Ron Santo news means there's a somber addition in 2010 Century Collection
By Chris Olds | Editor
The news of Ron Santo’s death on Friday at age 70 might have struck a chord with a few Chicago Cubs fans, but it also struck a chord here in Texas, too, as he’s slated to have new autographs in a forthcoming trading card set from Panini America that will hit shops later this month.
Santo will have 25 copies of a signed game-used bat card to be found in 2010 Panini Century Collection, an even more somber card as it appears to show him in a high school yearbook photo, decades before his failing health got as much attention — or more — as his broadcast and playing careers.
Century Collection is a multi-sport and non-sport product laden with memorabilia swatches, autographs and postage stamps of some of the world’s biggest names. It will include five cards in every pack — at $200 a pack — with two autographs, two memorabilia cards and one additional autograph or memorabilia card when it arrives on Dec. 22.
When a product includes the likes of John Wayne, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin in the mix alongside sports stars like Joe Jackson, Jim Thorpe, Bear Bryant and Babe Ruth, a guy like Santo may not get noticed — even if a card is a short-print.
Friday’s news just might change that, though, and it’s a somber reminder of something that’s all part of collecting.
As well as life.
Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
[…] The news of Ron Santo’s death on Friday at age 70 might have struck a chord with a few Chicago Cubs fans, but it also struck a chord here in Texas as he’s slated to have new autographs in a forthcoming trading card set From Panini America that will hit shops later this month. The Beckett Blog […]