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Ronald Edward Santo
Chicago Cubs
Third Base
Born: February 25, 1940, Seattle, WA
Signed: Signed by the Chicago Cubs as an amateur free agent before 1959 season
Major League Teams: Chicago Cubs 1960-1973; Chicago White Sox 1974
Died: December 2, 2010, Scottsdale, AZ (age 70)
Hall of Fame Induction: 2012
Ron Santo was a nine-time All-Star and a five-time Gold Glove winner, playing for 14 seasons with his beloved Cubs before going on to serve as long-time color commentator for the team. Secretly battling diabetes throughout his career, Santo led the league in triples in 1964 with 13, led the league in walks four times and in on-base percentage twice. He drove in at least 100 runs in four different seasons, attaining a career high with 123 RBIs in 1969. A consistent power hitter, Santo finished in the top ten in the National League for home runs in seven different seasons, hitting a career high 33 in 1965. One of the finest defenders at third base during his era, he led the league in assists from third base for seven consecutive years between 1962 and 1968.
Santo retired after the 1974 season after his only season playing for the cross-town White Sox. He appeared in 2,243 games, batting .277 with 342 home runs and 1,331 RBIs. To date, he's the only third baseman in Major League Baseball history to reach the 90-RBI plateau in eight straight seasons (1963-1970). Santo began a 20-year tenure on the Cubs broadcasting team in 1990. He was selected to the Cubs All-Century Team in 1999 and the club retired his #10 in 2003. In 2012, the Veteran's Committee posthumously inducted Santo into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Building the Set
April 17, 2021 from San Diego, CA - Card #258
With no in-person baseball card shows scheduled until at least June in my area, I've fallen into a pattern with my 1965 Topps set building. After adding a group of commons (say 10 to 20 cards) I then feel the need to add a few star cards as well. Back in the 1980s and 1990s when my Dad and I were actively building Topps sets, we'd follow a similar pattern when attending baseball card shows. I'd spend time hunched over a common box, picking out a stack of 1974 or 1976 or 1973 commons while my Dad would scour the showroom floor for deals on a few star cards. After adding 18 common and semi-star cards through eBay auctions in late March, I went directly to Kit Young Cards to offset those purchases with a few minor star card additions. This Santo card was one of four 1965 Topps cards that arrived from San Diego in mid-April, and the card cost $9.
The Card / Cubs Team Set
This is Santo's second appearance in the set, as he previously appeared on the N.L. RBI Leaders card (#6). The back of the card highlights his durability and team-leading statistics from 1964. Santo led the Cubs in batting average, triples and RBIs. The only game in which Santo didn't appear between 1962 and 1964 came on April 18, 1964 against the Phillies. Leo Burke (#202) started at third base, going 0 for 1 with three walks.
April 17, 2021 from San Diego, CA - Card #258
With no in-person baseball card shows scheduled until at least June in my area, I've fallen into a pattern with my 1965 Topps set building. After adding a group of commons (say 10 to 20 cards) I then feel the need to add a few star cards as well. Back in the 1980s and 1990s when my Dad and I were actively building Topps sets, we'd follow a similar pattern when attending baseball card shows. I'd spend time hunched over a common box, picking out a stack of 1974 or 1976 or 1973 commons while my Dad would scour the showroom floor for deals on a few star cards. After adding 18 common and semi-star cards through eBay auctions in late March, I went directly to Kit Young Cards to offset those purchases with a few minor star card additions. This Santo card was one of four 1965 Topps cards that arrived from San Diego in mid-April, and the card cost $9.
The Card / Cubs Team Set
This is Santo's second appearance in the set, as he previously appeared on the N.L. RBI Leaders card (#6). The back of the card highlights his durability and team-leading statistics from 1964. Santo led the Cubs in batting average, triples and RBIs. The only game in which Santo didn't appear between 1962 and 1964 came on April 18, 1964 against the Phillies. Leo Burke (#202) started at third base, going 0 for 1 with three walks.
It's not a reprint, but a 1965 Topps-style card for Santo appears in the 2005 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites set. Santo, at card #28, is one of 72 players featured within the 1965 Topps Embossed insert set and one of four Cubs in the set. He's also in the harder to find 1965 Topps Transfers insert set.
1965 Season
Santo appeared in a record 164 games in 1965, starting every single game at third base for the Cubs and automatically written into every line-up in the clean-up spot. He was second on the team in batting average and home runs (.285 and 33) to Billy Williams (#220) who batted .315 with 34 home runs. Santo was third on the team in RBIs with 101, behind Williams with 108 and Ernie Banks (#510) with 106.
Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card: 1961 Topps #35
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (15): 1961-1975
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2021 Topps Heritage 1972 Topps Candy Lids #18
615 - Santo non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/1/21.
Sources:
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
SABR
The Trading Card Database
1965 Season
Santo appeared in a record 164 games in 1965, starting every single game at third base for the Cubs and automatically written into every line-up in the clean-up spot. He was second on the team in batting average and home runs (.285 and 33) to Billy Williams (#220) who batted .315 with 34 home runs. Santo was third on the team in RBIs with 101, behind Williams with 108 and Ernie Banks (#510) with 106.
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First Mainstream Card: 1961 Topps #35
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (15): 1961-1975
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2021 Topps Heritage 1972 Topps Candy Lids #18
615 - Santo non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/1/21.
Sources:
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
SABR
The Trading Card Database
Wikipedia
Previous Card: #109 Walt Bond - Houston Astros
Previous Card: #109 Walt Bond - Houston Astros
Next Card: #111 Lee Thomas - Boston Red Sox
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