On the recordJanuary 26, 2015
last week America lost a hero and Chicago lost one of its greatest. Cubs Hall of Famer Ernie Banks passed away Friday night. He was known as Mr. Cub. His love for the game of baseball was matched only by his passion for the city of Chicago. He was a Hall of Famer in every sense of the word. He won the hearts of not just Cubs fans but baseball fans across the Nation with his power hitting and Golden Glove performances, and he endeared himself to everyone he ever met with his humble approach to the game of baseball and the game of life. Before Hall of Famer Ernie Banks became Mr. Cub, he was 17 years old playing in a sandlot in Dallas, TX. That is where Cool Papa Bell, one of the legendary leaders in the Negro League, discovered this young man and signed him to play for the Kansas City Monarchs for $7 a game. While playing for the Monarchs, Ernie Banks was managed by another legend, Buck O'Neil. Playing for the Negro League legend had a profound impact on young Ernie Banks. Buck had so much love for everybody that Ernie decided to model his life after him. It was with the Monarchs that Ernie learned to play with boundless energy and enthusiasm. He learned to express his joy for the game and took to heart the message Buck O'Neil, the manager, would often shout at him: ``You gotta love this game to play it!'' Ernie Banks loved it, and it showed. Years later, O'Neil reunited with Ernie Banks when O'Neil agreed to manage the Cubs in 1962.…
