Santo finally makes the HOF

[both-teams-played-hard]

Just another reason the Hall of Fame has lost all credibility.

Santo is not a hall of famer, sorry.

Nice. Poo poo on a collective birthday cake. Have you seen Santo play? In person or on TV ? If you have, then my sincere apologies.

[freddiefreeman5]

Nice. Poo poo on a collective birthday cake. Have you seen Santo play? In person or on TV ? If you have, then my sincere apologies.

Do you think Santo knows that he got in?

[both-teams-played-hard]

Do you think Santo knows that he got in?

Of course. I'm sure he just played a game of catch with John Kinsella.

[emann]

I think people take the Hall of Fame's qualifications too seriously. Basically, they need to add players to continue to make it interesting... It'd be nice to walk into a gallery with 30 plaques limited to the true legends of the game, frankly, it'd be kind of boring. Who's going to make that pilgrimage with their family more than once either? "Look, there's Babe Ruth's plaque... again."

I like the idea of breaking the HOF into the best players of each era. In that sense, Santo deserves to be enshrined. It's also called the Hall of FAME: growing up near Boston, there was almost nobody in New England sports from the late 70's thru mid-80's as famous as Jim Rice. I'm sure it was the same in Chicago for Ron Santo, I'm sure it was the same in Minnesota for Puckett, Gossage in NYC, etc. That's "fame". These guys were great players and became famous, either in certain regions or throughout the country, as a result. Were they the greatest the game had ever seen—no—but that totals about 35 guys and leaves a pretty short Hall to wander through. You'd only need to visit about once every 20 years or so to see who the new inductee was...

When you're an athlete and become well-known enough that a large number of people who don't even follow sports know your name for decades over a large region, you deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.

Side note: They really need to decide to either drop the steroid era players off the ballot or just allow them in. The ballot is going to get messy in the next decade and alot of great players will be lost to the McGwires or Palmeiros who linger on the writer's ballots in some sort of purgatory. Either ban them outright, vote them off or vote them in. Again, Hall of FAME to me, I think McGwire deserves to be in (ill-gotten fame though it may be).

[Not a Cubs/Santo fan BTW... just thought he deserved it and sad to see it come posthumously for him.]

[frikativ54]

Again, Hall of FAME to me, I think McGwire deserves to be in (ill-gotten fame though it may be).

I don't think McGwire would be a HOFer, putting the whole PED issue aside. He was a one-dimensional player; he could hit home runs. But could he do anything else?

[emann]

I don't think McGwire would be a HOFer, putting the whole PED issue aside. He was a one-dimensional player; he could hit home runs. But could he do anything else?

No, I agree with his limited skills, he wasn't a top tier player... but I'm stating that his level of "fame" should probably qualify him for a spot in the Hall of Fame.

Same with Jim Rice et al, who were not exactly Babe Ruth but achieved that upper tier of fame. I think Dale Murphy is also long overlooked and for the same reason, he deserves to be in the HOF.

Maybe they need to break it up by that top tier of 35 or so absolute greats and then the rest.

[both-teams-played-hard]

I think people take the Hall of Fame's qualifications too seriously. Basically, they need to add players to continue to make it interesting... It'd be nice to walk into a gallery with 30 plaques limited to the true legends of the game, frankly, it'd be kind of boring. Who's going to make that pilgrimage with their family more than once either? "Look, there's Babe Ruth's plaque... again."

See. This guy gets it.

[trsent]

Do you think Santo knows that he got in?

Is this going to become a debate about life after death?

[freddiefreeman5]

Is this going to become a debate about life after death?

I hope not.
I just think that if he deserved to be in that he should have gotten in while he was alive and could have enjoyed it.
What purpose does it serve now except to make a few die hard Cubbie fans all warm and fuzzy inside.

[trsent]

I hope not.
I just think that if he deserved to be in that he should have gotten in while he was alive and could have enjoyed it.
What purpose does it serve now except to make a few die hard Cubbie fans all warm and fuzzy inside.

Yes, it is a shame they waited until he passed to elect him.

I posted this before and I'll post it again - I got to spend the past few years working with Ron Santo at various autograph appearances and before I met him I didn't think he qualified to be in the Hall of Fame.

After seeing him with the public who adored him, I realized he belonged in the Hall of Fame, not solely based on his career on the playing field but also for his contributions off the field after he retired.

Ernie Bank and Ryne Sandberg may have been career Chicago Cubs, but Ron Santo lived and died a Chicago Cubs fan and dedicated his life to that organization, their fans and the sport of baseball.

A true class individual who deserved to enjoy being elected to The Hall of Fame but in the end only his fans and family will be able to enjoy his well deserved enrichment.