Ricketts saw it before his family purchased the Cubs. But he always found a way to connect, just like a great hitter. Whether he was talking to a teammate or a fan, Banks seemed more interested in learning about the other person than he was in discussing himself.
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"He was so nice to us fans," said Acheatel, wearing a Banks jersey, plus a Cubs hat with two of his baseball cards and a pin in a protective plastic envelope attached. Longtime Cubs fan Trudie Acheatel recalled how he would walk around the ballpark talking to fans after he retired. People who did not really know Banks felt like they did. He's a guy that I will always - I will always - talk about, enjoy being his friend."īanks was not afraid to take on bigger issues, whether he was running for Chicago alderman in the 1960s or riding a Cubs float at Chicago's gay pride parade in recent years. I think back and I said, 'I was with Ernie for some of his greatest moments,' and I really enjoyed that. "It was one of the moments we shared," Williams said. The ceremony at the White House was in November 2013, and Banks wanted his friend to attend. One of Williams' favorite memories was when Banks called to say he was going to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. I remember putting the phone on the bed and just putting my head on the bed and just thinking about the times we had through the years." He was always joyous, and to wind up with a heart attack, it was really something.
This is a dream.' This individual, he made a lot of people happy. And then when I woke up that morning, I said, 'This is a dream. "It was hard to believe at that time," Williams said. Williams recalled babysitting Banks' children and thanked them for "lending me your father that many years." He said he tried to call Banks a few days before he died but was unable to reach him. You couldn't turn him off," Jenkins said. Sunshine." To Jenkins, Banks was "AM and FM." He also mentioned the nickname he gave Banks.įorget "Mr. Jenkins talked about Banks' love of day games, and carpooling with him and Williams from the South Side to Wrigley. "Baseball's lost a great icon," Hall of Fame teammate Fergie Jenkins said. The procession will go by the statue before heading north past the ballpark's famed marquee at the corner of Clark and Addison.Ĭhairman Tom Ricketts said the Cubs will do "everything we can" to honor Banks and "dedicate the season to him," although he did not have any details. After that, he will take one final trip to Wrigley. On Friday, dignitaries and fans, some pausing to snap a picture, streamed past his casket draped with a giant "Banks 14" jersey and a large photo of him in a Cubs cap smiling right behind it.Ī memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, on what would have been his 84th birthday. The city and the Cubs took the unprecedented step of taking the statue out of storage - where it had been kept while the ballpark is renovated - and putting it on public display away from its usual home. But he's remembered as much for his boundless enthusiasm - despite playing on mostly losing teams - and his desire to connect with everyone he met.įans have been placing flowers outside Wrigley Field and stopping in Daley Plaza to take photos of his statue, which normally stands outside the ballpark. "It's beginning to sink in now - I've lost a great friend, you've lost a great friend."īanks hit 512 home runs and won two National League MVP awards.
"People not only here in Chicago but people around the world recognize the type of individual he was," Williams said. And there was plenty of reminiscing during Friday's visitation. There were so many from their Hall of Fame careers with the Chicago Cubs and their decades of friendship.
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You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserĬHICAGO - As he approached the casket to pay his respects to Ernie Banks, a steady flow of memories came rushing back to Billy Williams.