Favorite Ron Santo memories

[erik316wttn]

I figured a thread like this would be appropriate: A place where all of us can share our favorite Ron Santo memories.

 

I have two that always make me smile. Everyone is familiar with the first story.

 

September 23, 1998. Cubs 7, Brewers 5. Bases loaded, bottom of the 9th with 2 outs in old County Stadium in Milwaukee. What should be the last out of the game is an easy fly ball to Cubs left fielder Brant Brown, who promptly drops it. Three runs come around to score and the Cubs lose. Ron lets out a blood-curdling scream like someone just shot his entire family in front of him. It was played at various times for years after that just for laughs. I figure that's the ultimate clip of him being a homer, and it makes me laugh every time I hear it, even yesterday.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY-quZ7W9Jw That's the best clip I could find. You hear Ron screaming 9 seconds in.

 

During one of the very first series of the year, the Cubs are in New York to play the Mets. It may have even been Opening Day. I'm listening on the radio and there's a commotion in the booth. Apparently, Ron stood up, got his head too close to the space heater that was hanging above him, and his toupee caught fire. He took it in stride, and even years later Pat would tease him about that incident. It's just one of those funny stories that made him human and not just another random voice on the radio.

 

And I'm sure going to miss Pat opening Cubs broadcasts with "...along with Cubs legend Ron Santo, it's Pat Hughes reporting..." :(

[NewUserName]

I had never heard the toupee on fire story until yesterday.

 

I can probably give many examples of stories, but I just loved listening to him and Pat while driving in the car listening to the Cubs. Winning or losing I knew there was going to be some entertaining radio. To bad no one is going to be able to replace Ron and add that level of entertainment

[imb]

"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo"

[Kid Gleason]

I was a server at his old chicken restaurant in Shaumburg around '96. I was working one night and had a chance to meet him when he came in for dinner with his wife. He took the time to meet any of us who wanted to shake their hands. Very nice family.

[ZipDog]

Mrs. Zip and I were in Mesa for an ST game and we met Ronnie Santo on his way up to the "booth" at HoHoKam. He said he was glad to meet us; but, did we have a napkin for his hotdog, as he had forgotten his. Yes, we did have several extras...and, he was very gracious in welcoming us Texans to Arizona and to Cubs baseball. We thanked him and smiled as we listened to the radio bantor between him and Pat Hughes during the game.

 

Just a average Joe.

[Hawk4Hall]

A few ones that come to mind but can't remember the exact game.

 

When Ron lost his pen and the team the Cubs were playing I think scored a run and Ron was still talking about his lost pen.

 

When Ron started reading a fax right before the Cubs won a game. The fax read started right as Pat was getting ready to make the final call.

 

Ron yelling "Yeahhhhhhhh!" after the Aram beat the White Sox with a walkoff a few years back.

 

The details on these might not be perfect.

[bcl412]

I enjoyed that he would right "WL" or something like that for "wasn't looking" when he wasn't paying attention to the game.

[Old Style]

I enjoyed that he would right "WL" or something like that for "wasn't looking" when he wasn't paying attention to the game.

:lol:

 

Is that true?

[jyoung55]

Just that any time you turned on the radio, you could tell whether the Cubs were winning or losing by the tone of his voice before you knew the score.

 

Thinking of him got me through my time in the hospital when I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.

 

Oh and see the sig.

[daske17]

"Let me take a look at the replay... yeah, he was tagged."

 

It happened at least twice a game, every game.

[bcl412]

I enjoyed that he would right "WL" or something like that for "wasn't looking" when he wasn't paying attention to the game.

:lol:

 

Is that true?

 

I don't know if he actually did it on the score card but I do remember him and Pat talking about it one time. It kind of became a running joke between my dad and I when I keep score at games that we've gone to.

[Old Style]

And Pat Hughes brought the cathedral down with is stirring and heartfelt eulogy. Of course, to told the story of the Brant Brown game and Ronnie's now-famous cry of 'Oh, no!" when Brown dropped that flyball.

 

"His head is flat on the table, it was as if his forehead was glued to the table," Pat said. "I thought we lost him right there. I had to jab him in the shoulder. I said `Ronnie are you OK?' `Yeah I guess.'

 

"He's in Jim Riggleman's office sipping on a beer. He's in tears. `How could he drop the ball in that situation?' Jim Riggleman the manager walks over to Ron Santo the broadcaster, puts his arm around him and says `Ronnie hang in there, we're going to Houston, we can beat the Astros, we can still make the playoffs.' I had to look away. The clubhouse felt like a tragedy. We had just lost this brutal game, but I had to laugh. Here was a manager cheering up a broadcaster. This has never happened in the history of American sports. Do you think Mike Ditka ever tried to cheer up Wayne Larrivee? I don't think so.''

[MWV]

One of my favorite Santo memories came during a broadcast from Shea a few years ago; a fan wrote to explain that he was dating a Mets fan who didn't understand his loyalty to the Cubs. He was hoping Ron could give him some advice. Upon Pat's having finished reading the letter, Ron immediately growled "Dump her", and offered little else on the subject.

[BCVM22]

One of my favorite Santo memories came during a broadcast from Shea a few years ago; a fan wrote to explain that he was dating a Mets fan who didn't understand his loyalty to the Cubs. He was hoping Ron could give him some advice. Upon Pat's having finished reading the letter, Ron immediately growled "Dump her", and offered little else on the subject.

 

http://home.comcast.net/~bcvm22/cubs/ronsaysdumpher.mp3

 

In the interest of full disclosure, this is an excerpt from track 12, "Heartbreak Dead Ahead", of Welcome to the Friendly Confines of the Pat and Ron Show, the delightful CD of Pat and Ron's best moments they published a few years back, ostensibly still available for order directly from WGN 720:

 

http://www.wgnradio.com/marketplace/cds/wgnam-pat-and-ron-show-cd-html,0,6909283.htmlstory

[MWV]

One of my favorite Santo memories came during a broadcast from Shea a few years ago; a fan wrote to explain that he was dating a Mets fan who didn't understand his loyalty to the Cubs. He was hoping Ron could give him some advice. Upon Pat's having finished reading the letter, Ron immediately growled "Dump her", and offered little else on the subject.

 

http://home.comcast.net/~bcvm22/cubs/ronsaysdumpher.mp3

 

In the interest of full disclosure, this is an excerpt from track 12, "Heartbreak Dead Ahead", of Welcome to the Friendly Confines of the Pat and Ron Show, the delightful CD of Pat and Ron's best moments they published a few years back. I don't know if it's still in print or not.

Thanks. I don't know that I've ever thanked you in the past for your dedication to posting audio, but I've been appreciating it for years.

[BCVM22]

I do what I can, friend. I have to justify the neat custom title somehow.