How old is vicki santo

He also had surgery more than a dozen times on his legs before they were amputated below the knees the right one in and the left a year later. As a broadcaster, Santo was known for unabashedly rooting for the Cubs, a trait that endeared him to fans who never saw him play.

He felt he had been put here for that reason. He believed in his journey. He believed in his cause. We can't let him down. Santo's widow gives Hall of Fame speech. Related Coverage. Related Article Mundelein-area school welcomes diabetes-alert dog to watch student. Related Article Now is the time to rejoice for Santo. Get articles sent to your inbox.

Click here to sign up for the Cubs Newsletter. Article Comments. Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. One of his sons, Jeff, admitted in a news conference on Saturday that after previous elections failed to earn his father's induction -- more than three decades passed from his initial eligibility on the writers' ballot to his eventual selection by the Hall's Golden Era Committee in -- that they weren't always certain what they'd do should the honor come too late for Ron to enjoy it.

Yet, in a stirring speech of grace and eloquence on Sunday, Vicki Santo urged those in attendance -- vocal contingents of both Reds fans for Barry Larkin and Cubs fans for Santo -- to dwell on the positive of her late husband's career and life. This is an incredible day for an incredible man, a man who lived an extraordinary life to its fullest. He would not have stood up here today and bragged about what he has done to try to help others, so the one advantage to him not being here is, in this case, he can't tell me what to say.

Had Santo been here, Vicki surmised after the ceremony, "his speech would have been all about his career, which it should be. I couldn't talk about that. But I think that there was a message in his journey. That's what I tried to get across to the fans. Santo was, most pertinently, a Hall of Fame ballplayer with career home runs, including at least 25 in eight consecutive seasons.

He was a four-time league-leader in walks and twice in on-base percentage, contributing to a career. Santo was also a beloved broadcaster, working Cubs games with the "enthusiasm and passion with which he played the game," said Pat Hughes, his partner in the radio booth and "with no emotional filter," according to Vicki. Indeed, the video celebration of his life included more than one instance in which Santo moaned on air in disbelief at more Cub misfortune. He laughed, however, at his own situation.

When his hair piece got too close to a heater and caught fire in the booth, he joked how appropriate such an event would happen when the opponent's starting pitcher was named Al Leiter. And, though Sunday was about Santo's contributions to baseball, he was also a hardworking advocate on behalf of diabetes awareness.

The disease made for a daily battle and led to the amputation of both of his legs below the knee. He checked his glucose levels by fielding grounders. I was nervous when the phone rang and had difficulty pressing the answer key. I felt immediate happiness, joy and relief, not only for myself but for my family as well.

I was numb. What made it so profound was that, year after year, Raines knew that other players were having their names announced and enjoying the elation. There were times he never thought his call would come. Randy would call and tell me the percentage of votes I received. Even for players whose enshrinement seems inevitable, it never seems quite real until the moment of the call. Then it seems surreal. I was pretty skeptical that day, even though a lot of people around me thought the call would come.

It was one of those things that kind of reiterated the amount of people whose hands helped me get where I did. I was very humbled but happy for a lot of people who impacted my career. Wade Boggs literally thought the call he received in was too good to be true.