Ron Santo voted into Hall of Fame

DALLAS, Dec. 5 (UPI) -- The late Ron Santo, a longtime Chicago Cub who hit 342 home runs and won five Gold Gloves in a 15-year career, has been elected to baseball's Hall of Fame.

Santo was voted in by the Golden Era Committee, which considers baseball figures from the 1947-72 seasons. Santo broke into the major leagues in 1960 and played his last game in 1974.

The announcement was made Monday, just more than a year after Santo died.

Santo is the 12th third baseman elected to the Hall of Fame. He played all but one of his 15 major-league seasons with the Cubs, ending his career in 1974 with a season across town with the Chicago White Sox.

He hit .277 with 342 home runs and 1,331 runs batted in. Santo was selected to the National League All-Star Team eight times and won Gold Gloves each season from 1964-68.

The Cubs retired Santo's jersey, No. 10, in 2003.

He was listed on all but one of the 16 ballots from the Golden Era Committee. A nominee must be on 75 percent of the ballots to win enshrinement in the Hall of Fame. Jim Kaat received 10 votes, Gil Hodges and Minnie Minoso got nine each, and Tony Oliva had eight.

Santo will be inducted in the Hall of Fame July 22.