Tracking Down a Ron Santo Story

[Rob]

Hey folks. I'm working on a speech regarding Ron Santo and his qualifications into the Hall of Fame for one of my classes. Now, I know I recall a story about him and Billy Williams in spring training one year, where Rogers Hornsby was going up and down the group of guys there berating all of them, and then suddenly turned and told Ron and Billy they'd make it in the bigs. Only problem is, I have absolutely no recollection where I found that story, and I can't use something like that without a source. So has anybody seen this before? If so, where?

[David]

I know it's not the best source, but Wikipedia's article on Hornsby mentions the story.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogers_Hornsby

 

In another anecdote, Hornsby was reviewing a group of major league players with his customary none-too-complimentary remarks. Among the group were Chicago Cubs' third baseman Ron Santo and outfielder Billy Williams. Hornsby had just gotten through dimissing one player with the comment, "You'd better go back to shining shoes because you can't hit," when Santo whispered to Williams, "If he says that to me, I'm going to cry." When Hornsby came to Santo, he said, "You can hit in the big leagues right now," then turned to Williams and said, "So can you."

 

You might be able to find out something more if you go through the references the article lists.

 

Or you could do something I would never recommend or ever ever condone or do and just make up your source by saying it was in "This Old Cub" or something. :lol:

[UK1679666180]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogers_Hornsby

 

Hornsby was reviewing a group of major league players with his customary none-too-complimentary remarks. Among the group were Chicago Cubs' third baseman Ron Santo and outfielder Billy Williams. Hornsby had just gotten through dimissing one player with the comment, "You'd better go back to shining shoes because you can't hit," when Santo whispered to Williams, "If he says that to me, I'm going to cry." When Hornsby came to Santo, he said, "You can hit in the big leagues right now," then turned to Williams and said, "So can you."

[Rob]

I really, really, really wish I could get away with just using the Wikipedia article as a source. I'll look through those references, but I know I haven't read any of those things, so it makes me doubt it's actually in any of those.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

And how it actually happened...

 

Hornsby had just gotten through dimissing one player with the comment, "You'd better go back to shining shoes because you can't hit," when Santo whispered to Williams, "If he says that to me, I'm going to cry." When Hornsby came to Santo, he said, "You can hit in the big leagues right now," then turned to Williams and said, "So can you, but you're not allowed to play. Get lost."

[CubinNY]

I really, really, really wish I could get away with just using the Wikipedia article as a source. I'll look through those references, but I know I haven't read any of those things, so it makes me doubt it's actually in any of those.

 

Send an email to Santo. Someone will read it and someone will probably eamil you back, probably not Santo, but you could get confirmation on the story from its original source.

[CoolHandLuke]

It's been a while since I read it, but I recall that story being told in the book "Wrigleyville" by Peter Golenbock.

 

I could be mistaken and if so I am sorry, but it really strikes me as familiar.

[Laura]

coolhandluke calls it

 

p. 364, Wrigleyville

 

(The Kid from Garlic Gulch chapter - Santo)

 

 

"The next day I was starting, and from then I played every day. I hit four home runs that week. After the three weeks were up, Rogers Hornsby took twenty guys, ran us over to a bleacher bench, and I was sitting in the second row with Billy Williams. Billy and I became friends. It was funny how we hit it off. I saw the talent with his bat. This guy was exceptional. And a wonderful person. I think we had maybe three blacks on the ball club. Weren't many. All wonderful guys, and all had talent.

 

So Rogers went down the first row. Rogers Hornsby was a person who didn't hold back with anything. There were maybe seven guys in the first row. He looked at the first guy and he said, 'You might as well go home. You won't get by A ball.' He went to the next guy, 'Forget A ball. Uou won't even get to C ball.' And he went right down the line.

 

Can you imagine me sitting there with Billy, and he's saying this to the prospects? Rogers Hornsby was saying this. If Rogers Hornsby had said to me, 'You might as well go home,' do you know where my confidence would have been? I would have felt like I had no chance.

 

To the first guy in our row he said the same thing. he allowed that a couple guys might make Triple A, but not one to the majors. Rogers said to Billy, 'You will play in the big leagues. And you could play now.'

 

Rogers said, "you,' meaning me, 'can hit in the big leagues right now.' And then he went throught the rest of the guys, and it was back to the same old thing. It was everybody but Billy and me.

 

I was thinking, These are prospects, young kids. What does he know?

 

We were the only two that made it to the big leagues."

 

 

(italics in original)

[Rob]

Oh thank you so much everybody. I was really hoping to use this story and couldn't figure which one of the dozens of books it came from. I looked through all of em.

 

Figures it was one of the about three I got from the library and didn't actually buy.

 

Once again, thanks everybody!

[NCCubFan]

There's also a condensed version on p. 69 (Billy Williams chapter) of Few and Chosen, by Ron Santo with Phil Pepe (a 2005 book where Santo picks the greatest Cubs of all-time).

 

EDIT: The full version is on pp. 38-39 (Rogers Hornsby chapter) of the same book. According to this version, here's what Hornsby actually said:

 

To player before Williams: "Yom may get to Double A."

 

To Williams: "You can play in the big leagues right now."

 

To Santo: "You are going to play in the big leagues."

[Rob]

There's also a condensed version on p. 69 (Billy Williams chapter) of Few and Chosen, by Ron Santo with Phil Pepe (a 2005 book where Santo picks the greatest Cubs of all-time).

 

EDIT: The full version is on pp. 38-39 (Rogers Hornsby chapter) of the same book. According to this version, here's what Hornsby actually said:

 

To player before Williams: "Yom may get to Double A."

 

To Williams: "You can play in the big leagues right now."

 

To Santo: "You are going to play in the big leagues."

 

Fantastic, I actually have that book around here somewhere! Cheers!