Should the Cubbies finally win the World Series for the first time in over 100 years in 2011 the championship should be dedicated to Ronnie who until he passed away over night was the World’s Biggest Cubs fan.
Today I woke up at about 8:55 with only 35 minutes to get downtown to the Richard J. Daley Center. That is not the point of this story though. As I was getting dressed my girlfriend called me and asked if I had heard the news. I said, “Wait, what.” She asked again, “Have you heard the news?” Without knowing what it was I was able to guess that it was horrible news based on her tone of voice. That said, I never would have guessed that it was the death of beloved former Cubs 3B and now-former Broadcaster, the one, the only, Ron Santo.
The news did not fully sink in for me until about an hour ago as I started to read articles in my news reader. Ronnie will be missed, that is for sure. It was not supposed to happen like this, Ronnie was supposed to see the Cubs break the drought.
While I, like many other Cubs fans, found Ronnie to be annoying on the radio broadcasts that does not change what he meant to the Cubs and Cubs fans everywhere. He dedicated the better part of the last 50 years of his life to the Chicago Cubs. He would have loved to see the Cubbies win it all. Unfortunately though, he will not get that chance. God damnit, Steve Bartman!!! Okay, seriously though, 2003 was absolutely NOT Steve Bartman’s fault (the team fell apart after that play, so I blame the team not Bartman) and it was the first time the Cubs won a post season series since the infamous 1908 World Series. For that reason, and that reason alone, I believe that if the Cubbies do finally win it all in 2011 it should be dedicated to Ron Santo.
The first step to this process is to bring Kerry ‘Kid K’ Wood home. The next step is to spend the money it will take to get Cliff Lee. Forget about the opening at first base and just move Kosuke Fukudome or Tyler Colvin to first base. For that matter, reach out even further and bring Derek Lee back too he like, Woody, would love to be on the team that finally does it and will do whatever it takes to bring that ring to the North Side.
This team needs a leader in the club house and right now the best possible choice on the FA market is Kerry Wood himself. Kerry Wood understands what it means to be a Cub and was one of the few team leaders until he left to FA a couple years ago that actually understood what it meant to be a leader.
So, in conclusion, I say: RIP Ron Santo you will be missed and I call for the Ricketts’ family to make a quick, last minute change in their offseason plans (to prove their true status as fans and OWNERS) and bring a championship home by overspending for one more season. Then dedicate that championship to Ron Santo.