Chicago Loses a Beloved Cubbie — Ron Santo Dies at 70
He’s not in Cooperstown and he’s not a member of the hallowed 500 Home Run Club or a broadcaster known for thick-rimmed glasses, but he was a legend in and around Wrigley Field.
Ron Santo, one of the more popular players in Chicago Cubs history, has died from bladder cancer. He was 70.
Santo hit.277 with 2,254 hits, 342 home runs and 1,331 RBI during his 15-year playing career spent in Chicago (he played his last season with the White Sox). He was a nine-time All-Star and was a five-time Gold Glove winner. After his playing days, he worked as a broadcaster for the team. His No. 10 was retired by the Cubs in 2003, and some consider him to be the best player (pre steroids-era questions) to not be enshrined in Cooperstown based on his performance on the field.
Santo appears on 732 cards with his Rookie Card appearing in the 1961 Topps set. It typically sold for $40 or less before his death. He signed a total of 225 different certified autograph cards — in varying quantities — for card companies through the years and appears on 142 memorabilia cards.
Santo’s most valuable card in the Beckett.com database is his 1968 Topps Giant Stand Ups card. That card, which is from a rare test issue set, can fetch as much as $800.
One of Santo’s more in-demand autographs, a $200 card, is his 2004 UD Legends Timeless Teams Legendary Signatures Triple, which features his signature along with the autographs of Ernie Banks and Billy Williams.
