Ernie Banks, Top Cub

It should come as no surprise that Bleed Cubbie Blue has named Ernie Banks #1 on its list of Top 100 Cubs. Banks played before my time, and I mostly know of him through the “let’s play two” catchphrase that he made famous. I didn’t realize he also was responsible for the “Friendly Confines” moniker that fits Wrigley Field so well to this day.

The BCB bio of Banks makes for a great read. It even includes a passage from one of my favorite writers, Bill Bryson, who as a child met the Hall of Fame shortstop:

Once on a hot July afternoon I sat in a nearly airless clubhouse under the left-field grandstand at Wrigley Field beside Ernie Banks, the Cubs’ great shortstop, as he autographed boxes of new white baseballs (which are, incidentally, one of the most pleasurably aromatic things on earth, and worth spending time around anyway). Unbidden, I took it upon myself to sit beside him and pass him each new ball. This slowed the process considerably, but he gave a little smile each time and said thank you as if I had done him quite a favor. He was the nicest human being I have ever met. It was like being friends with God.

Fascinating also are the questions surrounding Banks’ birthdate. Seems he might have been six years older than believed!

Anyway, if you love baseball (and I’m assuming you do if you’re here), be sure to check out the full article. If you don’t love baseball, you’ll want to check it out, too, so you can see what you’ve been missing.

[Tip o' the Knuckle Curve cap to 6-4-2.]