Ick! Pfui!

ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER HEARTACHE. SANTO DENIED AGAIN.

By Paul Sullivan
Tribune staff reporter

February 27, 2007, 1:04 PM CST

The nine-time All-Star was denied entrance into the Hall of Fame on Tuesday in voting by the Veterans' Committee, who once again declined to allow any former major leaguers into their exclusive club.

Santo finished first on the ballot with 57 votes, five shy of the total needed to make it. Santo said last week he was keeping a low-profile on the voting this year, but added: "Let's be honest, I want this badly, mainly because (the voting) is every two years. To me, two years, because of what I have with the diabetes and (getting) older, it's like eternity. If I do get in, I'd like to enjoy it."

Santo, who turned 67 on Sunday, and said he's not interested in gaining the honor posthumously. In 2005 he tied for first on the ballot with Gil Hodges, but was still eight votes shy of induction.
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Look out! It's spreading across the countryside!

The blues, that is. Here's an email I received this morning from my oldest friend:

"I have dipped into the dark place and can't pull myself out. Since Sat., my bucket is empty and I don't have the energy to figure out how to fill it up myself. My tried and true means of yanking myself from the dark place are failing. Is it the dreaded evil of hormones? I felt so blue that this morning I woke up and was shocked I was still alive. I mean isn't it the deal that God doesn't give you more than you can handle? Well, what if you are over quota? What happens THEN?"

The part of me that is objective and enjoys irony realizes it's funny that anyone would turn to ME for help with a problem like this.

What's going on? Are evil-doers poisoning us with odorless, depressive gasses through the vents of major office buildings? What can we do to combat this epidemic of depression?

Naturally, dear blog, I will not be this flippant with her. I will remind her of her children and how much they need her, that this will pass, and how much she is loved. But it's not like my bucket is especially brimming, as she would say, and I can't help but find the humor in this.