Santo stays home

No sooner do the major leagues institute its new “10-and-5” rule than Chicago Cubs third baseman Ron Santo becomes the first player to take advantage of that rule, which allows players to veto any trade so long as they have at least 10 years of service time in the majors and five seasons with the same team.

In Santo’s case, he has been with the Cubs for 13 full seasons when 50 years ago today he rejects a trade that would send him from Chicago to the California Angels for pitchers Andy Hassler and Bruce Heinbechner.

Six days after the 33-year-old Santo rejects a move to Anaheim, he accepts a trade to the crosstown Chicago White Sox for pitchers Steve Stone, Ken Frailing and Jim Kremmel, as well as catcher Steve Swisher.

Santo, though, lasts only one season with the White Sox, retiring after a 1974 season in which he hits only .221 in 117 games with career lows in home runs (five) and runs batted in (41).

During his 13-plus seasons with the Cubs, Santo hits 342 home runs, wins five Gold Gloves and nine times is named a National League All-Star.

Eventually, Santo reaches the Hall of Fame, where coincidentally he is elected on this day in 2011 – a year and three days after he passes away at the age of 70.