Posted by Bud on December 03, 2010 at 06:46:32:
Cubs icon Santo dead at 70
FOX Sports
Updated Dec 3, 2010 7:35 AM ET
Chicago Cubs icon Ron Santo died Thursday night in Arizona at the age of 70..
The former thrid baseman and longtime broadcaster died of complications from bladder cancer, according to WGN radio.
The Chicago Tribune also reported Santo's death, saying friends of Santo said he had lapsed into a coma on Wednesday.
Santo has battled health issues for years, including having both legs amputated and a lifelong battle with diabetes, but has stayed on as a Cubs analyst on WGN, the team's flagship station.
He missed several road trips in 2010 to deal with health issues, but was expected to return to the booth in 2011.
"What else am I going to do? Doing the Cubs games is like therapy for me," said Santo.
Santo began his major-league career with the Cubs in 1960, and spent one season with the White Sox in 1974. He won Gold Glove awards from 1964 to 1968 and was a nine-time National League All-Star.
He finished with playing career with a .277 batting average over 15 seasons, hitting 342 home runs and driving in 1,331 runs.