January 26, 2015 Csnchicago.Com Mr. Cub: Ernie Banks Did It His Way
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January 26, 2015 CSNChicago.com Mr. Cub: Ernie Banks did it his way By Patrick Mooney A man walked down Addison Street late Saturday morning with a bouquet of flowers, placing it at the makeshift shrine outside Wrigley Field. A white No. 14 jersey hung from the railing. A Cubs hat, a Cubs helmet, at least one opened Budweiser can and a homemade poster lined the sidewalk. People held up their iPhones to take pictures of the memorial and the name in lights on the marquee: Ernie Banks did it his way. That usually implies a bully with a big ego, a loner making enemies while getting ahead. But for Mr. Cub, this always meant killing them with kindness. That begins to explain the outpouring of emotions in Chicago and all across the country. The team’s official press release on Friday night did not identify a cause of death for Banks, who would have celebrated his 84th birthday on Jan. 31. “He (meant) so much to Chicago fans,” Hall of Famer Billy Williams said. “He was always that positive guy. And when I got the news, it’s just like somebody shot bullets through my heart.” Banks was closing in on his second straight National League MVP Award when Williams made his big-league debut in 1959. The All-Star shortstop put up 92 homers and 272 RBI during that unbelievable two-year period. Banks always seemed to enjoy the moment, never bothered by the attention or burdened by the fame. He loved talking to behind-the-scenes employees at Wrigley Field, and interacting with fans young and old, and bantering with the media. He couldn’t have faked it for this long. “You gravitated towards him,” said Andre Dawson, another Hall of Famer who followed in Banks’ footsteps at Wrigley Field. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone that loved the game – or enjoyed talking about the game – more than Ernie. “I’ve always felt deep within that there were two people (who were) Pied Pipers in the history of the Chicago Cubs. And that was Harry Caray and Ernie Banks.” “Ernie was a true optimist,” said Fergie Jenkins, another Hall of Famer who had roomed with Banks while pitching for the Cubs. “Baseball really lost one of their heroes.” Banks came to his sunny disposition the hard way, growing up as a black man in a segregated country and helping break down barriers in a white sport. He came out of the Negro Leagues, the same Kansas City Monarchs team that helped prepare Jackie Robinson. He also served two years in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Banks signed with the Cubs and became the franchise’s first African-American player in 1953, lasting 19 seasons and hitting 512 home runs in a Hall of Fame career. Tony Clark, the Major League Baseball Players Association’s executive director, recognized those contributions as an ambassador for what’s become a global game. “The baseball playing fraternity has lost one of its true gems,” Clark said in a statement. “Ernie Banks, an MVP on and off the field, was among the pioneers whose talent and passion for the game helped pave the way for future generations of minority baseball players. Ernie’s enthusiasm and spirit for life and baseball were unmatched.” Professional baseball is a cold-blooded, cynical business. For all its romanticism, Wrigley Field can be a cruel place to play. Banks never made it to the playoffs – and he never watched his beloved team win a World Series – but it never made him bitter. “Ernie Banks was synonymous with a childlike enthusiasm for baseball,” outgoing MLB commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. “His joyous outlook will never be forgotten by fans of the Cubs and all those who love baseball. “On a day when I finish my duties as the commissioner of America’s national pastime, I know well that Ernie was one of the special individuals who embodied its goodwill all his life.” President Barack Obama – who had given Banks a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 – and the first lady Michelle also sent their condolences. “Ernie was an incredible ambassador for baseball, and for the city of Chicago,” Obama said in a White House statement. “He was beloved by baseball fans everywhere, including Michelle, who, when she was a girl, used to sit with her dad and watch him play on TV. “Somewhere, the sun is shining, the air is fresh, his team’s behind him, and Mr. Class – ‘Mr. Cub’ – is ready to play two.” -- CSNChicago.com Cubs, mayor's office planning public memorial for Ernie Banks By Patrick Mooney Chicago will celebrate Ernie Banks’ extraordinary life with a public memorial at Daley Plaza. The Cubs and Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office began to unveil plans for a Banks tribute on Sunday, honoring his legacy as an iconic player, a goodwill ambassador for baseball and a pillar in the African-American community. Mark Bogen, an attorney for the Banks family, said the Chicago legend died of a heart attack on Friday night at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, a week away from his 84th birthday. The Banks statue that had become a destination at Clark and Addison — and was being restored off-site during the Wrigley Field renovations — will be moved to Daley Plaza and on display from Wednesday morning through Saturday so fans can pay their respects. “Ernie Banks’ legacy extends far beyond his Hall of Fame stats,” Emanuel said in a statement. “He was beloved by generations of people for the way he played on the field and — more importantly — for the kind and warm person he was off the field. “We are bringing Ernie’s statue to Daley Plaza to honor not just one of the best ballplayers of all-time, but a great man who made our city proud from the day we first met him in 1953.” Banks’ wife, Liz, made a brief statement to open a short, separate press conference on Sunday at the Hyatt Regency. “I want you to know that he was very beloved,” she said. “He is going to be dearly missed by family, friends and all of his fans.” Bogen said funeral arrangements are still being finalized. The lawyer gave a prepared statement on behalf of the family, declining to formally take questions from the assembled media at the downtown hotel. “People have called Ernie Banks the ambassador of baseball, but in reality he was an ambassador for humanity,” Bogen said. “He loved people and wanted to hear their stories, their lives, not talk about his. Instead of talking about baseball, he would talk about life.” Mr. Cub became the franchise’s first African-American player in 1953, hitting 512 home runs across 19 seasons, getting his No. 14 retired and making Major League Baseball’s All-Century Team. Banks also served in the U.S. Army and received a Presidential Medal of Freedom. “Everybody talks about Ernie Banks the Hall of Famer,” Bogen said. “Let’s talk about Ernie Banks the man. First, he was a chaplain. He even married (former Cubs player) Sean Marshall. He stood up for gay rights and asked the Cubs to have a float in the Gay Pride Parade, which he rode (in) during the parade. “He was an actor. In 1993, he appeared on ‘Married…with Children’ and other TV shows. He cared about the troops and participated in USO programs and traveled the world. He cared about kids with disabilities and was involved with Special Olympics, even traveling to China. “Ernie Banks was a kind, loving, positive man who cared about people.” -- CSNChicago.com ‘Mr. Cub’ Ernie Banks dead at 83 By Patrick Mooney Beyond the Hall of Fame career and the iconic nickname, Ernie Banks will be remembered for the big smile on his face, the deep connection to the fans and this city, an enthusiasm forever summed up with three words: “Let’s play two!” “Mr. Cub” is dead at the age of 83. That’s why the news stung late Friday night and so many tributes flowed all across social media and all around the country, memorializing such a gracious Chicago legend. But there’s no doubt Banks lived a full life that can’t simply be defined by his 512 career home runs, all those All- Star selections and the back-to-back National League MVP Awards in 1958 and 1959. Or the fact that he played in the majors until the age of 40 – more than 2,500 games in a Cubs uniform – and never made it to the playoffs or saw his team finally win a World Series. Born and raised in Dallas, Banks served in the U.S. Army and debuted with the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro Leagues. He signed with the Cubs in 1953 and became the first African-American player in franchise history. “Words cannot express how important Ernie Banks will always be to the Chicago Cubs, the city of Chicago and Major League Baseball,” chairman Tom Ricketts said in a statement. “He was one of the greatest players of all- time. He was a pioneer in the major leagues. And more importantly, he was the warmest and most sincere person I’ve ever known. “Approachable, ever optimistic and kind-hearted, Ernie Banks is and always will be Mr. Cub.” Former Cubs manager Dusty Baker once put it this way: “Ernie was never in a bad mood. I couldn’t believe how a guy could never be in a bad mood. Forty years later, and he’s still never been in a bad mood.” Banks would make Wrigley Field his second home, getting his No.