City, Cubs to place Banks statue at Daley Plaza
The Ernie Banks statue will be placed in Daley Plaza in Chicago from Wednesday morning through Saturday so fans can honor Banks' memory, the Cubs and the city announced Sunday.
The Cubs Hall of Famer died Friday night at 83. The cause of death was a heart attack, a Banks family lawyer said during a Sunday news conference.
The lawyer, Mark Bogen, and Banks' widow, Liz, each gave a statement but did not take any questions during the brief news conference.
The Banks statue, which had stood outside Wrigley Field until ballpark renovations began, “is being transported from a facility outside of the city where it is being restored and will be placed in Daley Plaza upon arrival in Chicago,” a Cubs news release read.
“I want you to know that he was very beloved and he is going to be dearly missed by family, friends and all of his fans,” Liz Banks said.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel praised Banks in the news release.
“Ernie Banks' legacy extends far beyond his Hall of Fame stats,” Emanuel was quoted as saying. “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. We are bringing Ernie's statue to Daley Plaza to honor not just one of the best ballplayers of all time, but a great man who made our city proud from the day we first met him in 1953.”
Banks hit 512 home runs for the Cubs from 1953-71 and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977.
Bogen said funeral arrangements for Banks are pending.
“Ernie Banks was a wonderful husband, a great father and grandfather,” Bogen said. “People have called Ernie Banks the ambassador of baseball. But, in reality, he was an ambassador for humanity. He was one of the few Americans that was awarded the Presidential Medal of (Freedom), which is the highest honor that can be awarded to a civilian. He loved people and wanted to hear their stories and their lives, not talk about his. Instead of talking about baseball, he would talk about life. Everybody talks about Ernie Banks, the Hall of Famer. Let's talk about Ernie Banks, the man.
“Ernie Banks was a kind, loving, positive man who cared about people. One of his favorite quotes was, ‘Life is a song. Sing it. Life is a game. Play it. Life is a challenge. Meet it. Life is a dream. Realize it. Life is a sacrifice. Offer it. Life is love. Enjoy it now.'”