GaryMrMets
01-26-2002, 08:23 PM
http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/chc/news/chc_news_story.jsp?GXHC_gx_session_id_=b4b93df8be4 06d5c&article_id=chc_20020124_santo_news&team_id=chc
News
1/24/2002 1:55 pm ET
Santo will be back
Nothing could keep Cubs announcer out of the booth in 2002
By Heather Reader
Cubs.com
Ron Santo is sure of one thing -- 2002 will be his 13th season behind the microphone for WGN radio. It seems nothing will keep the man many feel should be a Hall of Famer from walking into Wrigley Field, sitting along side Pat Hughes and adding his colorful commentary for the season opener on April 1.
"Oh yes I'll be there. I'll be there for Opening Day and I'll be there for the first Spring Training game and I'll be there for everything after," Santo said from his home in Arizona, where he is getting accustomed to a prosthetic leg after having his right one removed in December due to complications with diabetes.
Santo, a fan favorite for his hard-nosed playing style and for always having time for an autograph or a snapshot, remembers the exact moment he became aware of a problem with his foot. He was walking with broadcaster Chip Caray in St. Louis last season wearing, as always, "my Wranglers and my cowboy boots" when Santo felt like he slipped on his right foot.
When he got back to his room at the team hotel, Santo removed his boots and noticed that there was a wrinkle in his sock where he felt like he had slipped. Then when he took off his sock, he really noticed something unusual.
He called the Cubs' head trainer, Dave Tumbas, who came up to his room and thought that it looked like a blister, but he wanted Santo to see one of the team doctors when they got back to Chicago.
"I went to see Dr. Schafer -- who I've known for many, many years and he took one look at my foot and looked me in the eye and said, 'This is serious.' And I know that when 'Schaf' says this is serious, it is."
It was an ulcer, and eventually blood stopped reaching even the middle of Santo's foot due to calcified blood vessels. Eight operations -- including the removal of his toes -- to try to save his foot proved to be unsuccessful and gangrene set in.
"It's really no fault of the doctors," Santo said. "My foot just turned on me."
On Wednesday, Dec. 12, Santo underwent surgery for the first in what would be a two-part operation to amputate his leg a hand below the knee.
"I know that it sounds a little strange, but it felt great when I woke up after the surgery that removed the leg because it felt like we finally got rid of the disease," Santo said. "It turned out great.
"I said before that by Feb. 1 I'll be walking and I know I will."
A diabetic since the age of 18, Santo played 15 years with the disease, covering the hot corner for the Cubs from 1960-73 before being traded to the South Side for his final season in the Majors. He won five Gold Glove Awards and was a nine-time National League All-Star selection. He finished his career with a .277 average, 342 home runs and 1,331 RBIs. The Cubs honored him in 1992 as an inaugural member of the Walk of Fame Class and was selected to the organization's all-century team in 1999.
When he first broke in with the North Siders, Santo kept his disease hidden for the first few years of his professional life. At that time, it was thought that it would be impossible to succeed in sports with diabetes. After going public, however, Santo became one of the most visible diabetic athletes, and his dedication to help educate others about the illness didn't stop when he removed the spikes.
He sits on the board of directors of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation and for the past 23 years has held the Ron Santo Walk for the Cure, which in 2000 alone raised over $3 million for research.
"Some people don't need challenges in their life, but I almost need them," Santo said. "I've dealt with adversity all my life."
And Santo is looking forward to completely recovering from the amputation and resuming all of his activities with the help of his prosthesis, as well as the motivation provided by his family.
"All I want is to ride my horse, walk around, play with my grandson and call the Cubs games," Santo said. "And I'll do all of that. I'll do everything I want to do."
Heather Reader covers the Cubs for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/chc/photo/2002_news/ph_news_santo_288_012402.jpg
Ron Santo is recovering from surgery this winter and plans to be back in the broadcast booth this spring.
News
1/24/2002 1:55 pm ET
Santo will be back
Nothing could keep Cubs announcer out of the booth in 2002
By Heather Reader
Cubs.com
Ron Santo is sure of one thing -- 2002 will be his 13th season behind the microphone for WGN radio. It seems nothing will keep the man many feel should be a Hall of Famer from walking into Wrigley Field, sitting along side Pat Hughes and adding his colorful commentary for the season opener on April 1.
"Oh yes I'll be there. I'll be there for Opening Day and I'll be there for the first Spring Training game and I'll be there for everything after," Santo said from his home in Arizona, where he is getting accustomed to a prosthetic leg after having his right one removed in December due to complications with diabetes.
Santo, a fan favorite for his hard-nosed playing style and for always having time for an autograph or a snapshot, remembers the exact moment he became aware of a problem with his foot. He was walking with broadcaster Chip Caray in St. Louis last season wearing, as always, "my Wranglers and my cowboy boots" when Santo felt like he slipped on his right foot.
When he got back to his room at the team hotel, Santo removed his boots and noticed that there was a wrinkle in his sock where he felt like he had slipped. Then when he took off his sock, he really noticed something unusual.
He called the Cubs' head trainer, Dave Tumbas, who came up to his room and thought that it looked like a blister, but he wanted Santo to see one of the team doctors when they got back to Chicago.
"I went to see Dr. Schafer -- who I've known for many, many years and he took one look at my foot and looked me in the eye and said, 'This is serious.' And I know that when 'Schaf' says this is serious, it is."
It was an ulcer, and eventually blood stopped reaching even the middle of Santo's foot due to calcified blood vessels. Eight operations -- including the removal of his toes -- to try to save his foot proved to be unsuccessful and gangrene set in.
"It's really no fault of the doctors," Santo said. "My foot just turned on me."
On Wednesday, Dec. 12, Santo underwent surgery for the first in what would be a two-part operation to amputate his leg a hand below the knee.
"I know that it sounds a little strange, but it felt great when I woke up after the surgery that removed the leg because it felt like we finally got rid of the disease," Santo said. "It turned out great.
"I said before that by Feb. 1 I'll be walking and I know I will."
A diabetic since the age of 18, Santo played 15 years with the disease, covering the hot corner for the Cubs from 1960-73 before being traded to the South Side for his final season in the Majors. He won five Gold Glove Awards and was a nine-time National League All-Star selection. He finished his career with a .277 average, 342 home runs and 1,331 RBIs. The Cubs honored him in 1992 as an inaugural member of the Walk of Fame Class and was selected to the organization's all-century team in 1999.
When he first broke in with the North Siders, Santo kept his disease hidden for the first few years of his professional life. At that time, it was thought that it would be impossible to succeed in sports with diabetes. After going public, however, Santo became one of the most visible diabetic athletes, and his dedication to help educate others about the illness didn't stop when he removed the spikes.
He sits on the board of directors of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation and for the past 23 years has held the Ron Santo Walk for the Cure, which in 2000 alone raised over $3 million for research.
"Some people don't need challenges in their life, but I almost need them," Santo said. "I've dealt with adversity all my life."
And Santo is looking forward to completely recovering from the amputation and resuming all of his activities with the help of his prosthesis, as well as the motivation provided by his family.
"All I want is to ride my horse, walk around, play with my grandson and call the Cubs games," Santo said. "And I'll do all of that. I'll do everything I want to do."
Heather Reader covers the Cubs for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/chc/photo/2002_news/ph_news_santo_288_012402.jpg
Ron Santo is recovering from surgery this winter and plans to be back in the broadcast booth this spring.