While sitting on the bench because of an injury during 2004, NIU outfielder Mike Santoro realized what he missed the most about baseball were the little things.

Things like putting his uniform on and going to practice.

He also learned a little bit about patience – patience that would be tested after suffering an injury to his right foot that has affected him for almost eight months.

After playing in the Huskies’ first series of 2004 against Texas Tech in late February, Santoro first felt the pain in his foot.

“I woke up the next morning and couldn’t walk because my foot was so sore,” Santoro said.

That pain would end up being a burden that would keep him from playing for the rest of the 2004 season, the summer and the fall.

After an initial X-ray, doctors told Santoro the hard clay of Texas Tech’s diamonds had caused a spike in his cleat to split a bone in his foot in half.

Doctors decided to put the NIU slugger in a walking boot for 10 weeks, hoping the injury would heal itself.

“Three months later, it was still fractured, but the pain was gone,” Santoro said. “They sent me to rehab over the summer and it was pain-free, but it was still fractured.”

Santoro tried practicing with the team early in the fall after being away from baseball for over six months.

“It just didn’t feel right,” Santoro said. “I couldn’t push off.”

Santoro was then faced with a decision. He could either go back into more rehabilitation, or have surgery on his foot.

“At that point, I told the doctor, ‘I’ve been dealing with this since February, let’s just get this done,’” Santoro said.

The River Forest native had surgery Oct. 8 to extract his fibular sesamoid bone. His doctor, who is also a doctor for the Chicago White Sox, said he would be able to begin hitting six weeks after the surgery.

Santoro will return for his fifth year after receiving a medical redshirt in the off-season. He led NIU with 15 home runs in 2003.

The Huskies were 29-26 overall and 13-10 MAC in 2004 without Santoro. NIU hit 70 home runs in 2003, but managed only 43 in 2004 without Santoro’s 15 and 10 by Joe Mazzuca who graduated in 2003.

“It was a big setback, with him being one of our main power guys,” NIU pitcher Nick Hall said. “It’s not easy to replace a guy like that.”

NIU coach Ed Mathey knew it was difficult for Santoro but that he didn’t show it on the surface.

Santoro was forced to watch from the bench in 2004, but learned a few things in the frustration.

“When you have an injury like that, you get some perspective,” Mathey said. “He’s taken a look and said, ‘Hey, I really do like the game of baseball.’”

In the off-season, Santoro was surprised with a call from the San Francisco Giants and was picked as a “draft and follow,” which gives Santoro another season to play for NIU, but the Giants will have the first opportunity to pick him up after the season’s end.

“The pressure is still there, but I think there’s a lot of pressure taken off as well,” Santoro said of having a professional opportunity after the season. “It’s a great feeling because I can relax mentally. Now I can focus on the field and winning.”

Santoro said his main focus is to get back into top form for the 2005 season.

“I take the off-season very seriously,” he said. “I’ve worked hard my whole life because I’ve had to.”

And so he can enjoy the little things of baseball again, Santoro is going to work on the little things in his game.

“I’m just trying to be humble,” he said. “The game has been here for 100 years, and it’ll be here for 100 years after me.”