RIP Mr. Cub

Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Private James M. Seitzinger (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on June 3, 1864, at Cold Harbor, Virginia. His citation reads:

When the color bearer was shot down, this soldier seized the colors and bore them gallantly in a charge against the enemy.

Major Alfred J. Sellers (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on July 1, 1863, at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. His citation reads:

Voluntarily led the regiment under a withering fire to a position from which the enemy was repulsed.

Chief Gunner Robert Semple (US Navy) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on April 21, 1914, at Vera Cruz. His citation reads:

For meritorious service under fire on the occasion of the landing of the American naval forces at Vera Cruz on 21 April 1914. C.G. Semple was then attached to the U.S.S. Florida as a chief turret captain.


I have said this before, but it is worth saying again… When you list the greatest Cubs players of all time, there’s Ernie Banks. That’s it, that’s the list. Oh, there are other great players (my all-time favorite is Ryne Sandberg… and who doesn’t love Andre Dawkins?), but Ernie Banks is by far #1. You could argue where other players would fall on the list but you can’t, with any sort of credibility, not have Ernie Banks at #1. You can easily look up stuff on Ernie Banks, so I won’t list his stats here. I will tell you he is a member of the MLB All-Century Team and he is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The fact that he only received 83.8% of the vote shows, to me, that 16.2% of the people voting on the Hall of Fame back then were just as stupid as some of the people voting on it today.

One reason I think Ernie Banks is so loved, is that he seemed to be the kind of professional baseball player we all like to think we’d be. I think everyone, at one time or another, has thought “Man, how great would it be to get paid to play a game?” Ernie Banks was the same way. I guess I should say “seemed to be the same way”, because I didn’t know him. But I can say I have yet to read anything about someone not liking Mr. Cub. He had a positive attitude and a love for the game that can’t be faked… at least, it can’t be faked for as long as he had it. He loved the game so much, that he was well known for saying, “It’s a beautiful day for a ballgame… Let’s play two!”

Sadly, Ernie Banks passed away this past Friday. The way life is, I’m sure this really will be the season The Cubs win the World Series. Why not? Now that the greatest Cubbie of them all won’t be here to enjoy it…