Ron Santo, a nine-time All-Star who played fourteen of his fifteen major-league seasons with the Cubs, has been elected to the Hall of Fame after receiving fifteen of sixteen votes from a panel that considered candidates from 1947–1972. It’s bittersweet news, however: The announcement comes just over a year after Santo, who’d waited so long for this day to arrive, passed away. Twelve votes were needed for election. Among the other candidates up for consideration on the “Golden Era” ballot: Jim Kaat (ten votes), Gil Hodges (nine votes), and Minnie Minoso (nine votes). Bernie Williams, by the way, leads a fairly weak crop of newcomers on this year’s regular Hall of Fame ballot, while Barry Larkin, Jack Morris, and Craig Biggio are among the holdovers. Results of that vote will be announced on January 9. [AP via NBC Sports]