I knew Ron Santo, first, from a distance, as a lifelong Cubs fan and then, when he retired, as one of his regular caddies when he turned to golf at the local country club.

He was a generous and warm person with a giant personality who dominated the golf course the way he dominated the field. Within a few short years he was a scratch golfer and club champion, regularly smashing 300 yard drives down the center of the fairway, in an era long before 300 became the norm among professional golfers – prima facie evidence of his tremendous athletic ability.

He was a breath of fresh air in that all too clubby and cloistered leafy green suburban environment.

He will be missed.

Ron Santo, Longtime Cubs Stalwart, Dies at 70 – NYTimes.com.