Cubs Opening Day Honor Roll

Opening Day is upon us, and so (thank heaven) is the prospect of a full 162-game schedule and in-person attendance by the faithful. The Cubs seem to be in a transitional phase between the would-be dynasty that produced the long-awaited world championship of 2016 and whatever comes next. Their pennant prospects seem a little shaky--but hope springs eternal in the hearts and minds of Cubs fans, and never more so than on Opening Day.

     

ERNIE BANKS

We've taken a look back at season openers of the past to compile the Cubs' All-Opening Day roster. Ernie Banks made 17 consecutive Opening Day starts for the Cubs between 1954 and 1970, eight at shortstop and nine at first base. Anthony Rizzo will tie Mr. Cub at first base during this afternoon's game, while still having a ways to go to catch Charlie Grimm and Mark Grace. 

BILLY WILLIAMS

    
Billy Williams had 14 Opening Day starts at four positions: ten in left field, two in right field, one in center field, and one at first base. Ryne Sandberg also made 14 Opening Day starts, one at third base and 13 at second base. Ron Santo started 13 consecutive Opening Days for the Cubs at third base.
    

RYNE SANDBERG

The lists below reflect Cubs Opening Day lineups from 1901 through 2020. Asterisks indicate consecutive years.

Most Opening Day starts (any position)
  1. Ernie Banks, 17* (1954-1970)
  2. Billy Williams, 14* (1961-1974)
  3. Ryne Sandberg, 14 (1982-1997) 

  4. Ron Santo, 13* (1961-1973)
  5. Five players tied with 12

RON SANTO

Most Opening Day starts by position
  P. Fergie Jenkins, 7 (1967-1983)
  C. Gabby Hartnett, 12 (1922-1938)
1B. Charlie Grimm, 12* (1925-1936)

1B. Mark Grace, 12* (1989-2000)
2B. Ryne Sandberg, 13 (1983-1997)
3B. Ron Santo, 13* (1961-1973) 

SS. Shawon Dunston, 11 (1985-1997)

LF. Billy Williams, 10 (1962-1973)
CF. Andy Pafko, 7 (1944-1951)
RF. Sammy Sosa, 12* (1993-2004)

Second most Opening Day starts by position
  P. Carlos Zambrano, 6* (2005-2010)
  C. Johnny Kling, 7 (1901-1911)
1B. Ernie Banks, 9* (1962-1970) 

2B. Billy Herman, 10* (1932-1941)
3B. Stan Hack, 12 (1932-1947)

SS. Don Kessinger, 10* (1966-1975)
LF. Riggs Stephenson, 6* (1926-1931)

LF. Alfonso Soriano, 6* (2008-2013)

LF. Jimmy Sheckard, 6 (1906-1912)
CF. Hack Wilson, 6* (1926-1931)
RF. Bill Nicholson, 7 (1941-1948)

RF. Frank "Wildfire" Schulte, 7 (1906-1913)

Third most Opening Day starts by position
  P. Rick Sutcliffe, 5* (1985-1989)

  P. Grover Alexander, 5 (1918-1925)

  P. Charlie Root, 5 (1927-1932)
  C. Jody Davis, 6* (1983-1988) 

  C. Clyde McCullough, 6 (1941-1954)     
1B. Anthony Rizzo, 8* (2013-2020)

1B. Frank Chance, 8 (1904-1912)
2B. Johnny Evers, 9 (1904-1913)
3B. Aramis Ramirez, 7* (2004-2010)
SS. Joe Tinker, 9 (1902-1912) 

LF. Hack Miller, 4* (1922-1925)

LF. Hank Sauer, 4 (1950-1955)

LF. Kyle Schwarber, 4 (2016-2020)
CF. Rick Monday, 5* (1972-1976)

CF. Jimmy Slagle, 5 (1902-1908)
RF. Andre Dawson, 5 (1987-1992)

RF. Max Flack, 5 (1916-1921)

Check out our book Heydays: Great Stories in Chicago Sports on Amazon. 

Ron Santo

Ron Santo, who passed away ten years ago today at the age of 70, was unique in Chicago sports history. No other person was so prominent as a player and so beloved as a broadcaster for such a long time.

    

RON SANTO

 

Santo the player was easily the best National League third baseman of his day and one of the best of all time. He was a nine-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glover, and four times finished in the top ten in MVP balloting. For the period of 1964 through 1969, Santo had the highest WAR (wins above replacement player) in the major leagues—better than Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Frank Robinson, or anyone else. By that measure, he was the most valuable player in baseball over the six-year period.

     The core players on the Cubs teams of the late 1960s and early 1970s--Santo, Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins, Glenn Beckert, Randy Hundley, Don Kessinger, and Ken Holtzman--became lifelong friends. Unfortunately, they never won any championships together, and Santo's personal accomplishments did not land him in the Hall of Fame during his lifetime (he was inducted posthumously in 2012). That was a bitter pill, but Santo swallowed it with the same fortitude that carried him through his long and harrowing struggle with diabetes.
 

Santo the broadcaster spent two decades in the Cubs' radio booth, teamed first with Thom Brennaman and Bob Brenly, and then, for 15 years, with Pat Hughes.
     As a broadcaster, Santo was a mirror for the feelings of his listeners in good times and bad. No one was more delighted than Santo when the Cubs won, and no one was more disappointed when they lost. Few fans will forget Santo's anguished cry of "Oh, nooooooooo!" when left fielder Brant Brown dropped a fly ball in 1998 that cost the Cubs a late-season game and almost cost them the wild-card playoff berth they eventually won.
     It was easy to criticize Santo for being too much of a cheerleader, for not doing his homework, etc., but most of his listeners didn't care. They knew that he was genuinely invested, as they were, in the fortunes of the Cubs. And Hughes was a very generous partner. He cleverly found a way to make their broadcasts work not in spite of Santo's limitations, but because of them. One of the memorable exchanges between the two went something like this:
     Hughes: "Former Cub Ruben Quevedo coming on to pitch for the Brewers."
     Santo: "Who is it?"
     Hughes: "Ruben Quevedo."
     Santo: "He hasn’t missed too many meals."
     Hughes: "You could say that, Ronnie."
     Santo: "He reminds me of someone we had not too long ago."
     Hughes: "Who might that be, Ron?"
     Santo: "Hmmm."
     Hughes: "Should I give you a hint?"
     Santo: "It's on the tip of my tongue, Patrick."
     Hughes: "Might it be Ruben Quevedo?"
     Santo: "Oh gosh, I’m not sure."

 

 

Check out our book Heydays: Great Stories in Chicago Sports on Amazon.  

Voices of Summer: The Cubs on Radio

The home-team baseball broadcaster has a unique position among sports announcers. None other visits with fans every day for six months at a time, year after year and even decade after decade. None other is so inseparable from our memories of specific plays and players and games, or of lazy summer afternoons and evenings from long ago. None other becomes virtually a family member for those who closely follow the team. Pat Hughes, the current radio voice of the Cubs, is celebrating his 25th year as such an honorary family member to his listeners.

    

PAT HUGHES

The Cubs began broadcasting their games on radio in 1924, on television in 1948. In the early years, the club did not grant exclusive rights to any station, so fans could choose among multiple stations carrying the same ballgame at the same time with different announcers. WGN was closely identified with the Cubs for many years, and younger fans might be surprised to learn that it was the exclusive home of the Cubs on radio "only" from 1959 to 2014. Both WGN and the Cubs were owned by the Tribune Company from 1981 until the Cubs were sold to the Ricketts family in 2009.

     Below is the complete list of Cubs broadcasters on radio.

 

Radio Stations

Various, 1924-1943

WJJD, 1944

WIND, 1945-1958

WGN, 1959-2014

WBBM, 2015

WSCR, 2016-present

 

Radio Play-by-Play (era of multiple stations)

Hal Totten, 1924-1935 (WMAQ)

Quin Ryan, 1925-1927 (WGN)

John O'Hara, 1928-1933 (WCFL)

Bob Elson, 1928-1941 (WGN)

Pat Flanagan, 1929-1940 (WBBM)

Russ Hodges, 1935-1938 (WIND)

John O’Hara, 1936 (WJJD)

Hal Totten, 1936-1943 (WCFL)

John Harrington, 1937-1938 (WJJD)

Charlie Grimm, 1939-1940 (WJJD)

Pat Flanagan, 1941-1943 (WJJD)

Jack Brickhouse, 1942-1943 (WGN)

 

Radio Play-by-Play (era of single station)

Bert Wilson, 1944-1955

Jack Quinlan, 1956-1964

Vince Lloyd, 1965-1986

Dewayne Staats, 1987-1989

Thom Brennaman, 1990-1995

Pat Hughes, 1996-present

 

Radio Analyst

Bud Campbell, 1951-1953

Bob Elson, 1954

Jack Quinlan, 1955

Gene Elston, 1955-1957

Milo Hamilton, 1956-1957

Lou Boudreau, 1958-1959

Charlie Grimm, 1960

Lou Boudreau, 1961-1987

Jim Frey, 1987

Dave Nelson, 1988-1989

Bob Brenly, 1990-1991

Ron Santo, 1990-2010

Keith Moreland, 2011-2013

Ron Coomer, 2014-present

 

Duly Noted: Harry Caray frequently worked on radio for the Cubs during his 16 years (1982-1997) with the club, usually handling play-by-play for three innings per game. He is not listed above because his main area of responsibility was the TV booth.

Santo's Second Fondest Wish Comes True

     Today's announcement that Ron Santo has finally been elected to the Hall of Fame was more bitter than sweet, coming as it did a year after Santo passed away. Many observers have cited Santo as the most deserving player not yet in the Hall, a wrong that will be righted come induction day next summer. Alas, the honor will be too late for Santo himself to enjoy it.
     Santo was easily the best National League third baseman of his day and one of the best of all time. He was a nine-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glover, and four times finished in the top ten in MVP balloting.
     For the period of 1964 through 1969, Santo had the highest WAR (wins above replacement player) in the major leagues—better than Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Frank Robinson, or anyone else. His figure of 45.7 means that the Cubs won that many more games with Santo in the lineup than they would've won with an average player in his place. By that measure, Santo was the most valuable player in the major leagues over the six-year period.
     Santo the broadcaster is better known than Santo the player, at least to fans under the age of 45 or 50. He spent two decades in the Cubs' radio booth, teamed first with Thom Brennaman and Bob Brenly, and then, for 15 years, with Pat Hughes. As a broadcaster, Santo was a mirror for the feelings of his listeners in good times and bad. No one was more delighted than Santo when the Cubs won, and no one was more disappointed when they lost.
     His election to the Hall of Fame makes Santo's second fondest wish come true. His fondest wish was to see the Cubs win the World Series.

Cubs All-Opening Day Lineup

     Opening Day at Wrigley Field is upon us, with the outlook for the weather (forecast for showers and possible snow flurries) and for the Cubs' pennant prospects less than ideal. Nonetheless, hope springs eternal in the hearts and minds of Cubs fans, and never more so than on Opening Day.
     We're taking a look back at the Cubs' openers of the past to compile the club's All-Opening Day roster. Ernie Banks made 17 consecutive Opening Day starts for the Cubs between 1954 and 1970, eight at shortstop and nine at first base. He ranks third at both positions while ranking first overall in Cubs annals. Billy Williams is next with 14 Opening Day starts at four positions: ten in left field, two in right field, one in center field, and one at first base.
     The lists below reflect Opening Day lineups from 1919 through 2010. (The information for years prior to 1919 is not readily available.)

* Asterisks indicate consecutive years.

Most Opening Day starts
  1. Ernie Banks, 17* (1954-1970)
  2. Billy Williams, 14* (1961-1974)
  3. Ron Santo, 13* (1961-1973)
  4. Ryne Sandberg, 13 (1982-1997)
  5. Five players tied with 12

First team (most Opening Day starts by position)
  P. Fergie Jenkins, 7 (1967-1983)
  C. Gabby Hartnett, 12 (1922-1938)
1B. Charlie Grimm, 12* (1925-1936)
2B. Ryne Sandberg, 13 (1983-1997)
SS. Shawon Dunston, 11 (1985-1997)
3B. Ron Santo, 13* (1961-1973)
LF. Billy Williams, 10 (1962-1973)
CF. Andy Pafko, 7 (1944-1951)
RF. Sammy Sosa, 12 (1993-2004)

Second team (second most Opening Day starts by position)
  P. Carlos Zambrano, 6* (2005-2010)
  C. Jody Davis, 6* (1983-1988)
1B. Mark Grace, 12* (1989-2000)
2B. Billy Herman, 10* (1932-1941)
SS. Don Kessinger, 10* (1966-1975)
3B. Stan Hack, 12 (1932-1947)
LF. Riggs Stephenson, 6* (1926-1931)
CF. Hack Wilson, 6* (1926-1931)
RF. Bill Nicholson, 7 (1941-1948)

Third team (third most Opening Day starts by position)
  P. Rick Sutcliffe, 5* (1985-1989)
  C. Clyde McCullough, 6 (1941-1954)
1B. Ernie Banks, 9* (1962-1970)
2B. Glenn Beckert, 8 (1965-1973)
SS. Ernie Banks, 8* (1954-1961)
3B. Aramis Ramirez, 7* (2004-2010)
LF. Hack Miller, 4* (1922-1925)
CF. Rick Monday, 5* (1972-1976)
RF. Andre Dawson, 5 (1987-1992)

Cubs Honor Roll

CAP ANSON

Cubs retired numbers:
10 - Ron Santo
14 - Ernie Banks
23 - Ryne Sandberg
26 - Billy Williams
31 - Fergie Jenkins
31 - Greg Maddux

World championship managers:
1876 - Al Spalding
1880 - Cap Anson
1881 - Cap Anson
1882 - Cap Anson
1885 - Cap Anson
1886 - Cap Anson
1907 - Frank Chance
1908 - Frank Chance

National League Most Valuable Player:
1911 - Frank "Wildfire" Schulte
1929 - Rogers Hornsby
1935 - Gabby Hartnett
1945 - Phil Cavarretta
1952 - Hank Sauer
1958 - Ernie Banks
1959 - Ernie Banks
1984 - Ryne Sandberg
1987 - Andre Dawson
1998 - Sammy Sosa

National League Cy Young Award:
1971 - Fergie Jenkins
1979 - Bruce Sutter
1984 - Rick Sutcliffe
1992 - Greg Maddux

National League Rookie of the Year:
1961 - Billy Williams
1962 - Ken Hubbs
1989 - Jerome Walton
1998 - Kerry Wood
2008 - Geovany Soto

Batting champions:
1876 - Ross Barnes
1880 - George Gore
1881 - Cap Anson
1884 - Mike "King" Kelly
1886 - Mike "King" Kelly
1888 - Cap Anson
1912 - Heinie Zimmerman
1945 - Phil Cavarretta
1972 - Billy Williams
1975 - Bill Madlock
1976 - Bill Madlock
1980 - Bill Buckner
2005 - Derrek Lee

Home Run leaders:
1884 - Ned Williamson
1885 - Abner Dalrymple
1888 - Jimmy Ryan
1890 - Walt Wilmot
1910 - Frank "Wildfire" Schulte
1911 - Frank "Wildfire" Schulte
1912 - Heinie Zimmerman
1916 - Cy Williams
1926 - Hack Wilson
1927 - Hack Wilson
1930 - Hack Wilson
1943 - Bill Nicholson
1944 - Bill Nicholson
1952 - Hank Sauer
1958 - Ernie Banks
1960 - Ernie Banks
1979 - Dave Kingman
1987 - Andre Dawson
1990 - Ryne Sandberg
2000 - Sammy Sosa
2002 - Sammy Sosa

Runs Batted In leaders:
1876 - Deacon White
1880 - Cap Anson
1881 - Cap Anson
1882 - Cap Anson
1884 - Cap Anson
1885 - Cap Anson
1886 - Cap Anson
1888 - Cap Anson
1891 - Cap Anson
1906 - Harry Steinfeldt
1911 - Frank "Wildfire" Schulte
1929 - Hack Wilson
1930 - Hack Wilson
1943 - Bill Nicholson
1944 - Bill Nicholson
1952 - Hank Sauer
1958 - Ernie Banks
1959 - Ernie Banks
1987 - Andre Dawson
1998 - Sammy Sosa
2001 - Sammy Sosa

Leaders in victories:
1876 - Al Spalding
1881 - Larry Corcoran
1885 - John Clarkson
1890 - Bill Hutchinson
1891 - Bill Hutchinson
1892 - Bill Hutchinson
1909 - Mordecai "Three-Finger" Brown
1912 - Larry Cheney
1918 - Hippo Vaughn
1920 - Grover Alexander
1927 - Charlie Root
1929 - Pat Malone
1930 - Pat Malone
1932 - Lon Warneke
1938 - Bill Lee
1964 - Larry Jackson
1971 - Fergie Jenkins
1987 - Rick Sutcliffe
1992 - Greg Maddux
2006 - Carlos Zambrano

Leaders in Earned-Run Average:
1883 - Larry Corcoran
1898 - Clark Griffith
1902 - Jack Taylor
1906 - Mordecai "Three-Finger" Brown
1907 - Jack Pfiester
1910 - King Cole
1918 - Hippo Vaughn
1919 - Grover Alexander
1920 - Grover Alexander
1932 - Lon Warneke
1938 - Bill Lee
1945 - Ray Prim

Leaders in strikeouts:
1880 - Larry Corcoan
1885 - John Clarkson
1892 - Bill Hutchinson
1909 - Orval Overall
1918 - Hippo Vaughn
1919 - Hippo Vaughn
1920 - Grover Alexander
1929 - Pat Malone
1938 - Clay Bryant
1946 - Johnny Schmitz
1955 - Sam Jones
1956 - Sam Jones
1969 - Fergie Jenkins
2003 - Kerry Wood

Manager of the Year:
1984 - Jim Frey
1989 - Don Zimmer
2008 - Lou Piniella

In Memoriam, 2010

     We Chicago sports fans lost a few of our favorite performers this year. Heading the list were Bears Hall of Famers Stan Jones and George Blanda, Cubs stars Ron Santo and Phil Cavarretta, and the Blackhawks' Ed Litzenberger, captain of the 1961 Stanley Cup champions.
     Each of the aforementioned gentlemen enjoyed a long and acclaimed career in his sport, lived into his old age, and could look back with satisfaction upon heroic feats of the distant past. Regrettably, the same could not be said of Gaines Adams, the Bears defensive end who was struck down without warning at only 26, while his potential was still unrealized.
     Below is a list of notable Chicago sports personalities who passed away in 2010:

GAINES ADAMS

Gaines Adams, 26, Bears defensive end 2009, All-American at Clemson 2006 (January 17).

Johnny Bailey, 43, Bears running back and kick returner 1990-1991, previously starred at Texas A&I University, inducted into College Football Hall of Fame 2000 (August 20).

Black Tie Affair, 24, Chicago-based thoroughbred, won Equipoise Mile 1990, won Hawthorne Gold Cup 1990, won Washington Park Handicap 1991, Horse of the Year 1991 (July 1).

George Blanda, 83, Bears quarterback and placekicker 1949-1958, later starred with Oakland Raiders, inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame 1981 (September 27).

Lorn Brown, 71, Bulls broadcaster 1975-1978, White Sox broadcaster 1976-1979 and 1983-1988 (June 24).

Freddie Burdette, 73, Cubs pitcher 1962-1964 (June 1).

Phil Cavarretta, 94, Cubs first baseman/outfielder 1934-1953, Cubs manager 1951-1953, White Sox first baseman 1954-1955, three-time All-Star, played for Cubs in three World Series, National League batting champion and Most Valuable Player 1945 (December 18).

Ray Coleman, 88, White Sox outfielder 1951-1952 (September 19).

Quintin Dailey, 49, Bulls guard 1982-1986 (November 8).

Joe Gates, 55, White Sox second baseman 1978-1979 (March 28).

Billy Hoeft, 77, Cubs pitcher 1965-1966 (March 16).

Ken Holcombe, 91, White Sox pitcher 1950-1952 (March 15).

Lou Jankowski, 78, Blackhawks forward 1953-1955 (March 21).

Stan Jones, 78, Bears offensive guard and defensive tackle 1954-1965, three-time All-Pro, seven-time Pro Bowler, introduced systematic practice of weight training to NFL, member of Bears world champions 1963, inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame 1991 (May 21).

Ed Litzenberger, 78, Blackhawks right wing 1954-1961 and captain 1958-1961, won Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year 1955, captain of Stanley Cup champions 1961 (November 1).

Dick Loepfe, 88, Chicago Cardinals offensive tackle 1948-1949 (October 31).

Bob Probert, 45, Blackhawks left wing 1995-2002 (July 5).

Robin Roberts, 83, Cubs pitcher 1966, better known for his previous tenure with Philadelphia Phillies, inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame 1976 (May 6).

Ron Santo, 70, Cubs third baseman 1960-1973, White Sox second baseman 1974, nine-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glove award winner, Cubs broadcaster 1990-2010 (December 3).

Johnny Sellers, 72, jockey 1955-1977, won Washington Park Handicap 1958 and 1960, won Arlington Classic 1960, won American Derby 1960, won Stars & Stripes Handicap 1961, inducted into National Racing Hall of Fame 2007 (July 2).

Bob Shaw, 77, White Sox pitcher 1958-1961, Cubs pitcher 1967, went 18-6 in Sox’ pennant winning-season of 1959, went 1-1 in World Series of same year (September 23).

Solly Sherman, 92, Bears quarterback 1939-1940, passed to Joe Maniaci for one of the Bears’ 73 points (on an extra-point attempt) in legendary 1940 NFL title game victory over Washington Redskins (October 10).

Bobby Thomson, 86, Cubs outfielder 1958-1959, better known for his dramatic pennant-winning home run for New York Giants in 1951 (August 16).

Exciting Celebrity Encounters: Ron Santo and Glenn Beckert

RON SANTO



     In January 1972, my dad took me to meet Ron Santo and Glenn Beckert of the Cubs, who were signing autographs at the Nelson Marine store in Des Plaines (the store is still there, at the southwest corner of River Road and Rand Road, virtually unchanged except for its name, which escapes me). As you will deduce from the photos, the appearance of Santo and Beckert was intended to help the store sell snowmobiles.
     I was only ten years old and not in the market for a snowmobile. But I was excited to meet two of my sports heroes, and they did not disappoint. Santo and Beckert couldn't have been nicer. Dad was glad he brought me, and I think he got as big a kick out of meeting the two All-Stars as I did.
     Santo and Beckert were roommates on Cubs road trips--a quaint notion today when star players get their own suites--and they remained close friends until Santo passed away last week. I never met either of them again, but I've saved their autographs for almost four decades. So they both remained friends to me, too.




GLENN BECKERT

  

Ron Santo, 1940 - 2010

RON SANTO

     Ron Santo, who passed away early Friday morning at the age of 70, was unique in Chicago sports history. No other person was so prominent as a player and so beloved as a broadcaster for such a long time.
     Santo the player was easily the best National League third baseman of his day and one of the best of all time. He was a nine-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glover, and four times finished in the top ten in MVP balloting.
     For the period of 1964 through 1969, Santo had the highest WAR (wins above replacement player) in the major leagues—better than Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Frank Robinson, or anyone else. His figure of 45.7 means that the Cubs won that many more games with Santo in the lineup than they would have won with an average player in his place. By that measure, Santo was the most valuable player in the major leagues over the six-year period.
     Unfortunately, the Cubs never won any championships during Santo's career, and (as has been well documented) his considerable accomplishments did not land him in the Hall of Fame—at least during his lifetime. That was a bitter pill, but Santo swallowed it with the same forebearance that carried him through his long and harrowing struggle with diabetes.

     Santo the broadcaster is better known than Santo the player, at least to fans under the age of 45 or 50. He spent two decades in the Cubs' radio booth, teamed first with Thom Brennaman and Bob Brenly, and then, for the past 15 years, with Pat Hughes.
     As a broadcaster, Santo was a mirror for the feelings of his listeners in good times and bad. No one was more delighted than Santo when the Cubs won, and no one was more disappointed when they lost. Few fans will forget Santo's anguished cry of "Oh, nooooooooo!" when left fielder Brant Brown dropped a fly ball in 1998 that cost the Cubs a late-season game and almost cost them the wild-card playoff berth they eventually won.
     It was easy to criticize Santo for being too much of a cheerleader, for not doing his homework, etc., but most of his listeners didn't care. They knew that he was genuinely invested, as they were, in the fortunes of the Cubs. And Hughes was a very generous partner. He cleverly found a way to make their broadcasts work not in spite of Santo's limitations, but because of them. One of my favorite exchanges between the two went something like this:
     Hughes: "Ruben Quevedo now coming on to pitch for the Brewers."
     Santo: "Who is it?"
     Hughes: "Ruben Quevedo."
     Santo: "He hasn’t missed too many meals."
     Hughes: "You could say that, Ronnie."
     Santo: "He reminds me of someone we had not too long ago."
     Hughes: "Who might that be, Ron?"
     Santo: "Hmmm."
     Hughes: "Should I give you a hint?"
     Santo: "It's on the tip of my tongue, Patrick."
     Hughes: "Might it be Ruben Quevedo?"
     Santo: "Oh gosh, I’m not sure."

Cubs Gold Glovers

GREG MADDUX

     This year's Cubs did not earn any Gold Glove awards, although center fielder Marlon Byrd performed well enough to at least merit consideration. Who will be the next Gold Glover for the Cubs? It's hard to say, now that perennial contender Derrek Lee has been traded.
     The Cubs have been well represented in past years, with second baseman Ryne Sandberg earning nine Gold Gloves for them, third baseman Ron Santo five, and first baseman Mark Grace four. Pitcher Greg Maddux won "only" six of his Gold Gloves for the Cubs, thanks to the disastrous mismanagement that allowed him to leave via free agency after the 1992 season. Maddux won 12 Gold Gloves elsewhere, mostly in Atlanta, for an astounding career total of 18.
     Below is a list of all Cubs Gold Glovers since the awards were first given in 1957.

Cubs Gold Glove Award Winners

Pitcher
1990 - Greg Maddux
1991 - Greg Maddux
1992 - Greg Maddux
2004 - Greg Maddux
2005 - Greg Maddux
2006 - Greg Maddux

Catcher
1986 - Jody Davis

First Baseman
1992 - Mark Grace
1993 - Mark Grace
1995 - Mark Grace
1996 - Mark Grace
2005 - Derrek Lee
2007 - Derrek Lee

Second Baseman
1962 - Ken Hubbs
1968 - Glenn Beckert
1983 - Ryne Sandberg
1984 - Ryne Sandberg
1985 - Ryne Sandberg
1986 - Ryne Sandberg
1987 - Ryne Sandberg
1988 - Ryne Sandberg
1989 - Ryne Sandberg
1990 - Ryne Sandberg
1991 - Ryne Sandberg

Shortstop
1960 - Ernie Banks
1969 - Don Kessinger
1970 - Don Kessinger

Third Baseman
1964 - Ron Santo
1965 - Ron Santo
1966 - Ron Santo
1967 - Ron Santo
1968 - Ron Santo

Outfielder
1984 - Bob Dernier
1987 - Andre Dawson
1988 - Andre Dawson

Bill James's Greatest Chicago Players

EDDIE COLLINS

     Bill James and his fellow sabermetricians--so named after the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), through which they operate--seek to go beyond the traditional figures that have populated the sports pages for more than a century (batting average, home runs, runs batted in, wins, strikeouts, and earned-run average), in order to measure every aspect of a player's performance and value.
     Their work leads inevitably to the ranking of players, which is always interesting, often controversial, and sometimes changes considerably over time (for example, Ernie Banks was ranked 40th in an early version of James's list of the greatest players of all time, but has since slipped to 77th). The rankings have made James's books best sellers and are surefire conversation starters.
     The best Chicago player of all time, according to James, was Eddie Collins. "Collins is described by various sources," James wrote, "as the best bunter in the history of baseball, the best hit-and-run man in the history of baseball, the best defensive second baseman in the history of baseball, the best sign-stealer who ever lived, and the greatest World Series star who ever lived. Kid Gleason, who managed Collins on the White Sox, said that Collins was the greatest team player who ever lived. Connie Mack [who managed Collins with the Athletics] said that Collins was the greatest team player who ever lived."
     Below is a list of all the Chicago players in James's most recent top 100. (Note that some of them played only briefly in Chicago, and therefore earned their ranking elsewhere.) Notable by his absence from this list is Sammy Sosa, whose steroid-tainted career remains difficult to evaluate at present.

18. Eddie Collins, White Sox 1915-1926

20. Grover Alexander, Cubs 1918-1926

22. Rogers Hornsby, Cubs 1929-1932

29. Jimmie Foxx, Cubs 1942, 1944

38. Tom Seaver, White Sox 1984-1986

58. Ryne Sandberg, Cubs 1982-1994, 1996-1997

66. Joe Jackson, White Sox 1916-1920

71. Al Simmons, White Sox 1933-1935

73. Ken Griffey Jr., White Sox 2008

75. Frank Thomas, White Sox 1990-2005

77. Ernie Banks, Cubs 1953-1971

78. Steve Carlton, White Sox 1986

80. Roberto Alomar, White Sox 2003-2004

81. Tim Raines, White Sox 1991-1995

83. Mordecai Brown, Cubs 1904-1912, 1916

85. Minnie Minoso, White Sox 1951-1957, 1960-1961, 1964

87. Ron Santo, Cubs 1960-1973; White Sox 1974

92. Greg Maddux, Cubs 1986-1992, 2004-2006

96. Robin Roberts, Cubs 1966

97. Carlton Fisk, White Sox, 1981-1993

100. Billy Williams, Cubs 1959-1974

"You Don't Think Pennants in July"

For the first three months of the 1969 season, the Cubs looked unbeatable. They entered July with a 50-27 record and a seven-and-a-half-game lead in the standings. On July 8 (41 years ago today), the Cubs began a series against the second-place Mets in New York. This series and another in Chicago the next week showed that the race was far from over. “You don’t think pennants in July,” said Mets manager Gil Hodges. The following account of the two series is from the recent book Heydays: Great Stories in Chicago Sports.

FERGIE JENKINS

     The Cubs won nine of 12 games on a late June homestand, including four straight from Pittsburgh and three of four from St. Louis. Thus they sent their two most likely challengers spinning out of contention. By July 4, after Fergie Jenkins bested the great Bob Gibson in 10 innings, the Cardinals were seven games under .500 and 16 games behind the Cubs. The Pirates, in the throes of a seven-game losing streak, were 14½ games off the pace.
     The New York Mets had now emerged as the Cubs’ nearest pursuers. It was understandable that the Cubs weren’t sweating too hard just yet, for the Mets had been a running joke since entering the league in 1962. They’d lost an unprecedented 120 games their first season and had finished last or second-to-last every year since. Their numerous and inventive ways of losing ballgames had inspired Casey Stengel, their first manager, to call them “those amazin’ Mets.” Now, under the fatherly Gil Hodges, the Mets were changing the meaning of their nickname. An 11-game winning streak in late May and early June had put them over the .500 mark for the first time in their history, and they were still rising. There was no question that their pitching was good enough to keep them in the race (they had an outstanding young staff anchored by third-year man Tom Seaver, sophomores Jerry Koosman and Nolan Ryan, and rookie Gary Gentry), but their everyday lineup was adequate at best. “I know the Dodgers won pennants with just pitching,” Cubs third baseman Ron Santo declared, “but this Mets lineup is ridiculous.”
     On July 8, the Cubs invaded New York’s Shea Stadium for a firsthand look at the upstarts. Jenkins carried a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning. The first batter, Ken Boswell, lifted a shallow fly ball that looked like an easy out, but the Cubs’ rookie center fielder Don Young misjudged it—he broke back, then raced in too late. It fell for a double. Tommie Agee fouled out, then Donn Clendenon drove one deep to left-center. Young sprinted back to the warning track, reached out and made a fine catch—only to have the ball drop out of his glove when he slammed into the wall. Clendenon was credited with a double, and the score was now 3-2. A legitimate double by Cleon Jones tied it up. After an intentional walk and a groundout, Ed Kranepool came to bat. Kranepool’s fifth-inning homer had been the only hit off Jenkins prior to the ninth. Jenkins fooled him this time with an off-speed pitch, but Kranepool threw his bat at the ball and looped a little humpback liner into left to score Jones with the winning run. “Somebody said the Cubs weren’t taking us seriously,” Jones said after the game. “Maybe they’ll take us seriously now.”
     “[Jenkins] pitched his heart out,” said Cubs manager Leo Durocher, “and one man can’t catch a fly ball. It’s a disgrace.” Although neither ball that escaped Young had been scored an error, his teammates believed he should certainly have caught the first one, at least. Santo said so within earshot of reporters. “Everybody was saying, ‘Jesus Christ, the ball’s got to be caught,’” Glenn Beckert recalled. “Santo’s name got associated with it. Not the other 24 guys who were saying the same thing.”
     Santo called a press conference the next morning to apologize for his remarks. That evening, though, Young was on the bench and another rookie, Jimmy Qualls, was in center field. A delirious crowd of 59,083 saw Seaver retire the first 25 Cubs to face him before Qualls lined a single to left with one out in the ninth. Seaver made short work of the next two batters to complete a one-hit shutout, 4-0, for New York’s seventh consecutive win and the Cubs’ fifth straight loss.
     It looked like more of the same the next day when Jones scaled the fence to rob Santo of a three-run homer in the fourth. But Qualls jump-started a five-run rally when he stretched a single into a double leading off the fifth. The Cubs went on to win 6-2 behind a gritty effort from righthander Bill Hands.

     The Cubs’ lead was five games when the Mets came calling at Wrigley Field the next week. “People used to laugh and laugh at the Mets,” said Ernie Banks, “but not anymore.” On Monday, July 14, a raucous crowd of 40,252 was treated to an exquisite pitching duel between Hands and Seaver. Don Kessinger led off the Cubs’ sixth with a single, went to second when Beckert grounded to the right side on a hit-and-run play, and scored on a single by Billy Williams. Hands scattered six hits before Phil Regan relieved him with one out in the ninth. The Cubs won 1-0, and Santo did his “victory kick” again and again for the ecstatic Bleacher Bums. “That,” said Durocher, “was a World Series game.”
     But New York won 5-4 on Tuesday on a three-run homer by journeyman infielder Al Weis; it was Weis’s second homer in the past four years and only the fifth of his career. Even more appallingly, the usually light-hitting Mets chased Jenkins to the showers on Wednesday with a six-run barrage in the first two innings en route to a 9-5 triumph.
     The Cubs’ lead was still a reasonably secure four games, but the Mets had been emboldened. “These boys have thought all along they were strong contenders,” said Hodges, “but it’s been tough convincing some others.” As Hodges spoke, Santo sat stunned in the opposite clubhouse. “Two out of three in our park,” he lamented. “I still don’t believe it.”

Reprinted from Heydays: Great Stories in Chicago Sports
(c) 2009, 2010 by Christopher Tabbert