The Cubs have removed the statues of Ron Santo and Billy Williams. The two statues have been on the corner of Addison and Sheffield since 2010 for Williams and 2011 for Santo. Both of the statues are being transported to Michigan for storage until the team decides on their new home.
There has been a lot of “outrage” at the statues being removed while the team constructs a sportsbook at Wrigley Field. Some are worried that the statues will be permanently removed. It seems unlikely that the Cubs would remove statues for two of the players with retired numbers. Billy and Ron could move to Clark Street where the Ernie Banks statue is, but in the meantime, let us take a look back at two of the greatest careers in Cubs history.
Billy Williams
Billy Williams made his debut for the Cubs in 1959 and played 16 years with Chicago, mostly in the outfield. He won NL Rookie of the Year in 1961, and Williams went on to make 6 all-star appearances throughout his career. In 1972, Williams won the batting title, hitting .333 with an OPS of 1.005, and finishing runner-up to Johnny Bench in the NL MVP race.
Throughout his Cubs career, Williams hit 392 home runs and slashed .293/.364/.503. 392 home runs are still the third most in Cubs history. On April 9, 1969, Williams tied a current MLB record by hitting four doubles in a game.
After Williams retired, he went on to be an assistant coach with the Cubs in 1980-82, 1986 & 1987, and 1992-2001. In 1987, Billy Williams was inducted into the Hall of Fame and had his number 26 retired by the Cubs. He was the second Cub to have his number retired after Ernie Banks in 1982.
Ron Santo
Ron Santo played 14 years with the Cubs from 1960 to 1973. Santo was a 9-time all-star and won 5 Gold Gloves at third base. His 337 career home runs are good for 4th all-time in Cubs history. Santo was also known for his heel click as well as being in the on-deck circle when the infamous black cat walked by in 1969.
Santo joined the Cubs broadcasting crew in 1990 and teamed up with Pat Hughes in 1996 until Ron died in 2010. The Santo/Hughes broadcasting duo is hugely responsible for my formation as a lifelong Cubs fan. Every day when I came home from school I had two friends to listen to the game with. Ron had his number 10 retired in 2003 and was posthumously added to the Hall of Fame in 2012.
Santo was known as a passionate fan and a great human being. He helped to raise over $65 million for JDRF through Ron Santo’s Walk to Cure Diabetes after fighting diabetes in his own life.
A new home for the statues
The fact that the statues have only been at Wrigley for 11-12 years is good news. It is unlikely that ownership would install the statues only to permanently remove them. This could mean room for a statue area near Ernie Banks’ statue, or maybe a new addition to the sportsbook layout. Whatever the next step is regarding the statues’ location, it needs to honor the careers of these two great Cubs.
