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Banks remembered as one beloved by all

 
Published Jan. 25, 2015

CHICAGO — To Cubs fans, Ernie Banks was sunshine that cut through decades of darkness. To baseball players, he was the spirit of the game.

His teammates loved him, and his list of admirers included President Barack Obama, Pearl Jam and athletes from all over the sports world. And they all got the same person, all the time.

"Ernie was exactly what you saw," said Don Kessinger, 72, a shortstop who played with Banks in the 1960s. "He was a great ballplayer, a great teammate and a great friend."

What everyone saw included 512 homers in a 19-year career that put him in the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. But perhaps more importantly, what everyone appreciated was "Mr. Cub," an always positive attitude that sparked a stream of tributes after Banks' death Friday at age 83.

"I know he was Mr. Cub, but he was really Mr. Baseball," White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf said Saturday. "He was really a great, great ambassador for the game."

A makeshift memorial outside Wrigley Field on Saturday included flowers, a Banks bobble­head and pictures of the slugger with fans. A No. 14 jersey was draped over one part of a small fence with the inscription "Let's play two," then "Not without you" written under his iconic line.

Another small green sign read "Say 'Holy Cow' to Harry and Ron for us," referring to broadcaster Harry Caray's famous saying and Ron Santo, another former Cubs player and broadcaster who passed away in 2010.

Linda O'Brien, 54, a pharmacy tech from nearby Oak Lawn, said she met Banks a couple of times.

"He was just so nice," she said. "The one time when I got his autograph at the Cubs convention, he was making everybody do exercises in line. I thought that was pretty funny."

The Cubs will certainly spend the upcoming season honoring Banks, right from the start. The 2015 major-league opener is at Wrigley Field, a Sunday night game on April 5 against St. Louis.

In a statement, Obama and first lady Michelle Obama expressed their condolences "to the family of Ernie Banks, and to every Chicagoan and baseball fan who loved him." The president said Banks became known as much for his optimism and love of the game as his home runs and back-to-back National League MVPs.

"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," Obama said. "And in 2013, it was my honor to present Ernie with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

"Somewhere, the sun is shining, the air is fresh, his team's behind him, and Mr. Class — Mr. Cub — is ready to play two."

Banks was playing for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues when the Cubs discovered him in 1953 and purchased his contract for $10,000. He made his major-league debut at shortstop on Sept. 17 that year — he was the Cubs' first black player.

Hall of Fame umpire Doug Harvey said Banks was equally positive around umps. Banks, in fact, never was ejected from a game.

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"He wasn't a griper. Never complained about a strike or an out or a call," Harvey, 84, said. "Some guys would turn their heads after a pitch and look at you like you were nuts. Not Ernie. It was always, 'Isn't this a great day to be alive and playing baseball?' "

Around the majors

A-ROD, COMMISH MEET: The Yankees' Alex Rodriguez met with new commissioner Rob Manfred at Major League Baseball's Manhattan headquarters last week in an apparent goodwill gesture, the New York Post reported. Rodriguez is returning from a yearlong suspension.

NO DEAL: Talks between the Brewers and Phillies over a trade that would have sent closer Jonathan Papelbon to Milwaukee have broken down, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. The snag involved how much money Philadelphia would include in the deal.

A'S: Infielder Eric Sogard reached a $1,075,000, one-year contract to avoid arbitration, and left-hander Fernando Abad agreed to a one-year, $1,087,500 deal.

TWINS: Left-hander Brian Duensing agreed to a $2.7 million, one-year deal to avoid arbitration.

WHITE SOX: Six-time NL steals champion Vince Coleman was named baserunning instructor.