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Home , 2010 Chicago Cubs season, Andre Dawson, Billy Williams, Billy Williams (umpire), Bob Gebhard, Buddy Bell

February 2, 2015

CSNChicago.com says goodbye to Mr. Cub By Patrick Mooney

Mr. Cub is gone, leaving this franchise and this city without one of its greatest ambassadors.

An A-list crowd turned out at Fourth Presbyterian Church on Saturday morning, memorializing Ernie Banks on what would have been his 84th birthday, remembering his excellence on the field and grace off the field.

Sunshine beamed into the stained-glass windows during a ceremony that lasted more than 90 minutes and aired live on multiple TV channels. It almost felt like a Cooperstown exhibit had come to downtown Chicago with Hall of Famers , Aaron, , , , , and Fergie Jenkins.

Banks, who died last week after suffering a heart attack, probably would have wondered what all the fuss was about. He didn’t want to talk about his game — 512 career home runs, a Gold Glove at and a spot on Major League ’s All-Century Team — or what it was like when he played.

“Ernie was unassuming,” Jenkins said. “He didn’t want the title of being a star. He wanted to be a teammate.”

Banks would have loved to listen to the laughter and the upbeat music. Calvin Bridges’ Chicago Praise Ensemble sung “This Little Light of Mine” and “Oh Happy Day,” clapping from the balcony.

Williams remembered going to as the next big prospect in the late and can still see that smiling face welcoming him to the organization.

“I had the opportunity to room with Ernie for about two and a half months,” Williams said. “After that, I had to get out of that room.”

Their families would grow close and take vacations together in Arizona during the winter. Williams saw Banks’ twin boys, Jerry and Joey, and apologized: “I’m sorry I had to beat your butt that one day.”

“(Ernie) never did have a mean streak in his body,” Williams said. “The guys would ask me: Is he always like this? You know, when he goes on the : Yabber, yabber, yabber.

“I’d say: From the moment he gets up in the morning (until) late at night.”

That spirit cut across generations of Cubs players who paid their respects: , , , and .

The list went on and on: Jr.; Dutchie Caray; Cubs broadcasters , , Pat Hughes and ; Cubs executives , , and so many other names up and down the organizational chart.

“Ernie Banks is not Mr. Cub because we loved him,” Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said. “Ernie Banks is Mr. Cub because he loved us back.

“Ernie became Mr. Cub through no more magic than just being himself.”

The old regime came back, too, with special assistant and Blackhawks executives John McDonough and Jay Blunk in attendance. Kenny Williams and Minnie Minoso represented the White Sox. Bulls great Bob Love sat near the Banks family.

Mayor and Gov. Bruce Rauner — “I’m psychologically damaged” by the 1969 Cubs — took turns at the lectern. Opal Staples sang “One Moment in Time” and “Stand by Me.” A military honor guard played “Taps” to recognize Banks’ service in the U.S. Army.

“Ernie Banks was truly living proof that you don’t have to wear a championship ring on your finger in order to be a pillar of baseball and a champion of life,” Torre said.

“Ernie Banks made the confines of friendly. He made the Cubs lovable. And he was one of the pivotal people during a vital time in our history who made our great game worthy of being our national pastime.”

Saturday also would have marked ’s 96th birthday, and Banks goes down as a trailblazer, coming out of the same organization and moving to Chicago as the first African-American player in franchise history.

“He was a Chicago Cub experiment that worked,” Rev. said. “A bridge-builder, healer, odds-buster, dream-maker, disarmed adversaries with optimism. He branded goodwill. He absorbed his pain and rejection, but he did not internalize it. He had a higher vision.”

As Jackson said, Banks wasn’t born on third base. He grew up in deeply segregated Dallas as the second of 12 children, attending Sunday school at St. Paul’s Methodist Church and going to Booker T. Washington High School. The funeral program said his mother, Essie, hoped he would follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and become a minister.

“We rode on Ernie’s shoulders,” Jackson said. “He carried the weight of a social transformer, seemingly effortlessly.

“He was convinced that hatred and were absolutely wrong. He used excellence and his smile as weapons.”

Banks went to Washington with that sense of joy in 2013 to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom and give President Barack Obama a bat that had once belonged to Robinson.

“It almost didn’t happen,” said John Rogers, a personal friend, Chicago business leader and the head of Ariel Investments. “We were all gathered early in the East Room of the . We’re looking around, and we couldn’t find Ernie. No one knew where he was.

“We come to find out he had forgotten his photo ID, so he was still stuck outside the gate. In general, unless you are a fence-jumper or a drone, you do not get into the White House without an ID.

“But I’m sure no one here is surprised that our Ernie would be that rare exception. The guards at the gate recognized him, were charmed by him, and they decided to kick it up to the highest levels of the Secret Service to get him in.

“Once he was in ... he swept everyone into his ... as only Ernie could.”

The pallbearers grabbed the casket with the white BANKS No. 14 flag draped over it and marched up the aisle and into a blast of cold Chicago air.

The motorcade turned right and inched onto Michigan Avenue by 11:58 a.m., a police escort for the SUVs and black stretch limos heading south toward Daley Plaza, where the Banks statue would be on display, and then back up north for a drive past Wrigley Field, where Mr. Cub will never be forgotten.

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CSNChicago.com ESPN releases Top 10 Cubs prospects for 2015 By Tony Andracki

Prospect Week continues as ESPN Insider Keith Law released his Top 10 Cubs prospects Friday morning.

Law released his Top 100 list Thursday, with No. 1 followed by (No. 4), (14) and (90).

They are obviously the top four names on Law's team rankings and rest of the Cubs' Top 10 list is as follows:

5. - SS 6. Billy McKinney - OF 7. - OF 8. Duane Underwood - RHP 9. C.J. Edwards - RHP 10. Jen-Ho Tseng - RHP

It's interesting to see some of those names on there. Noticeably absent is , considered one of the best - and most advanced - pitching prospects in the Cubs system.

But in Johnson's stead is Underwood - who is shooting up prospect rankings after going 6-4 with a 2.50 ERA and 1.20 WHIP with Kane County in 2014 - and Tseng, a 20-year-old from Taiwan who sported a 2.40 ERA and 0.867 WHIP in his first year of American professional ball.

Johnson was ranked No. 7 on Law's list last year, followed by (3B), Corey Black (RHP) and Arodys Vizcaino (RHP), all of whom are now off the list. Vizcaino has also been traded back to the Braves.

Javier Baez (No. 1 in 2014) and Arismendy Alcantara (6) also graduated from the list, meaning the only holdovers from 2014 to '15 on Law's rankings are Bryant, Soler, Almora and Edwards.

Law also pointed to Eloy Jimenez and Victor Caratini as two guys in the Cubs system who are on the verge of moving into his Top 10 rankings.

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Chicago Tribune Cubs legend Ernie Banks remembered as a man who loved life, people By Paul Sullivan

Of all the talents Ernie Banks exhibited over his Hall of Fame career, perhaps the most impressive skill was his ability to relate to everyday people from all walks of life.

"He could make you feel like you were the most important person in the universe," longtime friend John Rogers said during Saturday's memorial service at Fourth Presbyterian Church.

That was the thematic motif on Saturday as family, friends and fans congregated to celebrate the life of the legendary ballplayer, who died last week at 83.

Almost every speaker drove the point home that Banks was not just a great athlete who was good with the media and loved the game. He was simply a man who enjoyed meeting and talking to people, leaving a little piece of himself with hundreds and hundreds of those fortunate enough to into him, whether it was at the ballpark, walking down the street or in the aisle of a grocery store.

"Ernie walked up to you as if he had known you for years," Billy Williams said.

"He branded goodwill," added Rev. Jesse Jackson.

It's a lesson that should be taught to every athlete, especially the ones who feel "smothered" by the fame that comes with the territory. How many times have I seen ballplayers whip out their cellphones and pretend to make a call as they leave a ballpark, giving them cover from fans who may want an autograph or just a chance to say hello? Or put on their headphones to drown out the noise of someone shouting out their name to try and get their attention?

Perhaps there are some fans whom Banks ignored. He was human, after all. But judging from the emails and conversations I've had with those who randomly bumped into him over the years, those stories are few and far between. He genuinely liked people.

"Ernie Banks is not Mr. Cub because we loved him," Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts said. "Ernie Banks is Mr. Cub because he loved us back. As it turned out, Ernie became Mr. Cub through no more magic than just being himself."

Banks' memorial was as comforting as a soft, summer breeze, with former teammate Williams stealing the show with stories of their conversations about life as roommates, or sharing rides to work.

"I never did see him read a book," Williams said. "But he knew about everything."

Banks once told notorious knockdown pitcher that Williams was going to a off him that day, prompting Williams to plead with his friend: "Ernie, don't make him meaner, man."

Banks' son, Joey, thanked his father for "showing us how to be winners without winning all the time," while Joey's twin brother Jerry revealed one of Ernie's favorite sayings was: "I feel like I could fly."

After the service, Cubs broadcaster Pat Hughes told a story on the church steps of how Banks was at a big party and told all the kids, "The best thing you can do when you get back to the hotel, rub your daddy's feet."

"My daughters come back giggling to me, 'Daddy, Ernie Banks said we should rub your feet,'" Hughes said. "Everyone in the whole room is laughing about Ernie. He brought everyone together. It was a funny, off the wall, quirky thing to do, but it spread joy and that's what Ernie loved to do."

That's why Banks had such an impact on the city, and why his death was felt by so many who didn't even know him. Cubs fan Tom Moroz, of Uptown, was one of a crowd of several hundred people waiting near Wrigley Field to get a glimpse of the funeral procession as it drove past.

"I was watching on TV and shedding tears when they were wheeling his casket out of the church," Moroz said. "I thought I have to come down to the ballpark. (The procession) passed quickly. I thought they may stop, but that didn't happen. But you could clearly see the No. 14 (flag) draped over the casket in the back."

The ballpark construction continued after the procession disappeared up Street, and fans went back into the nearby bars and restaurants, or just went home.

Before you know it, will arrive and the Cubs' attempt to end the seemingly endless title drought will begin anew.

It won't be the same, of course, but rest assured the spirit of Ernie Banks will always remain a part of Wrigley Field, come rain or shine.

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Chicago Tribune love new Cubs By Mark Gonzales

As a youngster in his native Venezuela, Miguel Montero received instruction on fielding grounders from 11-time Gold Glove shortstop .

"I remember him telling us to keep our hands soft," Montero recalled of the clinic. "Keep your glove loose and catch the ball without effort."

Montero remembered those tips as he switched from the to catcher before joining the Diamondbacks organization in 2002. His development as a catcher has been enhanced by his ability to frame pitches — thanks in part to applying the knowledge Vizquel gave him.

That art isn't wasn't lost on the Cubs, who acquired Montero and the three years and $40 million left on his contract to shore up a weakness.

"Those Cubs pitchers are going to love him because they're going to get a lot of low strikes," said Diamondbacks pitcher Daniel Hudson, who won 16 games in 2011 with Montero behind the plate.

General Jed Hoyer acknowledged that Montero, a career .264 hitter, is coming off two subpar seasons.

"But we felt in this environment he was a great change-of-scenery guy, a good pitch framer, a good defensive catcher who relates well to pitchers, and we felt he was a really good fit for what we were looking to do," Hoyer said.

The acquisition of Montero, 31, a two-time All-Star, occurred several hours before prized free-agent left-hander chose the Cubs over the Red Sox and Giants on Dec. 9.

Montero's to the Cubs was a hit in his Phoenix-area neighborhood.

"A lot of my neighbors are Cubs fans," Montero said with a laugh. "We get along a lot better."

The neighbors educated Montero on what to expect at the Cubs Convention Jan. 16-18, and he wasn't disappointed.

"I heard a lot about it, but there's nothing like seeing it," said Montero, who received a warm reception before a packed audience during the opening ceremony.

Perhaps Montero's biggest endorsement came in March of 2009, a season after he caught Hall of Fame left-hander , who went on to pitch his final season with the Giants.

Montero "is eager to learn" and "listened to me," Johnson told Diamondbacks beat writers.

Johnson's comments didn't go over well with some Diamondbacks pitchers who defended catcher Chris Snyder, but Montero backed up Johnson's assessment by playing exceptional defense in addition to .294 with 16 home runs and 59 RBIs in his first season as a full-time starter.

"(Johnson) told me in September that he was proud of me and that I didn't let him down," Montero recalled. "He inspired me, and I thanked him for believing in my ability."

As a young catcher with the Diamondbacks, Montero said he handled an array of pitching styles, from the hard- throwing Johnson to the split-finger pitching of to the deliberate, off-speed style of Livan Hernandez. That could be beneficial when he handles a new staff led by Lester and includes crafty left-hander .

"It was all part of the learning process, including their personalities," Montero said. "There were some days Randy was moody and didn't want to talk. I'd have to sit down with him, tell a story and get a laugh.''

Hudson said he marveled at Montero's ability to accurately gauge the strengths and weaknesses of a pitcher each day.

"He has a great game plan," Hudson said. "He knows the league well. He'll devote spring training to knowing the pitchers, and he's good at reading a pitcher during the course of a game."

Montero has caught 131 games or more in three of the last four seasons and provides the Cubs with a much- needed left-handed bat. But the Cubs added backup , who possesses similar pitch-framing skills and has handled Lester as well as anyone for parts of three seasons with the Red Sox.

"I'd like to catch all the games," Montero said. "But it's not up to me. I like to put myself in a position where I can handle the load. It will be interesting to see what happens. But as long as we win, I'll be happy."

The Cubs have gushed about adding veterans including and Ross to mentor the younger players.

But for years, several Diamondbacks players and staffers admired Montero for spending extra time with minor league players during spring training — even attending some of their games when he wasn't scheduled to start in the major league game.

"You never know who you might see in the majors at some point," said Montero, who spent five seasons in the minors before reaching the majors. "You want to get to know them and take some pressure off them. They're not just part of a team. They're part of the organization.''

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Chicago Tribune Ernie Banks memorial: 'Ernie Banks is Mr. Cub because he loved us back' By John Keilman, Marwa Eltagouri and

Political leaders, Hall of Fame ballplayers and dozens of ordinary Chicagoans bade a poignant but uplifting farewell Saturday to Ernie Banks, the shortstop whose otherworldly athleticism, unflagging optimism and inexhaustible goodwill made him an ambassador for his team and his city.

Banks, who was 83 but would have turned 84 Saturday, died of a heart attack Jan. 23. His death has inspired a flood of reminiscence from those who watched him patrol the Wrigley Field diamond in the 1950s and '60s or simply knew him for his signature kindness.

“It's amazing how someone can leave a legacy where everyone has nothing to say but the fact that he brought sunshine wherever he went,” Kristine Kuznicki said as she left Banks’ packed memorial service at Chicago’s Fourth Presbyterian Church. “It makes you think about how you live your own life and how you want to be remembered.”

Banks grew up in segregated Dallas and told a biographer that his exquisite coordination came from days of picking cotton. Though he played baseball sparingly in his youth — his high school didn’t have a team — he made the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues as a teenager.

After being drafted and serving two years in the Army, he became the Cubs’ first black player in 1953. In his 19 seasons with the team, he hit 512 home runs and had 1,636 RBIs, was an All-Star 14 times and won back-to-back

National League MVP awards. He was voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977, the first year he was eligible.

But as many speakers at Banks’ service noted, the breathtaking statistics don’t begin to tell the story of Banks’ life and influence.

“We’d like to believe we can teach this lesson to our children: You don’t have to wear a championship ring on your finger to be ... a champion in life,” said Joe Torre, a former major league player and manager who competed against Banks in the ’60s.

It was that graciousness that brought Gary Shepherdson to the service from Calgary, Alberta. He never met Banks or watched him play but recalled his father telling him in 1973 about Banks' great games and ability to overcome adversity. At the time, it had been 65 years since the Cubs won the .

“I thought right then as a kid that this team needed fans, and I was going to be one,” he said. “That's why I'm here. After all those personal and professional stories my dad told me, I needed to come say goodbye.”

Cubs fan Maria Stamas described meeting Banks by chance in the lobby of a suburban hotel. He immediately showed a deep interest in her, asking about her goals and dreams and helping her draft a plan to achieve them.

“We talked for about an hour and a half,” Stamas said. “It was as if we were long-lost friends.”

During the service, some of Banks’ teammates reminisced about his chatty ways, animating car rides from the South Side to Wrigley Field and keeping his spring training roommates up deep into the night.

Cubs outfielder Billy Williams told a story about Banks playfully needling fearsome St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson before a game.

“Ernie was standing around the and said (to Gibson), ‘Billy’s going to hit a home run off you today,’” Williams said. “I said, ‘Don’t say that!’”

Pitcher joined the Cubs in 1966, when Banks was already an established superstar. But Banks, Ferguson said, never held himself above his fellow players.

“He didn’t want the title of being a star,” Jenkins said. “He wanted to be a teammate.”

Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Rev. Jesse Jackson spoke at the service, which was attended by such notables as Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich, baseball luminaries Reggie Jackson and Kerry Wood and superfan Ronnie “Woo Woo” Wickers, who wore a full Cubs uniform.

As the sun poured through the church’s stained glass and a choir dressed in robes of Cubbie Blue sang “O Happy Day,” pallbearers including home run king , former Cubs Glenn Beckert and Randy Hundley and Banks’ twin sons Jerry and Joey escorted the casket, draped with a pinstriped banner that bore Banks’ retired No. 14, out of the church. A hearse awaited to take the casket on a procession past Banks’ statue, temporarily relocated to Daley Plaza, and to Wrigley Field.

“I don’t know how anyone could have attended this and listened to this and not apply that to their own life,” Scott Sanderson, who pitched for the Cubs from 1984-89, said after the service. “So I think Ernie’s impact on people … it even goes beyond his years here on . He improved people’s lives. What a great statement for any of us to make.”

Deborah Delashment, first cousin of Banks’ widow, Liz, remembered him as a family man.

“They always had parties or events where we were all invited,” she said. “And we all enjoyed just good family time. You could see the love, the sharing, the caring. It has always been there for all the years they have been married.”

But the most succinct summation of Banks’ legacy might have come from Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts.

“Ernie Banks is not Mr. Cub because we loved him,” he said. “Ernie Banks is Mr. Cub because he loved us back.”

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Chicago Tribune Fans, former teammates, friends pay respects at Ernie Banks visitation By Fred Mitchell and Steven Goldstein

Ernie Banks loved baseball and he loved the fans.

On Friday, the fans loved him back, paying their respects during a public visitation at Fourth Presbyterian Church in downtown Chicago.

Banks' casket is draped with a No. 14 flag. Above the casket is a huge photo of a youthful Banks in a Cubs uniform. The Hall of Fame slugger died Jan. 23 of a heart attack, just shy of his 84th birthday Saturday.

"Just watching him, you could tell he was the happiest player ever," said Terry Lavery, 60, who traveled from Tucson, Ariz. He pulled up a photo of Banks on his phone from the 1964 season.

"This is a rare opportunity to say goodbye," Lavery said.

Judy Earley, 70, said of Banks: "I'm here because of what he meant to the city, baseball and black people. He symbolized the best of man, the best approach to life. He put whatever was going on aside to always put the best face forward."

Said Dewey Lewis, Banks' longtime friend and golf pro: "We had great times together and played a lot of rounds of golf. And any charity you could name, we did it. From the March of Dimes to cancer research, Make-A-Wish Foundation … you name them, we did them for 32 years. Pro bono."

Cubs owner Tom Ricketts attended Friday's visitation and made note of Banks' connection with the Cubs fan base, even several decades after his playing days.

"He was a kind, generous man," Ricketts said. "The reason why Ernie was so loved by the fans was that he gave the love back."

Ricketts added that plans to honor Banks' memory throughout this season are undetermined.

Sen. Dick Durbin connected with Banks personally and as a model citizen, as well as a fan.

"Chicago lost one of its greatest," Durbin said. "I'm glad he's receiving this tribute today. Very few athletes get honored with the (Presidential Medal of Freedom). … Ernie was not only a great ballplayer but a great American."

Former Cubs players, as well as former teammates of Banks, also paid their respects Friday.

"You don't think it's real until you see the casket," Hall of Famer Billy Williams said. "He's a person who left lasting memories in Chicago because he met so many people. If he met someone two or three years before, he'd still remember them."

Former Cubs outfielder Andre Dawson talked about the unselfish nature of Banks after Banks' playing days.

"There were many great moments that I had with him, to spend in his presence," Dawson said. "He was an individual that you didn't have to say much around him. He did all the talking. He never really talked about himself or his playing days. But it was more or less on you and your game and current events."

Former Cubs Glenn Beckert spent an extended period at Banks' casket.

"We're all going to miss him," Beckert said. "It brings back a lot of memories. The times he was with my father in Pittsburgh and he was invited to the house. He and my father drinking whiskey together. Stuff like that."

Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins recalled car-pooling to Wrigley Field with Banks, Williams and .

"Ernie had a lot of nicknames. I called him AM and FM," Jenkins said. "He was like a radio, you couldn't turn him off. He loved to talk about baseball on the plane and we roomed together."

Jose Cardenal recalled a humorous anecdote involving Banks as the first base at the beginning of Cardenal's six years with the Cubs from 1972-77.

"One day I was on first base and I missed the sign from the third base coach," Cardenal said. "So I turned around and looked at Ernie and said: 'Ernie, I missed the sign. What am I supposed to do?' So Ernie told me, 'Well, I missed the sign, too, so you're on your own.'"

Among the speakers at the memorial service at Fourth Presbyterian on Saturday will be Williams, Jenkins and Lou Brock.

Banks' twin sons, Jerry and Joey, also are slated to pay tribute at the service, along with Chicago businessman John Rogers, a personal friend of Banks. Also among those offering remembrances will be Ricketts, executive and former player and manager Joe Torre.

After Saturday's memorial service, the funeral procession will drive past Banks' statue in Daley Plaza before heading north to pass Wrigley Field.

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Chicago Sun-Times Fans, friends pay their respects to Ernie Banks By Tina Sfondeles

Baseball greats reunited Friday to remember “Mr. Cub” — Hall of Famer Ernie Banks.

From Billy Williams to Ferguson Jenkins to Glenn Beckert, players from the 1969 Chicago Cubs squad remembered so fondly by fans trickled into the Fourth Presbyterian Church off the Mag Mile for a public visitation, where Banks’ casket was draped with a large banner bearing his name, number 14 and a picture of his big smile placed above it.

Banks, the first black player in Cubs history, died Jan. 23 at age 83. He played 19 seasons for the team, making the All-Star team 14 times, with 512 career major league home runs. He was named to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977.

Banks was chatty. He always was smiling, and he had a calm demeanor, which was evident in his approach to the game.

“He was a little bit like Frank Robinson. He didn’t want to wake them up. Hit them, knock them down. There was always a pitcher that would knock him off the plate. . . . Ernie would always say, ‘Hey, next , I’m knocking one out of the park,’” Jenkins said.

“He would take it to another level by saying, ‘Hey, I don’t need to get angry. I’m just going to prove it on the field.’”

Wrigley Field, Jenkins said, was perfect for Banks.

“I think Ernie loved playing for the Chicago Cubs. He loved day games, coming in a lot of times from the South Side. We would carpool — Billy and I and Ernie. He loved coming to Wrigley Field to play day games. That was his day. He loved to put that uniform on, and if he hit a home run he would be smiling even bigger than in the picture. He just loved playing,” Jenkins said.

Banks was the second person Jenkins met when he came to Chicago. He greeted him warmly: “ ‘Welcome to the Chicago Cubs. You’re gonna love playing here,’” Jenkins remembered him saying.

“Ernie had a lot of nicknames: ‘Let’s play two,’ ‘Mr. Sunshine.’ I called him ‘AM and FM.’ He was like a radio. You couldn’t turn him off. He just loved to talk,” Jenkins said. “To have someone of his notoriety, baseball has lost a great icon . . . the Cubs have lost Mr. Cub. There’s not going to be another Mr. Cub.”

Speaking to reporters, Williams recalled a quote from the late President Abraham Lincoln: “It’s not the years in a life, but it’s the life in those years.”

“When I read that, I thought about my good friend Ernie Banks,” Williams said.

“Because in those years he spent here on Earth, he made a lot of people happy. Not only the fans that came out to the ballpark to see him play and perform, but people — not only here in Chicago — but people around the world recognized the individual, the type of individual, he was.”

Cubs owner Tom Ricketts greeted mourners on their way out, often speaking to fans for several minutes. He told reporters the organization will dedicate the upcoming season to Banks, and is figuring out other ways to honor the larger-than-life player.

Sporting a lapel pin with Banks’ No. 14, Ricketts recalled how Banks always had time for his fans, taking care to sign every autograph.

Former Cub Andre Dawson called Banks “unique.”

“I will always equate him with grasping life and enjoying it, always having that smile on his face, never saying anything negative about anyone,” Dawson said. “[He’s] the kind of person that when you think of [an] iconic ambassador, that’s an understatement.”

There were plenty of fans paying their respects to the baseball legend, many taking into account Banks’ strength in being the team’s first black player.

“He broke into the majors the same like Jackie Robinson but he also broke through for all the minorities around the nation,” said Kelvin Birch, 32, of Bensenville. “If it wasn’t for them, none of this would be happening for the rest of the players making it to the top. From Ernie Banks to Jackie Robinson to Hank Aaron, all of those players they came far for us. And there will never be another Ernie Banks.”

A memorial service for Banks will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, also at the church.

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Daily Herald Grudzielanek brings rugged work ethic to Cougars By Bruce Miles

What I remember most about during his two years with the Cubs were his grand entrances into the clubhouse.

He'd give it a limp and a gimp, all with a pained expression on his face before going in for treatment on his ankle or whatever else ailed him.

But when it came to be game time, particularly in the star-crossed 2003 season, Grudzielanek ended up taking the field more often than not and playing a solid second base.

Grudzielanek is 44 now and looking much more relaxed after a few years away from the game.

He will make his return to baseball this season as the new manager of the .

And as a manager, he says he will expect the same of his players as he did of himself during his major-league career.

Grudzielanek was front and center Friday night at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark as the Cougars and their new parent organization, the , met the media.

"I played the way I played; that was just me," Grudzielanek said. "I just played hard, did my thing, and it kind of worked. When you leave the game, you want to be remembered as, 'This guy played the game hard. He played it right. He knew what he was doing. He did what it took to help his team win.'

"If I want the kids to leave with something, it's effort and attitude and going about their business the right way, understanding that jersey, that uniform, can be taken off at any given time. So enjoy each and every day."

Grudzielanek played parts of 15 seasons in the big leagues -- 2003 and 2004 with the Cubs -- finishing in 2010 with Cleveland.

He's just now returning to the game, even though he said the managerial bug bit a few years back.

"Probably in the middle of my career, because as a player, obviously, we know best," he said. " 'What is he thinking, what is he doing?' All the managers that I played for. That thought (managing) has always crossed my mind, but thanks to the Diamondbacks for that and for believing and giving me the opportunity.

"Basically, I've been off for a few years, getting reacquainted with my family, hanging out with I took some time off after my last season, going kind of crazy to get back in the game.

"With the passion and love I had, it was time to get back in."

Grudzielanek was a key member of the 2003 Cubs, who came within five outs of the World Series before losing the infamous Game 6 of the championship series against the Marlins and then falling in Game 7.

"I don't think there's a day where somebody doesn't say something about that year to me at a certain time and moment, with the Bartman incident," he said. "It's what could have been. What do you do?"

Before that, though, the 2003 season was a magical ride for the Cubs.

"Incredible," Grudzielanek said. "At some point, I just wish that every player could experience what we did that year, because that's how special it was."

Good first impression:

The Diamondbacks moved into Kane County when the Cubs left after two years as the Cougars' parent organization and moved their Midwest affiliate to South Bend.

Arizona's introduction to fans and media at Friday night's "Meet the Diamondbacks" event was just as impressive as that of the Cubs two winters ago.

In addition to Grudzielanek and his coaching staff, also present was Mike Bell, director of player development, and Bob Gebhard, vice president and special assistant to the general manager.

Bell is a member of the famous Bell family. He's the son of former big-league and the grandson of former big-leaguer .

Gebhard is an old-school type who was the first GM of the . He talked of good things for the Diamondbacks and the Cougars.

"I say this after we lost 98 games last year," he said of the big-league club. "I really believe that this is an organization, and I've been with a lot of them, that puts the emphasis on signing the right players, on developing, and part of developing is winning.

"There are organizations that in the minor leagues, the only thing that is important is developing. We feel very strongly that winning helps developing."

The Cougars won the title last year as a Cubs farm club. This coming season will mark the franchise's 25th year.

Team owners Dr. Bob Froehlich and his wife, Cheryl, were on hand Friday.

"Obviously, everyone wants to have a winning team, that's a given," Bob Froehlich said. "It's about the people. It's about the process. It's about the product. That's what we're most excited about.

"You'll be blown away by these (Diamondbacks) people … They do things the right way, and they're so great communicating the process with everyone.

"We need a competitive product. They're doing things the right way, so we're very comfortable with this relationship."

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Cubs.com Banks honored during memorial service in Chicago By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- Instead of mourning Ernie Banks on Saturday, his teammates, family and friends urged everyone to celebrate the life of Mr. Cub on what would have been his 84th birthday.

"We have come here to thank God for Ernie Banks," Rev. Shannon Kershner said in her welcome statements.

The Fourth Presbyterian Church was nearly full for Banks' memorial service on Saturday, and the crowd included former Cubs teammates Billy Williams, Randy Hundley, Ferguson Jenkins and George Altman, plus Hall of Famers such as Hank Aaron, Reggie Jackson, Lou Brock and Andre Dawson. Also in the crowd were Kerry Wood, Anthony Rizzo, Sean Marshall, , Minnie Minoso and Scott Sanderson.

Cubs broadcasters Len Kasper, Pat Hughes and Ron Coomer attended, as well as former great Bob Love, Blackhawks executives John McDonough and Jay Blunk, White Sox executive vice president and former Cubs general manager Jim Hendry. Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer were there, as well as Joe Torre, who represented Major League Baseball.

Banks' twin sons, Joey and Jerry, each delivered personal tributes. Joey thanked his dad for letting them come to Wrigley Field, calling it "the best playground ever."

"Move over , there's a new shortstop in heaven," Joey Banks said.

Jerry wished his father happy birthday, and said the Wrigley family's decision to purchase Banks' contract from the Kansas City Monarchs was "the best $10,000 ever spent."

"Who would've imagined you would become the icon of the great city of Chicago, representing not only Chicago but giving the fans love and devotion," Jerry Banks said. "We've heard countless stories of interactions with fans. It makes our mourning his passing easier. For every tear we shed comes 10 stories of laughter followed by, 'That sounds like dad.'"

Jerry then shared three of his father's favorite sayings to his children:

"You learn more from losing than winning."

"I feel like Tony the Tiger. I feel great."

"How do you feel? I feel like I can fly."

Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts read from the 1953 scouting report on Banks, and noted that it said the slender from Dallas "can play now." Banks played 19 seasons with the Cubs from 1953-71.

Ricketts pointed out Banks' Hall of Fame career statistics -- his 512 home runs, for example -- but said that "never in time have numbers fallen so short in describing the true greatness of a baseball player."

On Friday, Ricketts talked to some of the thousands of fans who came to Fourth Presbyterian Church to pay their respects during a visitation, and said nearly everyone had a story about Banks.

"Ernie Banks is not Mr. Cub because we loved him," Ricketts said. "Ernie Banks became Mr. Cub because he loved us back. As it turns out, Ernie became Mr. Cub through no more magic than just being himself."

Torre, now chief baseball officer with Major League Baseball, pointed out that Banks was knocked down four times by four different pitchers in 1957, and responded appropriately.

"Each and every one of those times, he got up and the next pitch, hit a home run," Torre said.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. said he asked Banks how he handled being thrown at by pitchers.

"He said, 'Umpires call the balls, I hit the strikes,'" Jackson said.

Banks made Wrigley Field friendly, the Cubs lovable and baseball worthy of being the national pastime, Torre said. "Ernie Banks was truly living proof that you don't have to wear a championship ring on your finger in order to be a pillar in baseball or in life," Torre said.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Banks was "summer personified, he was Mr. Sunshine, Mr. Cub and always Mr. Chicago, but to many throughout the city, he was just 'Ernie.'"

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner said he was 13 years old in 1969, and recited the Cubs' lineup that year, the "summer of dreams." That season, the Cubs had a nine-game lead in mid-August, but stumbled in early September and finished second to the Mets. Still, Banks remained optimistic.

"He knew every day was a great day for baseball," Rauner said.

Jackson got the crowd on its feet to applaud and wish a happy birthday to Banks, who passed away on Jan. 23. "We're not here because Ernie died; we're here because he lived," Jackson said.

John Rogers, one of Banks' close friends, said he talked to Mr. Cub a few weeks ago, and noted how excited he was about Opening Day this year. Rogers also told a story about how Banks nearly missed being honored at the White House when he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Banks had apparently forgotten his photo identification, which is necessary for admittance.

But Banks was recognized, and the Secret Service made an exception. In a private moment, Banks presented President Barack Obama a Jackie Robinson bat, Rogers said.

The nearly two-hour service appropriately ended with the singing of "Oh Happy Day." A motorcade carrying Banks' casket then passed a bronze statue of Mr. Cub in Daley Plaza, and headed north to Wrigley Field. The procession paused outside the ballpark's marquee at Clark and Addison streets, and fans there applauded. The crews doing the renovation work at the 100-year-old ballpark also lined the streets to salute Banks one more time. "He didn't want the title of being a star," Jenkins said. "He wanted to be a teammate."

"He just had an amazing outlook on life," Hughes said. "I think he woke up every day trying to make new friends. 'I'm going to meet as many new friends as I can, I'm going to make as many people happy as I possibly can.' He was a rare person."

Williams, 76, recalled that Banks was one of the first people he met at his initial Spring Training with the Cubs. The two roomed together, they carpooled together to Wrigley Field, they talked nonstop about baseball and life while driving along Lake Shore Drive, and Williams learned from watching how Banks handled everything.

Then, paying homage to Banks, who had a saying for the Cubs every year, Williams delivered a message for this year's team.

"I know Ernie would put his stamp of approval on this -- 'The Cubs will win as a team in 2015,'" Williams said. Ernie Banks had to smile at that.

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Cubs.com Banks got better, never bitter, in face of adversity By Phil Rogers

CHICAGO -- Saying goodbye is never easy.

It's hard to walk away knowing you did it right. But Ernie Banks' family and friends, the sport of baseball and the city of Chicago can rest assured that they gave Mr. Cub a grand sendoff on Saturday, one befitting his standing as the all-time leader in love of the game.

Fourth Presbyterian Church was packed with former players, including six of Banks' fellow Hall of Famers, and its walls echoed with beautiful music from soloist Opal Staples and Calvin Bridges' Chicago Praise Ensemble. There were no hollow platitudes spoken; just a stream of loving anecdotes about one of Chicago's greatest icons.

"A few days ago Ernie made his transition into immortality," Rev. Jesse Jackson said. "We were shocked and pained, yet grateful. A flow of adjectives seek to describe him -- this human phenomenon, a source of pride, a bridge builder, healer, odds buster, dream maker. [He] disarmed adversaries with optimism. He branded goodwill."

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel got it right when he referred to Banks as "summer personified," and so did MLB executive vice president of baseball operations Joe Torre when he compared Banks with , whom he managed to four World Series championships with the Yankees.

"What I learned [from Jeter] was when your best player is willing to dive into the stands to get an out, it sets the tone for everyone else," Torre said. "That was Ernie Banks."

But who was Banks, really? Where did he get his "let's play two" demeanor and his ever-present smile? What was his inspiration? That's the age-old question.

"He never did have a mean streak in his body," fellow Hall of Famer Billy Williams said. "He'd go on a baseball field [yapping], and guys would ask me, 'Is he always like this?' I'd say, 'From the moment he'd get up in the morning until late at night.'"

Banks, whose memorial service came on what would have been his 84th birthday, was properly remembered as a pioneer by Jackson, who called him "a Chicago Cubs experiment that worked."

The second of 12 children born to Eddie and Essie Banks in Dallas, Banks became the first African-American to play for the Cubs in 1953 and won back-to-back MVP Awards in '58 and '59.

"He saw his pain and rejection, but he did not internalize it," said Jackson, who was at Wrigley Field in 1970, when Banks hit his 500th career home run. "He had a higher vision. On his journey he processed pain with joy and faith, the [ever-present] smile. We're not here today because Ernie died. We're here because he lived."

Banks had picked cotton with his father as a child and spent most of his playing career with the Cubs in a house near 82nd and Rhodes in the neighborhood of Chatham, far south of Wrigley Field, due to race-based housing covenants. But Banks chose to touch lives with his time and example, drawing on his skill and natural talents, rather than directly participate in Civil Rights causes.

"He experienced segregation in Dallas and Chicago," Jackson said. "He carried the weight of a social transformer, seemingly effortlessly. His joy came from the internal resolution and confidence. He was convinced hatred and racism were absolutely wrong. He used excellence and a smile as weapons. In the face of adversity he always got better, and never bitter."

Commissioner Emeritus says that baseball's proudest moment came when promoted Jackie Robinson to the Dodgers in 1947, integrating the Major Leagues. Even though Philip Wrigley did not bring Banks and second baseman to Chicago until '53, he was still ahead of the societal curve.

"One year before the Brown v. the Board of Education Supreme Court decision, there was Ernie Banks, before there was a in our consciousness," Jackson said. "Before Dr. [Martin Luther] King and entered the fire, there was an Ernie Banks. Those of us behind the Cotton Curtain in the Deep South pulled for him and hoped with him for every hit."

Baseball proved to be one of America's great equalizers, and remains that today.

"Whether you are Japanese, South American, Latin American, African-American or white American, baseball is democratized by its rules," Jackson said. "No matter who you are, it's 60 feet [6 inches] from the pitcher's mound to home plate, 90 feet to the base."

Banks hated leaving the Negro League's Kansas City Monarchs when owner Tom Baird sold him and a teammate (pitcher ) to the Cubs, but Monarchs manager Buck O'Neil and some older teammates explained that he had a calling.

Joey Banks, one of Ernie's 55-year-old twin sons, said thanks on Saturday to O'Neil "for changing a caterpillar into a butterfly." But while Banks' ability to make others smile seemed something in his DNA, it was also the product of a way he had determined to live.

"I once asked him how he handled being thrown at sometimes or calls he felt were unfair," Jackson said. "He said, 'Umpires call the balls, I hit the strikes.' We are often shaped by our environment. Ernie helped shape his environment. He was not a thermometer that reflected the temperature. He was a thermostat that controlled the temperature.

"Born in an environment he did not control, he was full of poison smoke. Often people die from second-hand smoke because they become like the environment. He never internalized the smoke. He kept smiling and changed the environment."

While the Cubs never won the World Series that was the stuff of Banks' dreams, a moment that might have caused Banks to be carried off the field, he has been immortalized as one of Chicago's all-time heroes because of his steadfast, optimistic presence across parts of seven decades.

"Champions hit the timely home runs; they round [the bases] on other people's shoulders," Jackson said. "But in the case of a hero, people ride on the hero's shoulders. We rode on Ernie's shoulders."

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Cubs.com Large crowd turns out for Banks' visitation service By Cash Kruth

CHICAGO -- Thousands of Cubs fans took their turn standing in front of the altar Friday at Chicago's Fourth Presbyterian Church, paying their respects to the greatest and most beloved Cub of all time.

Ernie Banks -- Hall of Famer, "Mr. Cub" and possessor of a childlike zest for baseball and life until his dying day -- was remembered during a public visitation at the church on 126 East Chestnut St. from noon-8 p.m. CT.

Banks died Jan. 23 of a heart attack. He was 83.

"He's one of those individuals you think is going to live forever. That's what he personified," Cubs Hall of Famer Andre Dawson said. "Life goes on. But we'll always have Ernie on our mind."

That was apparent as fans and former teammates spent their time reflecting and mourning in front of Banks' casket -- closed and covered by a blue pinstriped flag featuring his name and No. 14, with a large portrait sitting behind it.

"It brings back a lot of memories," former teammate Glenn Beckert said. "I've been going through these memories since he passed away."

Former teammate and close friend Billy Williams said it took seeing Banks in the casket to realize he was truly gone. The times they shared, however, remain.

"I was sitting there a few minutes ago just thinking about the joy and the time we had," Williams said. "And when I went up to view the casket, it brought back a lot of memories, memories that we had together for so many years."

#MrCub once said, "Loyalty and friendship, which is to me the same, created all the wealth that I've ever thought I'd have." - Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) January 30, 2015

Numerous fans can recite the stats that made Banks a Hall of Famer. But even more can draw upon the stories and encounters they heard or shared with Banks -- the "Let's play two!" cheers, the bright smile and down-to-earth kindness -- that made him the revered figure he continues to be.

"Obviously he played 19 years as a Cub, hit 512 home runs as a Cub. But those numbers don't really matter as much as that he was a kind, generous man, who had time for everybody," Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said. "He just meant so much to everyone. The reason that Ernie was so well-loved is because he gave that love right back. He had time for everyone. He was a special person who became a great person by doing nothing other than being himself."

That meant Banks playing the game he loved, always talking -- former teammate Fergie Jenkins said he called Banks "'AM and FM' ... because you couldn't turn him off" -- and not leaving until the final autograph seeker was satisfied.

That was the person being remembered Friday by thousands. And it's that person who will never be forgotten in the hearts and minds of Cubs fans.

"Baseball lost a great icon," Jenkins said. "Especially the Cubs, Mr. Cub. There's not going to be another Mr. Cub. And that's too bad."

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Cubs.com Mr. Cub gone but never forgotten By Phil Rogers

CHICAGO -- in winter, Fergie Jenkins and two of his former teammates, gray-haired Glenn Beckert and Jose Cardenal, sharp in a black leather jacket, settled into the third row of pews at Fourth Presbyterian Church on Friday afternoon.

They were not in a hurry.

Before them lay the casket of Ernie Banks, a beloved teammate and friend. It was dressed with a pinstriped No. 14 flag that flies from the left-field foul pole on summer days at Wrigley Field and a portrait of the handsome Banks, taken when he was young.

When they were young.

For a few minutes, Jenkins, Beckert and Cardenal were quiet. Then one would turn to the other and say something, and all three would smile. The pattern repeated itself for almost an hour as the three old Chicago Cubs sat and watched a stream of heavily dressed men and women walk by, some wearing team jackets and the old cap with that classic red "C."

Finally one of them declared it time to go, and they walked toward the back of the church and out onto North Michigan Avenue.

"We're going to miss him, but that's life, guys," Cardenal said. "We're all going to die sooner or later. He's in a great place now with God. I'm happy for him now."

Tears will be shed in Chicago on Saturday morning, when the greatest Cub is officially laid to rest in a funeral service before he's given one last ride past Wrigley. But there was little to grieve during an eight-hour visitation, as fans and friends remembered Banks, who died Jan. 23 of a heart attack.

There was sadness, sure, but little regret. Banks, who broke the color barrier with the Cubs, was remembered for a remarkable lifetime in which he carried himself like the dalai lama, his smile always belying the talent that allowed him to hit 40-plus home runs in five seasons, the only ones ever by a National League shortstop.

"My emotions are pretty much the same as the people who are walking out the door," Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said. "It's just a loss."

When Chicagoans walked away from Banks' closed casket, the only lament consistently voiced was that Banks had never seen the Cubs play in a World Series. He was a teenager in Dallas when they last won the , in 1945, and after joining the Cubs in '53, he went to bed most nights dreaming of a championship on the North Side of Chicago.

With Ricketts and his architect, Theo Epstein, collecting more young talent than any organization in the Majors, there's hope that the Cubs might just win the last game one October in the not too distant future. But they'll have to do it without Mr. Cub.

"With all the people we've lost -- the Ernies and the Ron [Santos], the Harry Carays and [Jack] Brickhouses, all the great people associated with the organization -- there's always that 'didn't quite win the World Series' sadness that goes along with it," Ricketts said. "We can't do anything about that. Obviously it would have been nice to keep Ernie with us until we could deliver that, but we'll do our best. He'll be in our spirits."

Before the Cubs get on with their future, they must lay to rest a gigantic piece of the past. It was fitting that the funeral is being held at Fourth Presbyterian, a church that was dedicated on Oct. 8, 1871.

Historians will note that was the day the Great Chicago Fire began. It would burn for three days, killing about 300 people and destroying about 3.3 square miles, including the land that Fourth Presbyterian was on. The church was rebuilt and opened again in 1874, and almost 40 years later relocated to its current location.

Chicago has always been a city of hope and good intentions, and like Fourth Presbyterian, the Cubs epitomize that history of faith and resilience. Banks was the perfect spokesman for the brand, as fellow Hall of Famer Andre Dawson quickly came to realize after signing that "blank check" contract with the Cubs before the 1987 season.

"We lost a big one," Dawson said on Friday. "He's one of those individuals you think is going to live forever. That's what he personified. Life goes on. But we'll always have Ernie on our mind."

On the last weekend of Banks' career, playing the Phillies at Wrigley Field, Sport Magazine's Paul Hemphill asked Banks why he was always so kind. Banks didn't explain himself but confirmed that his outlook was intentional. "I always looked at everybody as if they had an invisible sign on their back saying, 'Please Handle With Care,'" Banks said.

Thank you, #Cubs fans, for helping us honor this great man. #MrCub pic..com/QAddwH8gjM - Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) January 30, 2015

One of those people was U.S. congressman Mike Quigley, who represents Lakeview, the Chicago neighborhood with Wrigley Field at its center. He remembers getting Banks' autograph in 1968, when he was on a Park District trip to a game.

"He treated everybody, whether they were a congressman or a 10-year-old fan, the same way -- like they were the most important person, the most important fan at Wrigley Field," Quigley said. "It was extraordinary. You'd sit there [in line] and think, 'I hope he gets to me.' There were 50 people in line. He stayed and was incredibly kind and enthusiastic to everyone there. Made you want to come back to Wrigley Field. Ernie Banks and Wrigley Field were intertwined. He'd talk about playing before God's lights, not night games. How much that meant to him. We've lost an extraordinary gift to the city of Chicago."

Sen. Dick Durbin recommended Banks for the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which Barack Obama presented to him in a 2013 ceremony. Durbin, like the thousands of others who walked past the casket on Friday, was beaming about his personal connection to Banks.

"As you spoke to him, clearly he was reflecting on his life, where he started, working for $7 a day in Kansas City as a baseball player in the Negro Leagues and going through that terrible period of segregation," Durbin said, recalling a reception after that ceremony. "Here he was receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from an African- American president. I'm sure, as Ernie said later, his life had come full circle to see that day."

Billy Williams, one of Banks' three Hall of Fame teammates from 's teams in the late , was one of the first to walk past the casket on Friday. He passed through on his way to lunch, before doors opened to the public.

He said that the shrine to his friend pounded home the sad finality of a life ending. But it won't take the smile off his face talking about Banks, at least not for long.

"In [my house], on the wall, there's a saying from Abraham Lincoln from many, many years ago," Williams said. "It says, 'It's not the years in a life, but it's the life in those years.' And when I read that, I thought about my good friend Ernie Banks, because in those years he spent here on earth he made a lot of people happy. ... It's tough to believe he's gone, but Ernie, may you rest in peace."

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Cubs.com Ricketts pays respects to Mr. Cub at visitation By Phil Rogers

CHICAGO -- Like the head of a family who has lost a loved one, Tom Ricketts stood vigil at the back of Fourth Presbyterian Church early Friday afternoon, as an eight-hour public visitation for Ernie Banks was beginning.

Ricketts shook hands, patted backs and talked about life without Mr. Cub.

"My emotions are pretty much the same as the people who are walking out the door," Ricketts said. "It's just a loss. ... We loved Ernie very much. We all miss him."

Ricketts, the Cubs' chairman who met his wife in the Wrigley Field bleachers, will be one of many people to speak at Banks' funeral on Saturday. He'll speak from his heart about one of the greatest assets any franchise ever could count on.

"The thing that's pretty amazing is, with Ernie, you had to work to get him to talk about himself," Ricketts said. "You would say, 'How are you today?' He'd say, 'I'm fine. How are you? Where do your parents live? Are they alive?' There were so many people who met Ernie for the first time and realized walking away that they spent the whole time talking about themselves. They never even got to baseball. ... The humility, the decency." To Ricketts, baseball statistics are a small part of Banks' story.

"Obviously he played 19 years as a Cub, hit 512 home runs as a Cub," Ricketts said. "But those numbers don't really matter as much as that he was a kind, generous man who had time for everybody. He just meant so much to everyone. The reason that Ernie was so well loved is because that he gave that love right back. ... He was a special person who became a great person by doing nothing other than being himself."

Ricketts said the Cubs will honor Banks' memory throughout the 2015 season. He said the team hasn't yet set those plans, which are expected to include uniform patches and perhaps a special Ernie Banks Day when the team plays a .

"We don't have it finalized," Ricketts said. "We have a lot of good suggestions, ways to honor Ernie during the season."

Banks' death last Friday from a heart attack comes at a time that the team is expected to become a perennial contender, with a wealth of young hitters and increased resources through renovations at Wrigley Field.

"With all the people we've lost -- the Ernies and the Ron [Santos], the Harry Carays and [Jack] Brickhouses, all the great people associated with the organization -- there's always that 'didn't quite win the World Series' sadness that goes along with it," Ricketts said. "We can't do anything about that. Obviously it would have been nice to keep Ernie with us until we could deliver that, but we'll do our best. He'll be in our spirits."

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Cubs.com Williams reflects on joyful memories of Banks By Cash Kruth

CHICAGO -- Billy Williams stood in front of his old friend Friday morning at Chicago's Fourth Presbyterian Church, where thousands of Chicagoans and Cubs fans came to pay tribute to Ernie Banks.

Williams, Banks' teammate of 13 seasons and a dear friend, stood silently at the front of the church where Banks' body lay in a closed casket, covered with a blue pinstriped flag featuring his name and No. 14. It was then, Williams said, he truly realized his close friend was gone.

Banks, a Hall of Famer and Mr. Cub, died Jan. 23 of a heart attack. He was 83.

"I know that I was sitting there a few minutes ago just thinking about the joy and the time we had," Williams said. "And when I went up to view the casket, it brought back a lot of memories, memories that we had together for so many years."

Williams and many others paid their respects to Banks on Friday at Fourth Presbyterian Church, 126 East Chestnut Street. The public visitation was to be held from noon-8 p.m. CT.

Williams said he had been trying to get in contact with Banks for about a week. He had left a couple of messages because, "for some reason, he was on my mind."

Then Williams received the call.

"I went to sleep and when I woke up that morning, I said, 'This is a dream. This is a dream,'" Williams said.

Williams and Banks were more than teammates. The two Hall of Famers also roomed together in Spring Training and shared almost all of their major career milestones together. Williams fondly recalled being there for Banks' 500th career home run, the phone conversation after Banks was elected to the Hall of Fame and being present when Banks received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013.

"I think back and I said, 'Well, I was with Ernie for some of his greatest moments,'" Williams said. "And I really enjoyed that."

The statistics and awards -- no matter how historic or impressive -- represent just a small part of who Banks was. His infectious personality, kindness and genuine love for the game of baseball and life is what made him so beloved, and they are the same traits that will make him so missed.

Williams mentioned the famous Abraham Lincoln quote: "In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."

That, Williams says, perfectly sums up Banks' life.

"When I read that, I thought about my good friend, Ernie Banks," Williams said, "because in those years he spent here on Earth, he made a lot of people happy."

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ESPNChicago.com Baseball says goodbye to Mr. Cub By Jesse Rogers

CHICAGO -- It was never going to be a somber occasion. How could it be? The baseball world gathered to remember one of the most positive, happy and kind-hearted players ever to don a Chicago Cubs uniform. The memorial for Ernie Banks on Saturday morning in Chicago was most definitely a celebration of his life and friendly attitude.

“Ernie has been the cornerstone not only of the Chicago Cubs, but the city of Chicago,” former teammate Billy Williams said. “And those that have met Ernie still remember the joyous smile he had.”

Speaker after speaker reminded the crowd of baseball and political dignitaries, along with hundreds of fans in attendance and many more watching on television, that Banks was always what he appeared to be: happy-go- lucky with an ever positive attitude about life and the Cubs.

Almost every remembrance came with one of his famous sayings, most notably, "Let's play two."

When Williams spoke, he immediately lightened the mood with personal memories of Banks as a roommate for two-and-a-half months -- "I had to get out of there" -- to the final words of his speech, which he knew Ernie would appreciate.

“The Cubs will win as a team ... in 2015,” Williams said in a Banks-esque tone.

That drew loud applause in the previously quiet church. By the time Reverend Jesse Jackson asked the audience to rise and clap for Banks, on what would have been his 84th birthday, any semblance of a somber tone was dismissed.

“Ernie walked up to you as if he knew you for years,” Williams said.

Cubs owner Tom Ricketts added: “Never in time have numbers fallen so short in describing the true greatness of a baseball player. Ernie Banks was known as much for his off-the-field demeanor as his on-the-field performance.”

Listening and watching from the front of Fourth Presbyterian Church were many baseball greats, including Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, Reggie Jackson and Lou Brock. Other current and former Cubs and team employees attending included Kerry Wood, Jim Hendry, Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer, John McDonough, Glenn Beckert and Randy Hundley. All got an opportunity to remember Mr. Cub for the player and person he was.

“Ernie Banks was living proof that you don’t have to wear a championship ring on your finger in order to be a pillar of baseball and a champion in life,” Joe Torre said in representing Major League Baseball at the ceremony. “He made the confines of Wrigley Field friendly, he made the Cubs lovable, and he was one of the pivotal people during a vital time in our history who made a great game worthy of being our national pastime.”

Banks still holds the major league record for the most regular-season games played (2,528) without a postseason appearance. That says much more about the Cubs than it does about Banks. Despite the team's futility, he became known as Mr. Cub.

In 1969, the Cubs had a very good team but famously faded down the stretch. Even then, Banks kept his positive attitude.

“He would say, ‘It’s a good day for two,’” Williams recalled with a smile. “We could hardly get through one, we were so tired.”

The stories continued, alternating between Banks' abilities on the field and his friendly demeanor off it.

“In 1957, there were four pitchers that had the courage to knock him down,” Torre recalled. “Each and every one of those times, he got up and the next pitch, hit a home run.”

“When we played the Cardinals, Bob Gibson was pitching that day," Williams said. “And Bob came out of the clubhouse -- he’s mean already. And Ernie would be around the batting cage and say, ‘Billy is going to hit a home run off of you today.’ I would say, ‘Ernie, don’t make him meaner.’”

His proudest moment mIGHT have come in 2013, when President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In return, Banks gave Obama a very symbolic gift.

“Standing there in the White House, he held a bat that belonged to Jackie Robinson,” Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel recalled. “And he handed it to America’s first black president. It was a passing of the torch, across generations, and Ernie Banks was the bridge.”

Time and again, his selfless attitude came up. Banks was the teammate, as both friend and foe recognized.

“He didn’t want to be a star,” former pitcher Ferguson Jenkins said. “He wanted to be a teammate. You play for the name on the front, not the name on the back,” Banks would say.

Torre added: “For 12 years, I had the good fortune of managing a young man named Derek Jeter. What I learned was that when your best player is willing to dive into the stands to get an out, he sets the tone for everyone else. That was Ernie Banks.”

After retirement, Banks was a fixture at Wrigley Field but rarely wanted to talk about himself, according to many who met and got to know him. He liked to have fun with people and was always trying to play matchmaker.

“Heaven forbid there were two single people in the room ... ‘Why don’t you two get married?’” Ricketts recalled Banks saying often.

A Hall of Fame player, a positive spirit and a friendly demeanor can only begin to summarize what people thought of Banks. On Saturday, the stories told and the memories recalled reminded baseball fans everywhere why he was known as Mr. Cub. It was for more than just hitting home runs.

“Ernie Banks is not Mr. Cub because we loved him,” Ricketts said. “Ernie Banks is Mr. Cub because he loved us back.”

The memorial ended with his twin sons, Jerry and Joey, asking everyone in the church to chant one last time. Joey counted down from 3-2-1.

“Let’s play two.”

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