There was a day when the Cubs future looked bright and the players were full of heart and devotion to the franchise. Today, unfortunately it does not seem to be the same story. For Ron Santo, he was the player that had heart and was devoted to the franchise of the Chicago Cubs.
“This Old Cub” is a sports movie that can be classified as a documentary about Santo and the Cubs in their top days during Santo’s time frame as one of the Cubs’ most famous players. This movie is by far one of the best movies to watch if you are a Cubs fan or just a Santo fan. Ron was one of the best baseball players in history and shared his love for the game with everyone through his actions, most famously his clicking of his heels, or words. His devotion is evident throughout this film and an example is when he states, “If I couldn’t be in a World Series with the Cubs, I would not want to be in the World Series”. If this was not enough, then rent this film and see for yourself. You may just be in tears by the end of it.
For a little background information for those of you who do not follow sports or know a lot about baseball, Santo joined the Cubs in 1960 when they were not on such a great streak. In 1961 Santo was national league sophomore player of the year and he just kept getting better every year. With every year of improvement on his part, the Cubs seemed to turn around as well. In 1963 at age 23, Santo was voted to his first All-Star team and won his first Golden Glove in 1964. In 1965 he became the youngest player ever to be named captain of the Cubs. Overall, he is one amazing player who joined a franchise that was struggling and soon he helped turn it around.
The Los Angeles Times said that this film is, “A touching drama involving this larger than life figure” and it could not be more true. Not only does this film have historical background about the Cubs, but it has an inspirational story about a figures life and struggles that have inspired so many people. A saying that needs to be taken away in thought after this film is this saying by Santo. He shares through one moment in the video that, “You can have all the talent in the world, it’s not gonna get you through…It’s what you have in your heart.”