Myself, and millions of Cubs fans across the world, lost a great friend today.
Ron Santo, former third baseman and radio broadcaster, died this morning.
Ronnie retired before I was even born, so I never got to see him play, and although he was a great player (deserving a spot in the Hall of Fame), that is not why I was such a big fan.
He was an amazing radio broadcaster. Since moving away from Chicago over nine years ago, my primary means of following the Cub has been through the radio broadcasts on the internet. Over the course of that time, I have probably spent 100's of hours listen to him on the radio. He was the heart of Cubs fans and was not afraid to show it on the air. He has some legendary calls of elation and depression. But that is not the the reason I am such a big fan either.
Ronnie had Juvenile Diabetes since he was 18. For most of his career, only a handful of people knew about it. As many times happens, the health implications of Diabetes caught up with Ronnie later in live. He lost both of his legs and had cancer that eventually ended his life.
Through it all, he was the eternal optimist. He loved baseball, he loved the Cubs, he loved life. No matter the hardships he faced, he faced them with his head held high and a smile on his face. This is why I admired Ron Santo and this is why he will be missed.
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