Ron Santo, star third basemen of the Chicago Cubs and a longtime broadcaster for the team after, died Thursday from complications of bladder cancer. He was 70.
Santo played for the Cubs from 1960 t0 1973. He hit 342 career homes runs, was named an All-Star nine times and won five Gold Glove awards for fielding.
In 1959 Santo was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. He kept his illness a secret from the Cubs until he made his first All-Star team in 1963, and did not tell the public until his final years with the Cubs. After he retired from baseball he raised millions of dollars for research on diabetes, and sponsored an annual walk-a-thon for over 20 years.
In the 1990s Santo became the Cubs color commentator with WGN radio station. He had multiple health problems and suffered heart attacks, surgery for bladder cancer and had both legs amputated in 2001 and 2002. He continued as a commentator despite all his health battles.
The Cubs retired his No. 10 in September 2003
