http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/ ... ies-age-83

Good day for two in heaven.......

I became a Cubs almost 60 years ago because of Ernie Banks. I have both a baseball card and ball personally signed by Ernie. I am crestfallen at the news. It is indeed a very sad time for Cubs fans.

I was an assistant professional at Bermuda Run during the Crosby Celebrity Golf Tournament years and Ernie was always there. Never saw him without a smile on his face or without a kind word for anyone he met. I had the opportunity to give him a lesson after a tough day on the course and it was quite a thrill seeing him beam with excitement after the things we worked on started to click. Of all the athletes that came to that event Ernie Banks was the absolute best and most gracious. RIP Mr. Banks!

hapapp wrote:I became a Cubs almost 60 years ago because of Ernie Banks. I have both a baseball card and ball personally signed by Ernie. I am crestfallen at the news. It is indeed a very sad time for Cubs fans.

I felt the same way just a month short of four years ago (Feb, 2011) when my all-time baseball hero, Hall of Famer and Dodger great Duke Snider, passed away at his Southern Cal home at age 85. Baseball hasn't been quite the same for me since that day. Ernie Banks was a big favorite of mine, also. It is, indeed, a tremendous loss for Cub fans and for long-time baseball fans at all levels.

The Cubs are in the process of a *messy* renovation of Wrigley Field. As they settle the lawsuits over the left field seats issue, I hope they'll pause to incorporate some meaningful and permanent remembrance or commemoration of Mr. Sunshine in their construction plan. EB hit many a baseball into that left field fence territory.