The Case For Santo in Cooperstown

I was often my team's third baseman when I played youth baseball and whenever I made a nifty play, I'd hear my father yelling, "Nice play, Chris. Just like Ron Santo!"

It wasn't until I was older that I appreciated how much of a compliment that was. By the time I began to follow the Cubs in the late 70s, Santo was retired.

But from the stories I've heard from my dad and read in books, I am quite sure that Santo was the best NL third baseman of his era. He was spectacular defensive player, a formidable power hitter, and a tremendous competitor who played with a great deal of heart.

Santo's major league debut with the Cubs occurred 50 years ago Saturday, on June 26, 1960. The Cubs will honor him with a pregame ceremony before Monday night's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field.

Santo and Bert Blyleven are the most deserving players eligible for enshrinement who are not in the Hall of Fame.

The case for Santo in Cooperstown was best made in The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract (The Free Press, 2001). James ranked Santo as the sixth-best third baseman of all-time.

"George Kell was the 30th best third baseman of all time; he is in the Hall of Fame," James wrote. "Fred Lindstrom was the 43rd best third baseman of all time; he is in the Hall of Fame.

"George Kell in his career drove in 100 runs once; otherwise his career high in RBI was 93. Ron Santo scored 100 runs once, and drove in more than 93 runs every year, eight straight years. Obviously, Santo was doing a lot more to change the scoreboard than Kell was, even though Santo played in the 1960s, when runs were hard to come by.

"Santo was not only a better hitter than Kell, he was also a better hitter than Jimmy Collins, Pie Traynor, Fred Lindstrom, and Brooks Robinson. He was a good hitter in a relatively long career, as he ranks eighth all-time in games played at third base. Defense? He won five Gold Gloves.

"It's not Ron Santo against Willie Mays. It is Ron Santo against Pete Browning, or Babe Herman, or Bob Meusel, or Jake Daubert, or somebody else whose only real advantage on Ron Santo is that he played so long ago that his flaws have been forgotten."

In The Game Is Never Over (Icarus Press, 1980), Jim Langford quotes longtime manager Gene Mauch: "Santo is the best third baseman I've ever seen over a period of time. Billy Cox and Frank Malzone may have been as good for one season, but they can't match Santo over 10 years."