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Lemire: Vicki Santo Hits Home Run In Hall Of Fame Induction Speech

Ron Santo died in December 2010, so he was unable to share his family and Cubs fans’ joy on his election to the Hall of Fame a year later.

His widow, Vicki, made the induction speech on behalf of her late husband, and asked fans and friends not to lament that. Joe Lemire:

Yet, in a stirring speech of grace and eloquence on Sunday, Vicki Santo urged those in attendance — vocal contingents of both Reds fans for Barry Larkin and Cubs fans for Santo — to dwell on the positive of her late husband’s career and life.

“This is not a sad day, not at all,” Vicki said. "This is a very happy day. This is an incredible day for an incredible man, a man who lived an extraordinary life to its fullest."

In addition to his now-Hall-of-Fame career, Santo was a beloved broadcaster for Cubs baseball on WGN radio for 21 seasons, entertaining an entire generation of fans who never saw him play. He also was a tireless fundraiser for research into juvenile diabetes, the disease that eventually took his life:

Of course the weekend would have improved with Santo’s presence. Of course it is a shame that a deserving player with a severe illness had to watch as he was repeatedly passed over for election. Of course more fans would have turned up in Cooperstown to hear his affable storytelling review his career. Of course the family had reason to feel bitter.

But, instead, with humility and positivity, the Santo family saw an opportunity to celebrate their father and to promote a worthy cause.

“Our dad would want us to embrace it,” [Santo’s son] Jeff said. “It’s his legacy and if more people, if this could shed a light on what he did for baseball and also for JDRF, that’s a great thing that more people could understand his story and what kind of man and ballplayer he was.”

Vicki Santo turned what could have been a sad day into a triumphant one for her late husband and all who loved him.

VIDEO: Barry Larkin Cries During Hall Of Fame Induction Speech

Tears welled up in the eyes of Barry Larkin as he thanked those who helped him along in his career during his 2012 Hall of Fame induction speech Sunday. The former great with the Cincinnati Reds was the only player selected by Hall of Fame voters for this year's class. He played 19 seasons, helping the Reds to a World Series title in 1990 and winning NL MVP honors in 1995 before retiring following the 2004 season.

You can check out the video and gif below.

Larkin is being inducted along with Ron Santo, who hit 342 home runs playing mostly with the Chicago Cubs from 1960 to 1974.

For more on Larkin's Reds, visit Red Reporter . For more on Santo's time with the Cubs, check out Bleed Cubbie Blue and SB Nation Chicago.

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