Highlights
Ernest "Ernie" Banks, a Baseball Hall of Famer known as "Mr. Cub," was born in Dallas, Texas, on Jan. 31, 1931. He played for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues before joining the Chicago Cubs in 1953 for a 19-season major league career. Midway through his Cubs tenure, he switched from shortstop to first base. Though not built like a typical home run hitter, Banks used his bat speed to become a prodigious slugger. He was...
Ernest "Ernie" Banks, a Baseball Hall of Famer known as "Mr. Cub," was born in Dallas, Texas, on Jan. 31, 1931. He played for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues before joining the Chicago Cubs in 1953 for a 19-season major league career. Midway through his Cubs tenure, he switched from shortstop to first base. Though not built like a typical home run hitter, Banks used his bat speed to become a prodigious slugger. He was an 11-time All-Star, a two-time National League most valuable player and a two-time league home run leader. Though his athletic exploits were remarkable, he may have been even more beloved for his optimistic approach to the game. On sunny days, he would declare, "Let's play two!" The description of Wrigley Field as the "Friendly Confines" was popularized by Banks, and he may have coined the phrase. A statue of Banks is to be erected at Wrigley in 2008.
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Scene & Heard: Harold Pump Foundation celebrity fundraiser
Special to the Los Angeles TimesA crowd rich in sports legends, Academy Award winners and recording stars packed the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza for the Harold Pump Foundation's anniversary celebration. The honorees at the Aug. 12 event were Denzel Washington, Hank Aaron, Muhammad...Tags: Hank Aaron, Oscar De La Hoya, Gary Payton, Snoop Dogg, Paul Pierce
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Jim Murray, March 13, 1961
The Daily MirrorMarch 13, 1961: Jim Murray writes from Palm Springs about a game between the Angels and the Cubs. “The opposition was the Chicago Cubs, not formidable under the best of circumstances, but this was their "B" team. The Cubs, of...... -
And now pitching for the Chicago Cubs... Robert Redford!
The Big PictureMost of the mainstream media has been treating the news that Robert Redford will be at Wrigley Field, throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at the Cubs March 31 home opener, as a feel-good story. After all, it was Redford...... -
Ron Santo dies at 70; legendary Chicago Cubs third baseman
Ron Santo, who was beloved in Chicago as a Cubs third baseman and broadcaster but was never was able to gain entry to baseball's Hall of Fame, died Thursday night at an Arizona hospital of complications from bladder cancer. He was 70.
Santo had...Tags: Injuries and Wounds, Career and Workplace, Gold Glove Awards, New York Mets, Diabetes
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Bo knows Anaheim, one more time
The Fabulous ForumBo Jackson stole the show in the last All-Star Game in Anaheim, hitting a 448-foot home run off Rick Reuschel -- as the leadoff hitter -- in 1989. Jackson, who concluded his career with the Angels in 1994, will return...... -
In California, All-Star Legends & Celebrity game should shine brighter
The Fabulous ForumThis is Hollywood, home to celebrities. They’re everywhere in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas -- except the All-Star Legends & Celebrity Game. I was sitting here in Angel Stadium with columnist Bill Shaikin, and we both wondered where the...... -
Drysdale Hit by Line Drive
The Daily MirrorAug. 18, 1960: You don't very often see the phrase "nearly maimed" in headlines for baseball stories. Don Drysdale escaped serious injury when he was struck by a line drive, then he lost the game on the next pitch when Chicago's Ernie Banks homered to... -
The surprising shortstop weakness in Dodger history
Dodger ThoughtsPlease welcome this guest post by Eric Enders, author of "The Fall Classic: The Definitive History of the World Series." * * * In filling out my all-time Dodger lineup card, something occurred to me that I???d never thought about...... -
Stanley Cup finals: Game day skate before Game 1
The Fabulous ForumHey, hey, let’s play two today! OK, wrong sport: that was Cubs first baseman Ernie Banks’ favorite saying. But it’s a beautiful day in Chicago, where the Cubs are playing the Cardinals this afternoon and the Stanley Cup finals open...... -
Sports legends revealed: Did Wally Moon coin the term 'flake' to describe an eccentric person?
The Fabulous ForumBASEBALL LEGEND: Former baseball star Wally Moon coined the term "flake" to describe an eccentric person. STATUS: True Wally Moon cemented his place in Los Angeles Dodger lore by adapting his swing in his first season playing for the team,...... -
Coliseum left a lasting impression
Los Angeles Times Staff WriterTo my youthful eyes, the Coliseum, with its dull gray exterior and looming presence, didn't seem to offer much in the way of enjoyment when I first saw it on a sunny, summer day in 1958. That quickly changed as my father led me up stairs that seemed to...Tags: Babe Ruth, Death, New York Yankees, Duke Snider, Don Drysdale
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Mar 29, 2008
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