HR1535 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1535 LRB096 24538 GRL 44357 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Ronald Edward Santo, who passed away at the age of 70 on December 3, 2010; and

WHEREAS, Ron Santo was born on February 25, 1940, in Seattle, Washington; he was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at the age of 18; in 1959, he signed with the Chicago Cubs; and

WHEREAS, In his 14 years with the Cubs and his final season with the White Sox, Ron Santo hit .277 with 2,254 hits, 342 home runs, and 1,331 runs batted in; he was named to Major League Baseball's All-Star team 9 times and won the Rawlings Gold Glove award 5 times; he hit .300 or better 4 times, had the best on-base percentage in the league in 1964 and 1966, and led the league in walks 4 times; in 2003, he was honored by the Cubs, who retired his No. 10 jersey and hoisted it up the left-field foul pole just below Banks' No. 14; in 2007, he received 57 votes from the National Baseball Veterans' Committee for induction into the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, Playing for the Chicago Cubs from 1960 to 1973 and then for a final season with the Chicago White Sox in 1974, Ron Santo would return to the baseball world 16 years later as a broadcaster in the WGN-AM radio booth, where he was nominated as one of ten finalists for the 2005 Ford C. Frick Award, the Hall of Fame's highest broadcast honor; and

WHEREAS, As he did throughout his baseball career, Ron Santo continued dealing with the effects of diabetes throughout his life; he created the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's annual Ron Santo Walk to Cure Diabetes, which has been held in Chicago since 1974 and has helped raise over $50 million for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF); in 2002, he was named the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's "Person of the Year"; and

WHEREAS, Ron Santo is survived by his wife, Vicki; his children, Ron Jr., Jeff, Linda, and Kelly; and his 2 grandchildren; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of Ron Santo; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Ron Santo as a symbol of our sincere sympathy.