City To Hold Public Memorial For Ernie Banks
By Chuck Sudo in News on Jan 26, 2015 3:00PM
Baseball fans continue to mourn the passing of Chicago Cubs legend Ernie Banks, who died late Friday of a heart attack at the age of 83. To honor Banks' life and legacy, the city is hosting a public memorial Wednesday through Saturday at Daley Plaza.
Banks' statue outside Wrigley Field, which was in Michigan for rehab and storage while the Cubs worked on their offseason ballpark renovations, will be moved to Daley Plaza so fans can pay their respects to "Mr.Cub." Banks was the first Cubs player to be honored with a statue in 2008 (and, in typical Cubs fashion, was unveiled with a typo on the base).
Mayor Rahm Emanuel called Banks a great ambassador for Chicago. "Ernie Banks’ legacy extends far beyond his Hall of Fame stats. He was beloved by generations of people for the way he played on the field and—more importantly—for the kind and warm person he was off the field." Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts called Banks "a kind, gentle man who loved his fans as much as they loved him. We couldn't think of a better way to honor Ernie than to allow those fans a way to pay their final respects to this great man."