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Good morning!
Monday, Jan 26, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller * Like many kids around my age who grew up in the Chicago media market, I was glued to the TV when Ernie Banks hit his 500th home run… I was as ecstatic as Jack Brickhouse. What a moment! I jumped up and down all over my grandparents’ living room. * I was thinking the day he died that I always thought Ernie Banks was simply a great ballplayer. I grew up on a farm outside Clifton at the time. The closest African-Americans were in Kankakee, a 20-mile drive. It wasn’t until I grew up that I learned more about his early days as the Cubs’ first black player and began to think of him in that context. The innocence of youth. I wish we all had more of that. * Secretary of State Jesse White’s statement…
* Let’s start our day with Pearl Jam at Wrigley Field, with a special guest…
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- I B Strapped - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 8:38 am:
Hey, I’m a die hard Cardinal fan. Having said that, as a young man I also watched Ernie Banks play baseball and live his life as a positive, respectful and happy human being.
We could use more Ernie Banks like human beings in and out of baseball. RIP Mr Banks…..
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 8:46 am:
Nicely done with Peal Jam and Ernie.
Probably shook Ernie’s hand about half dozen times during past Opening Days over the years.
Going to miss him.
- 32nd Ward Roscoe Village - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 8:49 am:
Driving in this morning, I listened to the bit on WBEZ where they replay an interview with Ernie Banks. It is definitely worth a listen, especially where he talks about his goal at age 15 had been to win the Nobel Peace Prize. A gem.
- William j Kelly - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 8:57 am:
Wow, that is enough to make even a hard core southsider say, “Go all the way, Cubs. Go all the way!”
- Stones - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 8:58 am:
I’m a Sox fan but Ernie Banks was a Chicago icon - respected by both sides of town.
When I started watching him he was already playing first base. I never really got to see him playing short stop. One thing that always struck me about him was that he was rather thin and didn’t really look like a power hitter in the mold of other ballplayers of his era. Still, 512 home runs and 2 consecutive MVP’s speaks for itself. RIP Mr. Banks.
- Rowdy Yates - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:12 am:
I am in my late 60s. As a kid I was a Cubs fan just like my dad and my grandfather were. My dad took me to Wrigley Field to see my first ball game when I was about 10 years old. While at the game Dad bought me an autographed baseball with all of the Cubs players signatures on it including my favorite Ernie Banks.
Ernie Banks was Mr. Cubs and Walter Payton was Mr. Bears. These two guys exuded what youngsters wanted to soak up like little sponges. Both Ernie and Walter were Chicago icons, both were “gentlemen” both on and off of the field, and Chicago and Illinois could not have had two more beloved icons to represent Chicago around the world to young kids. Thank you to the Ernie Banks and Walter Payton families for sharing these two Illinois treasures with the rest of us. They will never be gone because their memory will always be in the hearts of the people of Illinois.
- WTF - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:15 am:
I’m a lifelong fan who learned more about the man in the last few days. This was a great piece:http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20150124/sports/150129294/
- Wordslinger - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:27 am:
Ernie was such a sweet guy for so long that it’s overlooked some times what a whale of a ball player he was.
He walked with the giants in the 50s and 60s, baseball’s Golden Era, when an influx of talent from the Negro Leagues truly made MLB The Show.
In his MVP years, Ernie was a nifty-glove, power-hitting shortstop on a lousy team who beat out guys like Mays, Aaron, Robinson and Musial.
That’s some pretty tall cotton.
- Elo Kiddies - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:28 am:
Seriously, Rich, you need a “like” button on your site.
- Vote Quimby! - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:37 am:
Thanks Rich for allowing this tribute to Mr. Cub on your site. He transcended a single team.
- Pot calling kettle - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:41 am:
Lifelong White Sox fan, but I got to meet Ernie Banks a couple of times at January baseball dinners back in the 70’s. A very nice guy, always had positive things to say. One Cub I liked and respected.
- DuPage Dave - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 7:14 pm:
May 12, 1970 was a Tuesday, so most kids in Illinois were in school when the game started at 1:30 that afternoon. Not many fans of any age were present, with only 5,264 tickets sold.
- West Side the Best Side - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:42 pm:
As you can guess from the name a Westsider could go either way, but my father was a Sox fan, so I was a Sox fan. But Ernie Banks was about the classiest guy in baseball ever. He was a true credit to his race - that being the human race. Life will go on for all of us, but we should all hope to be half the man he was and life in general would be so much more civil and kinder for all. And if our work ethic could be “Let’s play two today” so much the better for that.
- Wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 27, 15 @ 8:57 am:
FWIW, the pitcher Ernie hit the most home runs off of — 15 — was fellow HOFer and Springfield Lanphier High’s own Robin Roberts.
Gotta be careful with deep dives into baseballreference.com. Easy to get in, hard to get out.