When your childhood role model is gone. Goodbye #10

I moved to Chicago when I was about 9 years old.  Up until that point I had been a Detroit Tigers fan.  Bill Freehan, Denny McClain, Mickey Lolich and Al Kaline were all my heros.  It didn't hurt that they won the World Series in 1968.  But in 1969 I discovered the Chicago Cubs. 
In those days the Cubs played during the day.  So I would get home from school and tune in WGN with Jack Brickhouse and Lou Boudreau and watch the final innings every chance I got.  I loved baseball as a kid.  I played in little league as much as possible and kept playing through high school.  And I loved the professional players. 
1969 for those of you who aren't sports history buffs, was the year the Cubs led the National League for most of the season.  Ernie Banks, Glenn Beckert, Randy Hundley, Don Kessinger and Ron Santo manned the infield positions.  But it was Ron Santo that I idolized.  He played hard every day.  This was the era of great play at the hot corner with Brooks Robinson playing for the Orioles, Tony Perez for the Reds, Sal Bando for the A's and Ron Santo, starting All Star third baseman for the Cubs.  He hit 29 home runs that year and 123 RBI's.  And he played the hot corner like a vacuum cleaner, sucking up everything that came near him.
History will tell you the Cubs blew a 9 game lead in September to the "Miracle Mets" and that it was one of the worst collapses in the history of baseball, but for me, it was the year that I became a Ron Santo fan for life. 
When many people think of Santo now, they remember him on the radio as the color analyst for WGN Radio.  He is the "everyman" announcer, saying what we might say and cheering and groaning along every pitch and out for the Cubs.  But when I think of Ron, I remember him kicking up his heels as he ran off the field after every win in 1969.  He played the game hard.  And he loved playing the game.  This despite the fact that he suffered from diabetes.  Remember that in the 60's and 70's people with diabetes didn't play professional sports.  In fact the Cubs kept it a secret for years.  But that never stopped #10.  He had heart, and he had courage.
My only disappointment was that I sent Santo several letters over the years hoping to get an autograph.  I used to send a card with self addressed envelopes to my favorite players hoping I would get an autograph back.  In those days, most players responded.  Some even sent photos and other things back that I didn't ask for.  But Santo returned a printed photo and stamped autograph.  I was crushed! 
About 10 years ago I bought a Santo autograph on Ebay.  I was thrilled to finally have it. 
Every kid needs a hero.  Ron was mine.  I had his poster on my wall, I used a Santo wood bat in little league and I checked the box score every day to see how he had done.  My friends loved Ernie Banks, or Fergie Jenkins or some other Cub.  But I stuck with Santo. 
Over the years I've met most of the Cubs of that era in person.  I especially enjoyed meeting Lou Boudreau as I helped to get his number retired at the U of I.  But I never met Santo.  And I regret that I never had the chance to thank him for all those years I followed him.
Ron lost both his legs to diabetes.  But I know he's happy to be in heaven with the ability to kick up his heels again and root for our beloved Cubbies from a prime seat.