussion about cake. My favorite of all time.

1) “(Insert umpire’s name here) is on my list.”
2) Referring in obvious irritation to Jose Lima – “There’s not enough mustard on the planet for THAT hot dog!”

Also, for a great, great moment, Ron’s exuberant yell and subsequent whistling at the end of the playoff clinching double play in 2003. I still love replaying that audio and hearing one of the most sincere outbursts of pure joy I’ve ever heard.

Thanks for everything, Ron!

I use it all the time myself.

Sometime in his first week or two with the Cubs, when he was still wearing the #15 jersey Yosh must have grabbed for him out of Sammy Taylor’s old locker, Ron appeared on the TV version of Leadoff Man, hosted by Vince Lloyd and sponsored by H.A. – Hair Arranger.

In those first few days, Santo already had faced some good pitchers, including the NL’s two best in 1960 – Warren Spahn and Vernon Law – but a day or two earlier he also enjoyed a particularly good game batting against Chicago’s own Jim O’Toole who, like Ron, was trying to establish himself in the big leagues. In fact, in that game, Santo had hit the first home run of his career, a subject that Vince obviously mentioned at the beginning of the interview, as he alluded to O’Toole’s Chicago fame as a schoolboy athlete.

Toward the end of the show, when asked who was the toughest pitcher he’d faced so far, Santo hesitated a second before replying “Vince, I’d have to say Jim O’Toole is the toughest,” an answer that, however surprising, must have been welcome news in the O’Toole household on the south side, possibly saving Ron from an inevitable brushback the next time he faced Jim.

Didn’t you guys alway love him talking about lesser known pitchers? Like if we are facing a guy with 15 major league starts he would always say “Yeah Pat he seems to be okay, he throws pretty hard and he’s got a decent breaking ball.”

From the, “…fine manager of the Chicago Cubs” during the pre-game to all the other little tidbits and banter during the game, I know it’ll still bring a few tears to the eyes come next April on WGN-720.

Think Friday night was the first time my family saw me cry nearly uncontrollably, when watching the sports shows on Ronnie.

was a few years ago in Houston. Ron was watching the train and suddenly he says “Why are their pumpkins on that thing?”… a second of silence followed by “I’m pretty sure those are oranges, Ron”.

Gales of laughter. “Oh man! That makes sense.”.

Loved it.

Sad to know that Pat wont ever say that again. Ron Santo, a Cubs legend, and a 9 time all star. You sir, will dearly be missed by us all

Ronnie mimmicking Pat as he ‘threw it back to the affiliates’ during a rain delay.