Snickers Satisfies Ron Santo

By Chuck Sudo in News on Jul 23, 2012 9:00PM

Ron Santo was, among other things, a diabetic. He was diagnosed with Type I diabetes at the age of 18 and kept it a secret throughout most of his major league playing career because he feared being forced out of the game if someone found out. Santo didn’t reveal he was a diabetic until Aug. 28, 1971 as part of “Ron Santo Day” at Wrigley Field.

The methods used to regulate diabetes when Santo played ball weren’t as advanced as they are today. To monitor his blood sugar levels, Santo would keep tabs on his moods and if he was feeling too “Aw, geez” he would eat a candy bar.

Which brings us to this video. Here’s a commercial Santo filmed for Snickers in 1969, a full two years before he publicly acknowledged he had diabetes.