Wisdom and Links: Tribute to Ernie Banks

Ernie Banks, as you no doubt heard, passed away this week at the age of 83. Still the leader in many categories for the Chicago Cubs, Banks was one of the most beloved players in baseball history. So it’s not surprising that some great articles and stories about “Mr. Cub” came out upon his tragic passing.

Here are some of them:

Tom Verducci on how Ernie Banks was “the ideal baseball hero”.

Chicago native Michael Wilbon on how Banks tops his list of Chicago sports idols.

Phil Rogers brings Ernie Banks in his own words.

Aaron Stilley of “Royals Authority” looks at Ernie’s time in the Negro Leagues.

Tim Kurkjian says goodbye to Banks and his “unbridled joy”.

Jay Jaffe looks at how Banks ranks statistically amongst shortstops.

Ed Sherman has personal stories about showing Ernie his photo-file at the Chicago Tribune  and his love of golf.

And, finally, Joe Posnanski on “Mr. Cub”.

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And here are some of the best non-Ernie Banks links of the week:

Jeff Passan on Bud Selig’s complicated legacy.

A story on Mike Napoli’s struggles with sleep apnea.

Jeff Long on the perils of getting on MLB’s bad side.

David Brown calls on MLB to keep working on maintaining and increasing minority hiring opportunities.

SELF-PROMOTION OF THE WEEK: A Bizarre Baseball Culture in which THE DEVIL CHALLENGES A BASEBALL TEAM TO A GAME. Enough said.

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Just a personal note: If you want to listen to my podcast through iTunes, you now can. Check it out, and, as always, keep reading here at the Hall of Very Good and over at Baseball Continuum.