Another Year The Baseball Hall of Fame Got It Wrong: Ron Santo Belongs

You can hear him every afternoon on the radio, full of life, and excitement.

You can hear the kid in him with every crack of the bat, with every home run, and with every stolen base. You can hear him scream to the top of his lungs when one of our heroes make a fantastic catch, or a bullet-throw from the outfield to catch the runner at home plate.

That kid is 68-year-old Ron Santo, former Chicago Cub third basemen, nine time All-Star, five time Gold Glove winner, and the only third baseman in major league history to post eight consecutive seasons with 90 RBI.

He is recognized as one of the best third basemen to ever play the game.

His Fielding was brilliant, while his hitting was something that no other third basemen ever came close to.

So why do we sit here, 35 years after he played his last game, asking ourselves why he isn't in the Hall of Fame?

If you look back, you will see there was no other player in his era that came close to what he accomplished—all while struggling with diabetes, an illness he hid for so long while he was becoming a hero to us all.

How can the Hall of Fame voters leave out one of the most beloved players of his era?

For so long, it has been written in stone that most third basemen were ignored by the Hall of Fame for no discernible reason. But Santo wasn't just a good third basemen, he was one of the best of his time. He matches up to anyone who could be considered a Hall of Famer.

In the sports climate we are in today, with the cheating, and the steroid usage, and the high-priced salaries, I believe what we need is to look back and remember the true ball players who just didn't play this game for the fame or for the millions of dollars a year.

Let's look back and remember those who fought against all odds. A player who struggled with a deadly disease, but never failed to give 100 percent while on the field in the type of player we should be honoring.

In the age where players take days, or even weeks, off because of a pulled muscle, Santo walked out onto that grass not knowing what tomorrow would bring and still poured his heart out for his team and for their fans.

To me, that is a Hall of Famer.

If that doesn't make you believe that Ron Santo belongs in the Hall of Fame, then look at the numbers he put up compared that to the other players of that era. Hell, compare them to the players of today—you still won't be able to match him.

Will Santo be another player who was over-looked until his death?

When he does get in, will we have to look towards Heaven, and wink?

I hope not. I hope that when the day comes and Ron is allowed to go where he should have been 20 years ago, he gets the chance to look out at that crowd, and with a click of his heels, he knows he is still our hero