The End of an Era

I saw Ernie only once when I was a kid living in one of the Chicago suburbs. We were on the far south side, so went to Comiskey Park (home of the White Sox), which was much closer than Wrigley Field where the Cubs played. Banks played shortstop, a very unusual position for a power hitter. Hitting more than 500 home runs was a real accomplishment in those days - before the steroid era. I remember going to Wrigley Field, because it was so different from Comiskey Park (or any other baseball park.) First it was so green - the walls were covered with ivy and people would have a great time - occasionally watching the game, but also taking in the fresh air and all the green. The Cubs were an awful team, usually contending with the Pirates for last place in the National League (in those days there were only 8 teams in each league, and no playoffs.) Banks was the superstar of the team (like Ralph Kiner of the Pirates). On TV, he always was very soft spoken and polite - speaking with his bat and his glove.

Not many like him today.

Larry
 
When you grow up in Chicago, parts of Chicago anyway, one of the sad parts of life is having to watch your loved ones pass before they can see their beloved Cubs win a World Series. It sounds silly, but there is a real sadness in watching 90+ year old grandparents who are true blue die hards shuffle off before we get to the mythical "next year". Same for Ernie. A wonderful man. Wish he could have been here for the World Series parade. (Hope I'm still here for it!)


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I turn 70 this year and the last time the Cubs even won a pennant was the year of my birth, 1945. The last world series was in 1908! I remember the White Sox had not won a pennant since 1919, until they finally won one in 1959, to be beaten by the newly moved LA Dodgers. At least they were competitive in those days except for being in the same league as the Yankees. It wasn't until 2005 that they won another pennant and then a World Series! So Chicago, with both the Cubs and White Sox has been a "Wait until Next Year" baseball town. Ernie was probably the best player to play for a consistently bad team.

Larry

PS. Our daughter, who was born in the SF Bay Area in 1979, grew up thinking that winning pennants and World Series (with the A's and Giants) and Superbowls (with the 49er's) was no big thing.
 
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