There Never Will Be Another Ernie Banks

January 24, 2015 @ admin → No Comments

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Ernie Banks is dead. That’s a sentence I never thought that I — or anyone — ever would write. An unquestionable baseball immortal, “Mr. Cub” had a quality that made folks believe he would be around forever. A true immortal. Or at least until the Cubs had won their first World Series crown in his lifetime (and that could be decades from now, if ever).

Quite a pair: Ernie Banks with April Rose.

Instead, the world — and not merely the baseball world — lost a unique individual when he died Friday at age 83. He would have celebrated his 84th birthday on Jan. 31.

There never was anyone like Ernie Banks — before and during his days on Earth. And there never will be anyone like him.

He will be forever in our hearts. More for the kindness he showed to strangers who became immediate friends than for anything he did on a baseball diamond. And his baseball feats are legendary. Which tells you quite a bit about what a wonderful person he was.

As sad as his passing is, thinking of him always will bring a smile and the wonderful memories he provided to all who had the chance to be a part — no matter how small — of his life.

Just about everyone on my Facebook and/or Twitter accounts has a photo with Ernie and/or a story about him. Or so it seems. He brought such joy to so many. He had the ability to talk in-depth on a wide range of topics. He could make small talk with folks who never saw him play and didn’t have a true appreciation for his greatness as a ballplayer.

As a sports scribe for the Chicago Sun-Times, I enjoyed his company on several occasions. Sometimes it would be at Cubs Convention to find out what his latest slogan for the upcoming season might be. He would be surrounded by non-media folks at the media reception before the event, so I would wait for the right moment to inquire about his newest phrase. And it was well worth the wait.

And there was the time I needed to get a quote from him about Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa (or something like that), so tracking him down at Harry Caray’s downtown restaurant was easy. Obtaining a quote addressing the issue was not. Ernie could be evasive when he wanted to. And that rainy night, he wanted to. Still he eventually provided a sentence or two to make everyone happy.

As co-author of the 2008 book Hoodoo: Unraveling the 100-Year Mystery of the Chicago Cubs, I would try to pin him down for a phone interview. After a few tries, we made a connection. And it was well worth the wait.

And there was the time he was part of a book signing with a long line that I’d like to think was for the book but knew it was most definitely for Ernie. He would stop to converse with every person who came through to have him autograph the book. It was difficult to discern who enjoyed the chats more, the purchasing public or Ernie. For all who had stood in line, it was well worth the wait.

I can recall signing dozens of copies of the book with him in a private room at Harry Caray’s and then descending to the dining area for lunch. It lasted hours that flew by. It was about as surreal an experience that I have known. For someone whose lunches generally were peanut butter crackers at his desk, feasting on fried calamari (among other delicacies) was indeed memorable. Mostly because of the company. I never did figure out how Ernie could talk so much during the dining and still consume the cuisine.

And there was his 80th birthday celebration in January, 2011. To be part of the festivities was somewhat stupefying. Ernie had the ability to make folks feel so comfortable, so happy. He exuded exuberance.

His passion for people, his love of life and the sport that made him famous was so great. Let me know when someone comes along who is that great and so good to so many and treats them so kindly. Or let generations unborn know when that happens. Because frankly I cannot envision it. It’s even more difficult to envision than life without Ernie.

We will miss the joy and enthusiasm that he was so full of. And at the same time, we will be so thankful for the magnificent memories he has left behind for so many.

Thank you, Ernie.