Get behind Santo for Hall of Fame

As human beings we are given opportunities in life to speak for those who have spoken for us or cannot speak for themselves. Ron Santo is one of those great people who has not just spoken for many but who has helped raise awareness and millions of dollars to find a cure for Juvenile Diabetes.

More than 23 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes and the number continues to grow annually. Ron has never asked for anything in return from us, and when the time came to help (speak) for Ron the Daily Herald and its passionate sports writers, along with the American Diabetes Association, went silent.

This man deserves to be in the Hall of Fame based on his numbers. There are not many men in the Hall of Fame who played with diabetes (Jackie Robinson) and did you ever stop to wonder why? In Ron's playing days they were not sure how to treat diabetes let alone how to perform at baseball's highest level while living with it.

If Bruce Miles or Barry Rozner know someone who has been diagnosed with diabetes I would suggest they interview them, and then maybe they will comprehend what Ron Santo accomplished in 14 years. We wasted two years doing nothing for Ron.

Did you ever wonder why men like Freddy Lindstrom are in the Hall? He played in New York and the New York press pushes full time for their players when one is on the ballot.

Get your readers the list of voting veteran committee members and let us "lobby" them for Ron in 2010.

We owe Ron the same effort he has given us.

Jerry Balcer

Palatine