Ron Santo will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, and fans of the Cubs third baseman can watch the TV premiere of “This Old Cub” special edition on MLB Network on Saturday.
This is an updated version of the documentary about Santo, who passed away Dec. 3, 2010. It will air at 12 p.m. CT Saturday. The intimate and indepth film focuses on Santo’s life, both on the field and off, and how he dealt with complications from diabetes that forced him to have both legs amputated below the knee. It includes humorous and very touching highlights from his days as a player and in the radio booth with broadcaster Pat Hughes. The film was produced and directed by Santo’s son Jeff, and the new version includes the statue dedication at Wrigley Field in August 2011, the Hall of Fame election announcement on Dec. 5, 2011, and excerpts from an interview between father and son recorded two weeks before Ron died. Fans also can purchase their own copy of the documentary at www.santofilms.com.
Santo was voted into Cooperstown on Dec. 5, 2011 by the Golden Era Ballot Committee. A nine-time All-Star, he received 15 of 16 votes.
* On Saturday in Cooperstown, the Cubs will host a fan fest at the Fenimore Art Museum from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. CT. Special guests will include Hughes, Hall of Famers Billy Williams and Fergie Jenkins, and teammates Glenn Beckert and Randy Hundley. There will be a question and answer session, video of Santo moments, and food and drink. The Cubs contingent in Cooperstown also will include members of the Ricketts family, as well as former Cubs manager Lou Piniella.
* Sunday’s induction ceremony will begin at 12:30 p.m. CT at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown. Cubs fans who can’t get there can celebrate Santo’s honor at a viewing party at Captain Morgan Club next to Wrigley Field.
* On July 27, which will be the Cubs’ first home game after the ceremony, the team will celebrate Santo at Wrigley Field, with the first 10,000 fans receiving a commemorative Ron Santo Hall of Fame plaque.
– Carrie Muskat
