Hard to imagine that MR.CUB-ERNIE BANKS has died at the age of 83, just shy of his 84th Birthday. Ernie hit 512 homers, in his 19 year career–all as a Cub,yet he never appeared in a Post season game. Needless to say, I got to now Ernie over the years. The one story that stands out to me was in 2000 when the Cubs opened the Regular Season against the Mets in Tokyo,Japan-which I covered. The morning after the second game, I was finishing breakfast in a restaurant on the top floor of the Hotel we were staying at, and all of a sudden a voice calls me over to his table–it was Ernie Banks. We chatted for about 90 minutes–and it was about everything EXCEPT Baseball! I’ll never forget it, or any other time I was with MR.CUB-including that day in July 1969 at Thillens Stadium when he and Fergie Jenkins appeared at a Charity Softball event I ran at age 17, 2 weeks after I Graduated from High School. Notice the photo. Also, APOLLO 11 lifted off for the Moon the next Morning.
Thanks for everything Ernie, and please say hi to Ron Santo and Jack Brickhouse!