He's dead, Jim.

[The Rube]

Re: He's dead, Jim.

Let's play two. RIP, Ernie.

[Spartanforlife4]

Re: He's dead, Jim.

Let's play two. RIP, Ernie.

He sang Take Me Out To The Ballgame at my first game at Wrigley last year. RIP.

[FreshFish]

Re: He's dead, Jim.

Mr. Cub Ernie Banks

Sports Illustrated eulogy here:

http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/01/24/ern...s-chicago-cubs

I was at Wrigley Field when he hit his 510th career home run. At that time, he was chasing Mel Ott on the all-time home run leaderboard, who at 511 was then 7th among National Leaguers (5th if you only count home runs hit while playing in National League since Frank Robinson and Ed Matthews played in both leagues). He finished his career with 512, tied for 6th (or 4th) on the career list at that time, 1 ahead of Ott and tied with Matthews.

I don't ever remember him at shortstop, where he won two consecutive MVP awards playing for second-to-last-place teams (!); he was already at first base when I was a kid.

[DrDemento]

Re: He's dead, Jim.

FF: I must be getting old-I remember him very well at shortstop. Although well respected and getting significant publicity and accolades, I often wondered how they would have portrayed him if he played for a New York Team? He may have been Mr. Cub, but I suspect he would have been King of New York. Just a great ball player who seemed to make it look effortless and easy.

[CLS]

Re: He's dead, Jim.

FF: I must be getting old-I remember him very well at shortstop. Although well respected and getting significant publicity and accolades, I often wondered how they would have portrayed him if he played for a New York Team? He may have been Mr. Cub, but I suspect he would have been King of New York. Just a great ball player who seemed to make it look effortless and easy.

Also, if he had played for the Yankees, he would have won about 20 World Series, like he deserved.

Also Peggy Charren, 86. My children had a much better television viewing experience than I did, thanks largely to her.

[Old Pio]

Re: He's dead, Jim.

THE hero of my boyhood is gone. I have tears in my eyes as I write this. If you weren't a Cubs fan you can't possibly understand what Ernie meant to us. Sure, the Cubs were generally lousy. But we had Ernie Banks. He had a five or six year period where he was the leading home run hitter in the bigs. Set fielding records to go along with the homers. Had one season with FIVE grand slams! And always, always, that gentle, sincere optimism. Not just about the Cubs or baseball, but life in general. A lovely human being about whom I've never read or heard a negative word. One of the great wrist hitters. A writer once noted that Ernie didn't hit the ball further than some guys--but they got there quicker.

Opening day, 1969. Ernie was 39 and coming to the end, with arthritis in his knees. First at bat: monstrous standing ovation. He responded with a three run homer. Second at bat. Another standing O. Another 3 run dinger. Third at bat. Standing ovation. An RBI double. Fourth at bat. Standing ovation. A single. Not a bad day's work for an old guy: 4 for 4, 7 RBI.

The following year was Ernie's last. I'm in the AF, listening to the Cubs against the Cardinals on KMOX. Bob Gibson pitching. Ernie hits two gigantic upper deck shots and Jack Buck goes out of his mind: (I paraphrase) "Arthritic knees my a*s. This guy's been killing us for years."

All you need to know about Ernie Banks' baseball career you'll find in these two data points; More home runs than Gehrig, more RBI than Mantle. A great player and outstanding man are gone. But what joy he brought to thousands of baseball fans over the years. What standards he set for decency, modesty and integrity. Rest well, Mr. Cub. And thanks.

[unofan]

Re: He's dead, Jim.

Well crap. This weekend officially sucks now.

[DrDemento]

Re: He's dead, Jim.

The following year was Ernie's last. I'm in the AF, listening to the Cubs against the Cardinals on KMOX. Bob Gibson pitching. Ernie hits two gigantic upper deck shots and Jack Buck goes out of his mind: (I paraphrase) "Arthritic knees my a*s. This guy's been killing us for years."

I was not a Cubs fan, but I was also not an anti Cubs fan. I was, however, an Ernie Banks fan. Just thought he was so smooth out there. But i must say, if he hit two off Bob Gibson, I can guarantee you the next time up at the plate, Gibby would try to put one in his left ear.

[Old Pio]

Re: He's dead, Jim.

I was not a Cubs fan, but I was also not an anti Cubs fan. I was, however, an Ernie Banks fan. Just thought he was so smooth out there. But i must say, if he hit two off Bob Gibson, I can guarantee you the next time up at the plate, Gibby would try to put one in his left ear.

What Gale Sayers once said of Dick Butkus also applies to Gibson: "He came to play." Doc, you're old enough to remember what "second division" meant. And you just have to imagine the gargantuan years Ernie had to earn back to back MVP's for a losing club. In one of those seasons he set what were then major league records: .985 fielding percentage and 12 errors. He couldn't make all the plays that Ozzie could (then again neither could anyone else) but he made the plays he was supposed to make, day in and day out. It wasn't until late in his career that the Cubs had some other guys (Billy Williams, Ron Santo) capable of protecting him. Like how Mantle protected Maris. For most of his career in Chicago he was Moby Dick in a goldfish bowl.

That business about playing for the Yankees recalled the time a fraternity brother compared Ernie with Joe Pepitone, suggesting they were about the same. I replied the key difference was that Pepitone was working on 500 major league hits while Ernie was working on 500 major league homers. 7/11 once had a promotion for slurpee cups with major leaguers on them and referred in a commercial to "super star Tom Tresh." Yeah, right.

Ernie is on one of the most exclusive lists in major league baseball: guys with 1000 career extra base hits.

http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/107316594/undefined

[SteveP]

Re: He's dead, Jim.

Canadian figure skater Toller Cranston, 65. He put the flam in flamboyant.

Legendary figure skater Toller Cranston, a six-time national champion whose unique artistic vision forever changed the sport, has died. He was 65.

Cranston, who won bronze medals at the 1974 world championships in Munich and the 1976 Innsbruck Olympics, died at his home in Mexico from an apparent heart attack, a Skate Canada spokesperson said Saturday.

[burd]

Re: He's dead, Jim.

What Gale Sayers once said of Dick Butkus also applies to Gibson: "He came to play." Doc, you're old enough to remember what "second division" meant. And you just have to imagine the gargantuan years Ernie had to earn back to back MVP's for a losing club. In one of those seasons he set what were then major league records: .985 fielding percentage and 12 errors. He couldn't make all the plays that Ozzie could (then again neither could anyone else) but he made the plays he was supposed to make, day in and day out. It wasn't until late in his career that the Cubs had some other guys (Billy Williams, Ron Santo) capable of protecting him. Like how Mantle protected Maris. For most of his career in Chicago he was Moby Dick in a goldfish bowl.

That business about playing for the Yankees recalled the time a fraternity brother compared Ernie with Joe Pepitone, suggesting they were about the same. I replied the key difference was that Pepitone was working on 500 major league hits while Ernie was working on 500 major league homers. 7/11 once had a promotion for slurpee cups with major leaguers on them and referred in a commercial to "super star Tom Tresh." Yeah, right.

Ernie is on one of the most exclusive lists in major league baseball: guys with 1000 career extra base hits.

http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/107316594/undefined

I heard the boys on SCORE radio saying yesterday that Banks hit five grand slams in only his second season with the Cubs. FIVE???

[Old Pio]

Re: He's dead, Jim.

I heard the boys on SCORE radio saying yesterday that Banks hit five grand slams in only his second season with the Cubs. FIVE???

There was an absolute, never ending love affair between Cubs fans and Ernie. And five grand salamis in one season was just part of the reason. Five was the major league record for a long time. I think Mattingly broke it. Still, five in one season is mind blowing. It'll be interesting to see how the Cubs remember him this coming season. Coincidentally, his statue outside Wrigley has been removed for restoration and was scheduled to be repositioned for opening day. Obviously some sort of "14" on the uniforms. A pennant with his number already flies atop one of the flag poles. Ernie was given the only "day" for an active Cub (I was there). Writers are a cynical bunch and more than one has written since he passed wondering whether that Ernie persona and enthusiasm and optimism were genuine. And they have all concluded it was. He drove Durocher crazy.

One of my favorite Cubs memories came in '68. They were playing the Reds on a Sunday. Ernie had been spiked at first in Saturday's game was in the WGN booth. 40K people at the game. Cubs win. Mets beat St. Louis in New York and the Cubs move into first place, in the middle of July. And about 35K of us wouldn't leave until the guys in the scoreboard lowered the pennants and moved the Cubs' pennant into first place. Ernie was nearly in tears (may have been, for all I know). Like a kid on Christmas morning. It was sweet.