Ron Santo Dead at 70: Can We Now Put Him in the Hall of Fame

Legendary Chicago Cubs player and broadcaster Ron Santo died Thursday night in Arizona. He was 70.

Friends of Santo's family said the North Side icon lapsed into a coma on Wednesday before dying Thursday. Santo died of complications from bladder cancer, WGN-AM 720 reported.

Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts released a statement: "My siblings and I first knew Ron Santo as fans, listening to him in the broadcast booth. We knew him for his passion, his loyalty, his great personal courage and his tremendous sense of humor. It was our great honor to get to know him personally in our first year as owners.

"Ronnie will forever be the heart and soul of Cubs fans."

The former Cubs third baseman had continued to work as a Cubs analyst on WGN, the team's flagship radio broadcast, despite his health issues. He was expected to return for the 2011 season. He missed several road trips in 2010 but insisted he would return.

Former Cubs President John McDonough compared Santo to Harry Caray, another baseball broadcasting legend, noting neither had a filter, broadcast with unvarnished emotion and were enormously entertaining.

Santo mangled names, sometimes lost track of what was going on in a game and occasionally didn't realize some player had been on the roster for months, but none of that mattered because people loved it, McDonough said. "We almost thought he was doing it on purpose," he said. "It added so much entertainment value."

You had to like Santo because he was a Cubs fan and made no apologies for his on-air cheerleading or his utter frustration over a Cub's misplay.

Santo never witnessed his longtime goal of election to the Baseball Hall of Fame despite career numbers that mark him as one of baseball's all-time great third basemen. He finished with a .277 average over 15 major league seasons, with 342 home runs and 1,331 runs batted in.

Though Santo came close to Cooperstown enshrinement in the last decade in voting by the Veterans Committee, he always fell short. In 2007, Santo received 39 of the 48 votes necessary to reach the 75 percent threshold of the living 64 Hall of Famers to cast a ballot. His 61 percent lead all candidates and no one was elected to the Hall.

It was the fourth straight time the Veterans Committee had failed to elect a member, leaving Santo frustrated.

Santo was up for the Hall of Fame on 19 occasions, and first appeared on the Veterans Committee ballot in 2003. He got his hopes up on every occasion.

"Everybody felt this was my year," he said after the last vote in December 2008. "I felt it. I thought it was gonna happen, and when it didn't. ... What really upset me was nobody got in.

Santo began his major league career with the Cubs in 1960, and spent one season with the White Sox in 1974. He earned National League Gold Glove awards five straight seasons from 1964 to 1968 and was a nine-time NL All-Star. He was one of the leaders of the 1969 team that blew the division lead to the New York Mets, a season indelibly etched in Cubs' history.

Though Santo never made the Hall of Fame, his number was retired by the Cubs. He said that was equivalent to being inducted in Cooperstown. Being a Cub, and playing at Wrigley Field, meant the world to Santo.

In recent years, Santos had a couple wild mishaps while announcing, his toupee caught fire in the Shea Stadium press box in New York on Opening Day 2003 after he got too close to an overhead space heater. And last spring in Mesa, Ariz., Santo lost his front tooth while biting into a piece of pizza.  He gave his body and soul to the Cubs while playing and while broadcasting.

Here are Santos' lifetime stats.  You tell me if he is Hall worthy.  The 343 home runs are like hitting almost 500 today, the hits and RBIs are huge, and his contribution to baseball speaks volumes.

             
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U.S and England Mourn World Cup Defeats

Two countries with rich soccer histories lost out on hosting future World Cups today, because idiots make the decision where the Cups are to be held.

The United States delegation is crying in its beer tonight, and the all of Great Britain are crying in their ale after both countries were dealt blows today in Zurich.

England has reason to be upset, they lost out to Russia, but Russia has never hosted a World Cup and they were supposed to get one at some point. England only attracted two votes out of the possible twenty-two. Despite strong lobbying efforts, England couldn't make inroads.

England bid vice-president David Beckham said: 'I think the bid team has done everything possible, we couldn't have got a better bid.

The U.S. really has reason to be upset. They lost out to a tiny nation in the Middle East who never even has played in the World Cup. Qatar is an oil producing nation that has been independent since 1971, has a population of about 1.7 million—500,000 less than Houston. At 4,416 square miles, it is smaller than the islands that make up Hawaii.

If the games would've been held in the U.S., it might've drawn 4 million fans. Qatar will be lucky to accommodate half of that.

Here's what is wrong with this whole selection process and Qatar getting the bid.

The FIFA President is named Sepp Blatter. If that doesn't sound like the name of a corrupt individual, I don't know what is. His name sounds like it should be a James Bond villain. His name might as well be Boris Badenov.

Qatar says it will build air conditioned outdoor stadiums. Huh? Is each seat going to have its own personal mister?

The temps in Qatar during the matches will be around 130 degrees. Qatar said the World Cup thrived despite hot temperatures during tournaments in Mexico in 1970 and 1986, and the U.S. in 1994. Ask any U.S. serviceman returning from duty in the Middle East. They will tell you the heat over there is so extreme, we don't have anything in North America that compares.

Qatar has to do a complete overhaul of the nation's current infrastructure. In additon, they have to build nine new stadiums and renovate others. A tall task, even for an oil-rich nation.

An opportunity was missed because soccer is getting more and more popular in America. I think a sleeping giant has awoken and a chance to bring the U.S. to the next level in soccer won't happen now for two more decades.

I may be throwing this out there, but the U.S. still might have a sliver of a chance to still host in 2022. Any world unrest, or if Qatar can't keep its end of the bargain when it comes to infrastructure or construction, there is still hope that the U.S. with all of the stadiums built and a proven track record could still land the games at the last second. It's a long-shot, but it's a shot.

John Force Takes 2010 NHRA Funny Car Championship

History repeated itself today for the 15th time.  Completing an improbable comeback, drag racer John Force won the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car Championship today in California. 

Force needed an upset win by Bob Tasca III over current points leader Matt Hagan today in the first round to take the title.  Force defeated Bob Bode to clinch the championship.

The 61-year old Force was badly injured in a crash in Dallas in 2007.  He came back in 2008 and 2009, but wasn't completely healthy until 2010 and he made the most of it.  Force is celebrating 25 years with his main sponsor Castrol Oil.

Update on Sunday, November 14, 2010 at 5:16PM by Rick C.Limpert

Force honored the Ford Motor Company by presenting his championship trophy to Henry Ford III.

John Force Tries to Take Down Matt Hagan at NHRA Finale

The NHRA will crown four champions today in its major pro divisions in Pomona, CA. Even if you aren't a drag racing fan, you know the name John Force.

The 61-year old funny car driver is trying to win his 15 NHRA Championship. He is neck and neck with a young cattle rancher from Virginia, Matt Hagan.

The 27-year-old Hagan in his second full season in funny car competition, has a 38-point lead over Force, who is looking to complete an improbable comeback after a horrific crash almost crippled him at Dallas in 2007.

The are four rounds in the 16-car Full Throttle Series final eliminations, and Hagan and Force, in separate brackets, can't meet before the final round. By then, Hagan will have won three rounds and have accumulated enough points so that the only way Force could win the championship in that case would be to set a national record. A record is worth 20 points, same as a round win in the finals.

Force doesn't think a national record is possible.

"Not on this track," he said. "It would take a miracle."

But if Hagan loses in an early round, that will open the door for Force. Hagan faces a tough first round opponent in Bob Tasca.

Hagan, who credits crew chief Tommy DeLago for his success this season, cautiously likes his chances of winning the title.

"For us, it's first and goal at the 10," he said. "We just have to deliver."

Force also used a football analogy to describe the competition between the youngster and himself.

"At his age, he should be chasing around Brett Favre instead of this old man.

"If he beats me, I'll shake his hand. He's really a good kid. But I'll be back next season going for that 15th title. I'm not going anywhere."

That's true. John Force Racing isn't going anywhere.

Greg Anderson in Position for Fourth NHRA Championship

With one race remaining, NHRA Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson is leading by 115 points and is poised to win another title.  Anderson drives the Summit Racing Equipment Pro Stocker.

Anderson won in Las Vegas two weeks ago to get in this position.

Anderson recently hosted a chat on ESPN.com.

Here is what he had to say:

What's your favorite thing to do when your off?

Greg Anderson

  (1:58 PM)

Pretty sad but I like to work. If you want to win, you have to work. But I do try to take a couple of minutes to spend with my family especially my son. He loves any sport with a ball or a stick.

Eric Chmiel (Bucks County, PA)

How much of an accomplishment is it to win the NHRA Championship?

Greg Anderson

  (2:00 PM)

It's a huge accomplishment, the reason being there is so much talent out here. The competition is great. Anybody can win on any given weekend. It's a team effort and that's why we are where we are right now. My hat goes off to my team. They will be responsible if we win this year's title.

Carl Ray (Kentucky)

How many more years do you plan on racing, and does your son have any desire to follow in your footsteps?

Greg Anderson

  (2:02 PM)

That's a great question. The beauty of drag racing is that you don't have to put down your tools. You can do this into your 60's. I'll have to know when that time is but I hope it's not soon. I want to give it at least another five your. When I can't quite hack it anymore, I'll put another driver in the seat.

Greg Anderson

  (2:03 PM)

It's funny, my son loves coming to the race track but right now he loves baseball, basketball, football and gold. Baseball seems to be his favorite sport and he hopes to play for the Yankess one hopefully. Hopefully he stays on that track.

tracy lynn morton (burlington.ct)

as a former crew chief,did you ever think you would turn out to be so successful as a driver, your #1 fan tracy

Greg Anderson

  (2:06 PM)

Absolutely not. I never really had driving aspirations. I loved being a crew chief and driving happening by accident. Warren Johnson sent us to driving school so we can learn just how hard it was to drive and I loved it. And here I am today.

Gina Greathouse (ODENTON, MARYLAND)

In your pursuit of the championship this year is it as exciting as your first championship?

Greg Anderson

  (2:10 PM)

It's actually more exciting. I know it's hard to compete with the first but right now this one seems to be more important and special. Ken Black went down with a heart attack and we also hard some personal losses. It's been a tough season and I know people were ready to throw dirt on us but we came back from the dead so to speak. Having Ken back for our last was great. This championship is the toughest more certainly the most meaningful one.

mike sicurella (n.j. home of division one)

What do you feel was the most important factor in comeing from behind in the points?

RC (Atlanta)

Greg, who are some of the young Pro Stock drivers that you have your eye on that could be future NHRA champions down the road?

Greg Anderson

  (2:15 PM)

I think without a doght, Shane Grey. He's had a great season and has the chance to be rookie of the year. Erica Anders looks to be a good driver as well as Ricky Jones. If Dave Connelly comes back fulltime he looks to be a threat too. There are a lot of up and coming drivers out there.

Greg Anderson

  (2:17 PM)

Thanks to everybody for all ther great question. I my figers crossed that we can close this thing out in Pomona. We need to go in with guns blazing like we did in the first couple of races and let the card fall where they may.