The great Ernie Banks is dead

[malaise]

Thanks President Obama - Ernie was great on and off the field


On Saturday, the president and his wife, Michelle, joined the rest world in paying tribute and saying goodbye to the American sports icon by releasing the following statement:

Michelle and I send our condolences to the family of Ernie Banks, and to every Chicagoan and baseball fan who loved him.

Ernie came up through the Negro Leagues, making $7 a day. He became the first African-American to play for the Chicago Cubs, and the first number the team retired. Along the way, he became known as much for his 512 home runs and back-to-back National League MVPs as for his cheer, his optimism, and his love of the game. As a Hall-of-Famer, Ernie was an incredible ambassador for baseball, and for the city of Chicago. 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. 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.

Also on Saturday morning, Cubs have started a makeshift memorial to Ernie Banks outside Wrigley Field.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/president-obama-says-goodbye-to-cubs-legend-ernie-banks-170342372.html

[HereSince1628]

1. I'm gonna wear a black bar across the C on my cap this year...

Banks was already playing 1st base when I became conscious of him.

I had no awareness of how he broke the color barrier for sports in Chicago. I just loved his fingers rippling while waiting for the pitch that we always hoped would bounce on the street outside the park.

Somehow, I imagine St. Peter at the golden gate greeting him... HEY!! HEY!!

Best wishes to his family on their loss.

[malaise]

2. I had an aunt who made sure we knew about the Negro Leagues

Ernie was a great human being.

[Jetboy]

3. Enthusiasm, optimism and joy.

Seeing Ernie Banks on tv or just hearing his voice on the radio could turn a person's day around in an instant. Everything was gonna be great so very soon and heck right now is pretty good if you think about it. That's the effect Ernie had on people.

Ernie has been a hero to me my whole life and never once disappointed like so many sports stars and celebrities in general. To know him was to LOVE him. RIP Mr Cub!

[malaise]

4. Yep

Just watch the sheer joy on his face as Obama places his medal around his neck.

There are some other great athletes who did not disappoint but Ernie was special.

By the way the beloved Muhammad Ali is not doing very well. There are kidney problems on top of everything else.

[greatauntoftriplets]

5. I met him once, such a nice man.

[malaise]

6. Lucky you

I've never heard anyone say a bad thing about him

[greatauntoftriplets]

7. He was very gracious and gentlemanly.

[MoonRiver]

8. So sorry to hear this. What a wonderful man.

In Kansas City we have the Negro League Baseball Museum. It is very impressive. Ernie Banks is featured prominently there.



:http://www.nlbm.com/

[malaise]

9. Need to put that museum on my bucket list

Nice link

[MoonRiver]

24. It's in the middle of 18th and Vine the famous Jazz district of KC

It's an amazing place. Another museum there has videos of all the famous founding black jazz musicians and people who frequented that area. Man, that place really rocked back in the day! Still does have a lot of great jazz.

http://www.kcjazzdistrict.org/

[Mister Ed]

10. The greatest moment in baseball that I ever personally observed:

It was summer of '71, I think, when my dad took me to watch the Cubs play the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates. It was late in Banks' career, and although he was suited up, he was no longer in the starting lineup.

The Cubs were in a tight spot, with men on base and two outs, when they put Banks in to hit. As he strode to the plate, the crowd stood, and shook the stadium with their cheers and applause.

A hush fell over the crowd as the pitcher wound up and delivered the ball. Strike one.

Strike two, and then strike three, followed in short order. And, as Mr. Banks turned to walk back to the dugout, that crowd leapt to their feet and once again exploded in thunderous cheers and roars and applause, twice as loud as before. I swear they must have shattered every window on Sheffield Street. And they did not stop until long, long after he was once again seated in the dugout.

God, they loved that man.

[malaise]

21. Great post

I think we actually had more love and respect for genuine heroes back then

[Depaysement]

11. It's a beautiful day for a game

So let's play two today!

[malaise]

22. Those words should be on his tombstone

[rurallib]

12. My hero as a boy, one of my heroes yet today.

I didn't start learning about race until @ age 10. All I knew was that Ernie Banks was the best baseball player according to my dad.
Even as my awareness of race was shaped by society, I never thought of Banks as being of a race. Ernie Banks was baseball, and all that was good.

Banks was a great role model for us kids and as great a teammate as anyone ever had. Ernie Banks to me epitomized what a good world should be like.

Thank you Ernie. Been a fan since you came to the Cubs and will be til the day I die.

[malaise]

17. Lovely post

[Boomerproud]

13. We join Cubs Nation in mourning.

Ernie would want no tears-only smiles . I read where Bill Murray named his son Homer Banks Murray because that's what he read so many times in the box score. for a life well led.

[malaise]

19. Agreed - he would want only smiles

Thanks for that info - learn something on DU every day

[dhill926]

14. tremendous player and even better person...

never thought of him as black when I was growing up. He was just Ernie. A great early lesson on how to deal with people.

[malaise]

23. Racism is taught

kids see human beings not colors

[dhill926]

31. indeed......

[Oldtimeralso]

15. So Long Mr. Cub

I think this song is appropriate.

[malaise]

18. Indeed

[marym625]

34. Perfect post

Chicago. And they're all gone now, Steve Goodman, Jack Brickhouse and Ernie Banks.

And we're singing the blues in Chicago.

[Octafish]

16. Let's play two!

Mr. Cub loved the Game.



¡Hasta siempre, Hermano!

[malaise]

20. He sure

did. It's nice to celebrate his life in the middle of the NFL nightmares.

[Octafish]

25. I never saw him play, in-person...

...but, I feel like I know him because of announcer Jack Brickhouse. WGN broadcast Cubs games and I'd watch after-school. Guys were heros.

[msanthrope]

26. This Yankee fan joins the mourning. nt

[CanonRay]

27. 512 homers, with two years in the military and at least one with the Monarchs

how many would he have hit with those years in the big leagues? And no steroids and and a class guy to boot. I was fortunate to get to see him play many times.

[malaise]

30. You were fortunate

[GoCubsGo]

28. I am sorry, but I can't "rec" a thread that says "Ernie Banks is dead."

But, I really appreciate your posting this, malaise. We Cubs fans are really going to miss him, but take comforting believing that he's hanging out in the afterlife with his good buddy, Ronnie Santo. It's a shame he won't be around for the upcoming season, as it looks like it will be the first time in a long time that the Cubs aren't going to suck.

[malaise]

29. Well with a username like GoCubsGo, you're the real deal

Hope Cubs deliver in his memory

[ND-Dem]

32. RIP

[marym625]

33. Mr. Banks was on Bewitched once

It was a party scene. It was one of the very few times Darrin was cool with the witches. Ernie Banks was at the party and popped out after a short conversation with Darrin. Darrin says to Samantha, "Ernie Banks is a warlock!?" To which she replies something like, "You didn't think a mortal could do that? "

Tried to find the clip but can't. But he was that good.

For Mr. Banks from Chicago