Ron Santo

I think I've inspired a lot of people, and I'm one, if I get a letter and someone's in serious shape, I'll call them. I relate to these people.

I'm a Cub fan, and I sit up here and I know when we have a good team, I know when we're struggling, and it affects me just like any other fan, and I just happen to show it on the radio. I can't help it.

I'm a Cubbie. I'll always be a Cubbie.

I was diagnosed with diabetes at age 18. I didn't know what it was, so I went to the library and looked it up.

The last thing I want is to die and then be put into the Hall of Fame. It's not because I won't be there to enjoy it, exactly. It's because I want to enjoy it with family and friends and fans. I want to see them enjoy it.

I've been a Cub all my life. I came up here when I was 20 years old and spent my whole career here in Chicago. I've always been an optimist; I believe you have to be in order to survive, to be honest with you - in health, with what I've been through. That's the way I am.

I believe very strongly - and I never brought this up as a player - but I put up, I feel, Hall of Fame numbers with diabetes. If I didn't have diabetes - nobody realizes that, when I was diagnosed at 18, even the doctors didn't know what to do about diabetes.

Every player had a roommate for out-of-town games, so I had to slip into the bathroom early each morning and secretly take my insulin injection. I feared that if the Cubs found out and I slumped badly, they would attribute it to the diabetes and send me back to the minors - or worse, release me.

I'm the perfect candidate to be affected by SARS. I'm highly susceptible to infections.

We're getting closer. I believe a 5-year-old with diabetes will live long enough to be cured.

The last thing I ever thought would ever happen to me was losing my legs.