When word spread about the passing of Hall of Famer and baseball legend Ernie Banks late Friday evening, I was deeply saddened and paused what I was doing to say a brief prayer for Ernie and his family and friends. Ernie’s passing also caused me to reflect on the personal impact that he had on my own life as well.

As we tend to do with most of our aging heroes or favorites, we always have the fear of ‘that day’ in the back of our minds but we never talk about it, as if doing so might cause that day to happen prematurely. But no matter how much we think we are prepared for that day, when it eventually comes, it still comes as a shock and causes us tremendous pain and sorrow.

Whether you are a Cubs fan or not, if you are a fan of the game – young or old – Ernie’s passing has affected you, even if you do not realize it. It’s hard to imagine that there is any baseball fan who never heard the phrase “Let’s play two” – a phrase attributed the Ernie Banks, who was affectionately know as “Mr. Cub.” And while this often repeated phrase is generally sarcastically associated when playing on an unusually unpleasant or uncomfortably day, its true meaning sums up the insatiable passion that Ernie had for the game; he simply could not get enough of the game that he so dearly loved.

Ernie Banks
(Image courtesy of ESPN)

For those of us who were fortunate enough to have actually witnessed Ernie Banks play the game, we are indeed blessed. But for me personally, I am indebted to Ernie for making me a Dodger fan; not in a negative way, not at all, but in a very positive way. Allow me to share.

My entire family, including my mother, father, two brothers and sister, were all born in Chicago, where my father’s parents migrated to from Czechoslovakia in the early 1900’s. As such, they were all die-hard Cubs and Bears fans. In 1952, my father packed up his tribe and moved to southern California, purchasing a home in Burbank. Although now more than 2,100 miles away from his true home, my father, oldest brother and sister remained Cubs and Bears fans. My next oldest brother Tom, who is only 17 months older than I, was too young to develop any connection to the Chicago teams, as he was barely a year old when the big move west occurred.

As for me, I was born in Burbank exactly 86 days after Ernie Banks made his MLB debut with the Cubs on September 17, 1953. The following season, 1954, Banks finished second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting – one ahead of some guy named Henry Aaron and one behind 1954 NL Rookie of the Year Wally Moon, who would not only later become a Dodger but would eventually become my first favorite Dodger.

Like most kids, my dad signed my brother Tom and me up for Little League at a very young age. Also like most kids, my dad was my first coach and manager. It was a parochial league through our church and back then there was no such thing as T-Ball and the concept of coach-pitching had yet to be thought of. (Yes, I got hit by quite a few pitches and scores of 21-2 weren’t all that uncommon due to excessive walks). But regardless, I developed an immediate love for the game of baseball, this in spite of my serious lack of skill at it.

I have a vivid recollection, even though I was only five years old at the time, of my dad being quite excited over the news that some team called the Brooklyn Dodgers was moving to Los Angeles. My dad wasn’t excited about the Dodgers coming to L.A., he was excited that they were in the National League and, as such, his beloved Cubbies would be coming out to a place called the L.A. Memorial Coliseum several times each season to play the Dodgers. It was then that I first heard the name Ernie Banks, a Chicago Cub, who was, according to my dad, one of the best baseball players to ever play the game. “Huh,” I remember thinking to myself.

Sure enough, every time these Cubs came into town to play these new Los Angeles Dodgers, my dad would get tickets and we would go to the games. Aside from the fact that nearly everyone at these games stood a mile taller than me and seemed to go crazy every time the Dodgers did something good, my dad, seemingly alone, would do so whenever his Cubs did something in good. I recall the harsh looks he seemed to get every time he would cheer for the Cubs – especially for this Ernie Banks guy.

Needless to say, I felt a lot more comfortable cheering for the Dodgers than I did for the Cubs and quickly (very quickly, in fact) became a fan of guys named Duke Snider, Don Drysdale, Gil Hodges, Pee Wee Reese (who didn’t look all that small to me), Johnny Podres and Larry Sherry – among others.

The following season this team that I liked more than the Cubs won the World Series, due in a big part to a guy named Wally Moon because of what my dad called his “moon shot” home runs over that great big chain link fence in left field.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

It took me 60 years but this past September I finally returned to my family’s roots and visited Wrigley Field – home of the great Ernie Banks. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

The point to all of this is that, were it not for my dad’s love for the Chicago Cubs and more specifically his love for Ernie Banks, I would have never become a Dodger fan.

Thanks, Ernie – and please say hi to my dad for me, would you?