Anyone listening to WGN Radio last night?

You are absolutely right, Commander. However I must make note of how you said that just because Santo uses his disability in an attempt to gain HOF votes I do not have the right to include his disability in my critiques of him.

The philosopher Thomas Hobbes wrote that "a man be willing, when others are too, as far-forth as for Peace and defense of himself he shall think it necessary to lay down this right to all things; and be contented with so much liberty against other men as he would allow other men against himself." Clearly, looking at this, I should not use Santo's disability against him. However, Hobbes then goes on to say "But if other men will not lay down their Right, as well as he; then there is no Reason for any one to devest himself of his...". Looking at this, however, one can extrapolate that when Santo uses his disability as a tool to gain something that is not his, I am not obliged to abstain from including his disability in my rants about him. If I did continue to lay down my right to everything obtainable by man, it would lead to, as Hobbes said, "a state of war".

[TheCommander]

Originally Posted by Lefty34

You are absolutely right, Commander. However I must make note of how you said that just because Santo uses his disability in an attempt to gain HOF votes I do not have the right to include his disability in my critiques of him.

The philosopher Thomas Hobbes wrote that "a man be willing, when others are too, as far-forth as for Peace and defense of himself he shall think it necessary to lay down this right to all things; and be contented with so much liberty against other men as he would allow other men against himself." Clearly, looking at this, I should not use Santo's disability against him. However, Hobbes then goes on to say "But if other men will not lay down their Right, as well as he; then there is no Reason for any one to devest himself of his...". Looking at this, however, one can extrapolate that when Santo uses his disability as a tool to gain something that is not his, I am not obliged to abstain from including his disability in my rants about him. If I did continue to lay down my right to everything obtainable by man, it would lead to, as Hobbes said, "a state of war".

My objection wasn't with you including his disability in your rants;it was with you making fun of it. Clearly you have freedom of speech and the ability to analyze. But you also have the choice to use discretion and good judgement when presenting your analysis. By attacking Santo's deformity(and not just his misuse of it),you are no longer making a statement about his character but rather bringing into question your own.

[Frontman]

Well, as someone who has people in his family with diabetes, I certainly wouldn't make fun of Santo for it; but he does use it to play the sympathy card come vote time.

Shame really, as he could be using his position as a sports announcer to bring awareness to the disease, versus using it to drum up support for the HoF vote.

Say what you will about Farmer, but at least I know a bit about polysistic kidney disease and what can be done to help because of him talking about it; as well as other worthwhile charities.

Santo on the other hand, is so self absorbed that he went on a rant on Mother's Day about the players wearing pink wristbands and using pink bats.

[DrCrawdad]

And the Slanto starts right out after him again tonight.

[DrCrawdad]

Slanto was not heard from during the strike-out to end the game by Aramais Ramirez. No blathering. No references to "hot-dogs" from the lout, just silence.

[It's Time]

[Mohoney]

My big gripe with Santo is that, despite being the head of a foundation that tries to combat diabetes, he still puts himself in the position where he's seen drinking in public. With all the information that we have about the possible negative consequences that alcohol consumption can have on diabetics, this strikes me as very disingenuous. Considering how often this guy tries to hype himself up as a synpathetic martyr, it's even worse. It would be like a head of a lung cancer foundation smoking cigarettes in public.

[johnr1note]

The folks at the MLB channel on XM seem to be catching on to Santo. Its hard to tell if they are promoting Santo or mocking him, but they replayed several clips from the WGN radio broadcast on the XM "Homeplate" broadcast this morning. In particular, they played Ron's tirade during Lilly's failed bunt attempt, making snide comments about Ron's emotional explosions.

Santo is not just a laughingstock locally, but across the country.

As an aside, to add to the discussion of how Santo was viewed by his own fan base in the early 70s, and how he was disparagingly referred to as "Mr. Clutch," my father (a White Sox fan but a very objective one) used to refer to Santo in that era as the "King of the warning track flyballs."

[PatK]

Originally Posted by Mohoney

My big gripe with Santo is that, despite being the head of a foundation that tries to combat diabetes, he still puts himself in the position where he's seen drinking in public. With all the information that we have about the possible negative consequences that alcohol consumption can have on diabetics, this strikes me as very disingenuous. Considering how often this guy tries to hype himself up as a synpathetic martyr, it's even worse. It would be like a head of a lung cancer foundation smoking cigarettes in public.

That's one thing that irks me as well.

Didn't he also have a rep as a hard-partier during his playing days?

[SOXPHILE]

Originally Posted by PatK

That's one thing that irks me as well.

Didn't he also have a rep as a hard-partier during his playing days?

Yes he did. He continued these ways in the 30+ years since, which is more than likely why he's had to have these amputations in the first place. He was also known for:


-The whole Don Young incident

-While as a 20 something player, getting into a fight with his 70 year old manager Leo Durocher. (I actually heard him say during a broadcast that Durocher didn't back down, and put up a good fight. Your a class act Ron)


-Being an extremely obnoxious, divisive presence while with the Sox in 1974, at one point, or so I heard, Dick Allen punched him in the face


-(As mentioned by others here)- Mr Clutch. Alot of "garbage time", meaningless homeruns when the Cubs were either winning or losing a game by 10 runs. 1 run game with 2 outs and a guy in scoring position ? Hey, how about a popup or strike out. This feat was replicated many times, some 30 years later by a certain wife beating, steroid taking, right fielder.

[DumpJerry]

Originally Posted by SOXPHILE

-(As mentioned by others here)- Mr Clutch. Alot of "garbage time", meaningless homeruns when the Cubs were either winning or losing a game by 10 runs. 1 run game with 2 outs and a guy in scoring position ? Hey, how about a popup or strike out. This feat was replicated many times, some 30 years later by a certain wife beating, steroid taking, right fielder.

Hold on there. Juan Uribe plays Shortstop, does not do steroids and, as far we know, has not hit his wife.

[hsnterprize]

You know something...I REFUSE to listen to WGN's coverage of this series. The funny part is that one time I heard a play on ESPN, and then I turned to WGN just to hear Santo's reaction. I said, "Oh, man." thinking Santo would say it. A few seconds later...he did. You knew he was going to be upset after the D-Backs did something good.

I'd rather listen to ESPN's coverage of this series. If Pat Hughes was working with ESPN, I'd listen more to him. I like Hughes...it's Santo I have a problem with. Nice guy...not to nice announcer.

[Lip Man 1]

Soxphile:

I never heard of Dick punching him in the face but if you read Carlos May's interview with WSI he does tell of one time the two went at it.

Lip

[TDog]

Originally Posted by Lip Man 1

Soxphile:

I never heard of Dick punching him in the face but if you read Carlos May's interview with WSI he does tell of one time the two went at it.

Lip

That would say a lot for Ron Santo's character. Everyone gets along well with Carlos May.

[Lip Man 1]

TDog:

You misunderstood, the incident was between Allen and Santo.

Lip