Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

'Mr. Cub' Ernie Banks dies
by Ross Forman, Windy City Times
2015-01-26

This article shared 6215 times since Mon Jan 26, 2015
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


Chuck Jacobson was living and working in Chicago in 2005 when he went to New York City for a June weekend to watch his beloved Cubs play against the Yankees at iconic, original Yankee Stadium.

Jacobson, who was sitting near the Cubs dugout, had gotten a foul ball from then-Cubs manager Dusty Baker—and boy did that ball come in handy.

During the game, Jacobson spotted Ernie Banks seated nearby, so he asked the long-retired Cubs' hero to autograph the ball.

But Banks refused.

So Jacobson walked away and simply thought, "Oh well."

A few seconds later, Banks started throwing peanuts at Jacobson and said, "Give me that ball."

Jacobson did; Banks signed it—and both smiled.

"Ernie always had fun and truly loved the game," said Jacobson, who now lives in San Diego, but remains a diehard Cubs fan. "I always related to Ernie Banks in the way he just wanted to have fun. Ernie always had something positive to say to everyone."

Jacobson and the entire sports world was shocked to hear Jan 23 that Banks, nicknamed Mr. Cub, had died at age 83, just seven days before his 84th birthday. Days later, it was announced that Banks died of a heart attack, his family said.

"It is certainly a sad day for us," Ernie's wife, Liz Banks, said two days after his death at a press conference. "I'd like to thank everyone for being here. He was very beloved and he is going to be dearly missed by family, friends and all of his fans."

Banks' legendary stature reached well beyond the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field, the Cubs' home that was Banks' home for all 19 years that he played in the major leagues, from 1953-1971. President Obama, for instance, issued a statement about Banks.

"Michelle and I send our condolences to the family of Ernie Banks, and to every Chicagoan and baseball fan who loved him. Ernie came up through the Negro Leagues, making $7 a day. He became the first African-American to play for the Chicago Cubs, and the first number the team retired. Along the way, he became known as much for his 512 home runs and back-to-back National League MVPs as for his cheer, his optimism, and his love of the game. As a Hall-of-Famer, Ernie was an incredible ambassador for baseball, and for the city of Chicago. He was beloved by baseball fans everywhere, including Michelle, who, when she was a girl, used to sit with her dad and watch him play on TV. And in 2013, it was my honor to present Ernie with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

"Somewhere, the sun is shining, the air is fresh, his team's behind him, and Mr. Class — 'Mr. Cub' — is ready to play two."

Banks' stature also led to a statue, which the Cubs temporarily moved from outside Wrigley Field to downtown Chicago. It will be on display in Daley Plaza for several days.

Still, a makeshift memorial was built outside Wrigley Field, particularly along Addison Street, inches away from where Banks' name is etched into the concrete, along with many other Cubs' legends.

The famed Wrigley Field marque also paid tribute to Banks and Banks' flags hung surrounding the marquee.

"Ernie Banks transcended all fandom, especially in Chicago where most people are either Cubs' fans or White Sox fans. Ernie Banks had respect on both sides of town. He was that guy who absolutely everyone respected, not just for his baseball skill, which mind you earned him a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame, but more so, for who he was and how he lived his life," said Mark Sakalares, 53, who grew up a Cubs fan and remains a diehard—and is a vice-president of the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association ( CMSA ).

Banks was a 14-time All-Star, yet never reached the postseason. Still, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977, the first year he was eligible, and he was selected to baseball's all-century team in 1999.

Banks was a Cubs' goodwill ambassador for decades after retiring, and he rode on the Cubs' float in the 2010 Chicago Pride Parade, though his appearance that year was overshadowed by the actual Stanley Cup and a member of the 2010 Stanley Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawks appearing on the Pride float of the Chicago Gay Hockey Association—an organization that Jacobson founded.

"Ernie Banks was an ambassador of good," Sakalares said. "He knew [the fight that the LGBT community has been in] because he went through racial discrimination during his career."


This article shared 6215 times since Mon Jan 26, 2015
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Four Chicago Red Stars receive international call-ups
2024-03-28
CHICAGO (March 28, 2024) — Chicago Red Stars Nádia Gomes, Natalia Kuikka, Alyssa Naeher and Mallory Swanson have been tabbed to represent their countries during the April international window. Forwards Gomes and Swanson are set to ...


Gay News

2024 'Nike Basketball Camps with the Chicago Sky' announced
2024-03-28
The Chicago Sky officially announced, in a debut collaboration with Nike Sports Camps, 2024 summer basketball camps for Chicagoland youth. Two camps for boys and girls ages 7-15 will take place June 17-21 and July 8-12 ...


Gay News

Be here, be queer, play polo: Gay Polo League creates safe athletic space for LGBTQ community
2024-03-26
LGBTQ+ athletic clubs aren't too hard to come by, offering a variety of sports such as softball, soccer and more in cities across the country. But LGBTQ+ athletes would be harder pressed to find someplace to ...


Gay News

Chicago Red Stars stay undefeated
2024-03-24
Chicago Red Stars stay undefeated On March 23, the Chicago Red Stars took down the Seattle Reign FC 2-1 in the club's home opener at SeatGeek Stadium. With the win, the Red Stars are now 2-0-0 ...


Gay News

ACTIVITIES Pickleball, fine eats and fun are all at SPF
2024-03-21
Despite the fact that it was invented in 1965, pickleball has only really entered the national consciousness within the last few years. However, there really hadn't been a large indoor dedicated space in Chicago for the ...


Gay News

2024 OLYMPICS U.S. women's soccer team's opponents set
2024-03-20
The United States women's national soccer team will face Australia, Germany, and either Morocco or Zambia in Group B at the 2024 Paris Olympics, ESPN reported. The tournament will mark the Americans' first competitive games with ...


Gay News

Alyssa Naeher wins National Women's Soccer League Impact Save of the Week
2024-03-20
--From a press release - CHICAGO (March 20, 2024) — Chicago Red Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher earned National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) Deloitte Impact Save of the Week honors, the league announced today. Seven minutes into the eight minutes of added ...


Gay News

Red Stars start season with 2-0 win
2024-03-17
On March 16, the Chicago Red Stars kicked off their 2024 campaign with a 2-0 road win over Utah Royals FC in the Royals' inaugural match back in the National Women's Soccer League. Ally Schlegel and ...


Gay News

College athletes sue NCAA over transgender policies
2024-03-15
Former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines was among a group of college athletes who filed a lawsuit against the NCAA on March 14, accusing it of violating their Title IX rights by allowing trans swimmer Lia Thomas ...


Gay News

SPORTS Red Stars prepare to kick off NWSL season against Utah Royals
2024-03-15
It's been a busy winter for the Red Stars, and it's time to put their work to the test. Following a last place finish in the 2023 NWSL season, Chicago has had an active offseason transforming ...


Gay News

PASSAGES Dorothy Elizabeth McGroarty
2024-03-14
Dorothy Elizabeth McGroarty, 82, of The Breakers at Edgewater Beach, and a former resident of Andersonville, passed away Feb. 16 surrounded by her loving family. Born in Dearborn, Michigan, Dorothy was raised on Chicago's South and ...


Gay News

PASSAGES Bryan Dean Wilson
2024-03-14
Bryan Dean Wilson, 64, of Chicago, passed away March 11. Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Bryan graduated from Washington High school in Cedar Rapids before earning his B.S. in Biology from Mount Mercy University, also in ...


Gay News

Chicago Red Stars release 2024 roster
2024-03-13
CHICAGO (March 13, 2024) — The Chicago Red Stars announced today their final roster ahead of the 2024 National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) season. The club's roster is bolstered by an array of experience brought not ...


Gay News

PASSAGES: Former Chicago Commission on Human Relations chair Clarence Wood
2024-03-13
LGBTQ ally and former Chicago Commission on Human Relations (CCHR) Chair and Commissioner Clarence N. Wood died March 5. He was 83. Wood was born April 14, 1940, in Alabama. While primarily raised in Alabama, Wood ...


Gay News

Chicago Red Stars release midfielder Jill Aguilera
2024-03-12
--From a press release - CHICAGO (March 11, 2024) — The Chicago Red Stars today announced the release of midfielder, Jill Aguilera. "I want to thank Jill for her time with the Red Stars," said general manager, Richard Feuz. "Over her ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.