Class of: 2012 (Veterans Committee)
Team: Cubs
Key Stats: 342 HR, 70.9 WAR, 126 wRC+
On Tommy Lasorda’s Hall of Fame plaque, it mentions how he bled Dodger blue. If anyone bled Cubbie blue, it would almost have to be Ron Santo. Santo was one of the most beloved Cubs of all-time, playing a great third base and then becoming an announcer for the Cubs following his playing days. Unlike other players-turned-broadcasters like Phil Rizzuto and George Kell, Santo had a great case for the Hall of Fame as a player. The fact that he was overlooked by many voters for so long underscores how difficult it was for third basemen to gain induction until more recent years (and even still is difficult if you asked Scott Rolen).
Santo took a few years to get going at the Major League level, with a little more than 3 WAR covering his first three seasons with most of it coming in his second season (which was pretty good, 23 homers and over 2 WAR). Once 1963 came around, Santo started making a case as the top third baseman in the National League. From 1963 until 1973, Santo put up incredible numbers from the hot corner. He hit 20 or more homers ten times during that stretch, drove in 75 or more RBI ten times and was worth at least 5 WAR eight times. Santo put up decent numbers across the board with several seasons of being a well-above average fielder to go along with several seasons of being a well-above average hitter during his peak years. Santo also put up incredibly good on-base percentages during that span, a skill that was highly undervalued in the 1960’s, with six seasons above .370. Unfortunately for Santo, because the Cubs were “cursed”, that string of high-level play didn’t correlate to much postseason success as the Cubs never made it to the playoffs with Santo (or Banks, for that matter). He did make 9 All-Star games and won 5 Gold Gloves, so he got some love from the fans and BBWAA.
Santo’s decline was very quick, which prevented his rate stats from falling too far but also prevented him from putting up a lot of the counting stats that the BBWAA tends to look for when it comes to induction. Santo’s final season, now with the Pale Hose instead of the Small Bears was, to put it mildly, awful. In 117 games Santo managed only 5 homers and put up less than replacement level value at -1.0 WAR. With complications from Diabetes setting in, Santo made the tough decision to retire following the 1974 season and concluded what really was a great career as a player.
During his career, Santo was easily one of the top third basemen in the game, and probably the most well-rounded one. He didn’t have the same defensive capabilities as Brooks Robinson (who was first among all third basemen in WAR in Santo’s career), but he was a much better hitter while still being a fine defender at third base. Santo led all third basemen in homers, runs, RBI and triples while finishing runner-up to Robinson in doubles and WAR. Unfortunately, the BBWAA and Veterans Committee wasn’t used to yet looking at the Hall of Fame with such a fine eye, more looking for robust career totals and not caring as much about context. So, despite being the best or second-best third baseman of his era, he was overshadowed by some others that put up such lofty career values (Robinson, Mike Schmidt and Eddie Mathews, respectfully) that Santo had no chance of making it into the Hall of Fame for a long time.
Sometimes, when you hear that a player that should make it into the Hall of Fame finally gets the call, your heart leaps with excitement. While everyone was happy for Santo’s induction, there was also a certain disappointment that percolated through the news. Santo passed away two years before his induction, and it’s unfortunate that he never got the chance to introduce himself as “Hall of Famer Ron Santo” at least once. Ron Santo was a top performer, unfairly marginalized by an electorate that wasn’t ready to value his overall great performance. He was always a Hall of Famer to me, and I’m glad he is now officially recognized as such.
Baseball From the Outside 