This poem was first printed last winter as a tribute to Ron Santo. Today, Wednesday, the Chicago Cubs will be unveiling a statue of Mr. Santo in Wrigley Field. Whether you agree or disagree that he belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame, he had extraordinary careers as a player and as a broadcaster and as a businessman. And he accomplished all of this while having to check his blood sugar multiple times every day and to take his medications. Ultimately, he lost both of his lower legs to diabetes, had countless surgeries, and yet still made it to the ballpark almost every game to announce the games on WGN radio. Most important, he gave countless hours to help children afflicted with juvenile diabetes, by working the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and especially by direct interaction with the children. He was a Hall of Famer for them! Part II will go up on Thursday.
For Every Kid Part I of II
You played the nation’s greatest game with talent and with fire, reaching deep within yourself yet always reaching so much higher. It is a game learned by boys yet also played by men. You played so hard so you’d inspire everyone to have some fun – so men would play like boys again. There was a joy to making catch that others might not make, or to drive the runner home when victory was at stake. Every game was a test; of stamina and will. You always gave your very best: you played with passion; you played with skill; stars may dim but never rest. And when the games were over and the crowds were getting thin, you gave yourself to different cause, more determined now than ever to fight the fight and to win. Copyright Daniel Mark Extrom 2010-2011. All rights reserved.
