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CHICAGO - Even as the Chicago Cubs lost one game after another, Ernie Banks never lost hope.That was the charm of Mr. Cub.Banks, the Hall of Fame slugger and two-time MVP who always maintained his boundless enthusiasm for baseball despite decades of playing on miserable teams, died Friday night. He was 83.The Cubs announced Banks death, but did not provide a cause.Banks hit 512 home runs during his 19-year career and was fond of saying, Its a great day for baseball. Lets play two! In fact, that finish to his famous catchphrase adorns his statue outside Wrigley Field.And on a cold winter night Friday, the ballpark marquee carried the sad news for the entire town to see: Ernie Banks. Mr. Cub. 1931-2015.Words cannot express how important Ernie Banks will always be to the Chicago Cubs, the city of Chicago and Major League Baseball. He was one of the greatest players of all time, Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said in a statement. He was a pioneer in the major leagues. And more importantly, he was the warmest and most sincere person Ive ever known.Approachable, ever optimistic and kind hearted, Ernie Banks is and always will be Mr. Cub. My family and I grieve the loss of such a great and good-hearted man, but we look forward to celebrating Ernies life in the days ahead.Though he was an 11-time All-Star from 1953-71, Banks never reached the post-season. The Cubs, who havent won the World Series since 1908, finished below .500 in all but six of his seasons and remain without a pennant since 1945.Still, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977, the first year he was eligible, and was selected to baseballs All-Century team in 1999.Banks infectious smile and non-stop good humour despite his teams dismal record endeared him to Chicago fans, who voted him the best player in franchise history. One famous admirer, actor Bill Murray, named his son Homer Banks Murray.In 2013, Banks was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom — by a noted Chicago White Sox fan, President Barack Obama. The award is one of the nations highest civilian honours.Ernie Banks was more than a baseball player. He was one of Chicagos greatest ambassadors. He loved this city as much as he loved — and lived for — the game of baseball, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said. This year, during every Cubs game, you can bet that No. 14 will be watching over his team. And if were lucky, itll be a beautiful day for not just one ballgame, but two.Banks No. 14 was the first number retired by the Cubs, and it hangs on a flag from the left-field foul pole at Wrigley Field.Id like to get to the last game of the World Series at Wrigley Field and hit three homers, he once said. That was what I always wanted to do.But even without an opportunity to play on the October stage, Banks left an indelible mark that still resonates with fans and athletes from all sports.Ernie Banks... We are going to all miss you. #Legend, quarterback Russell Wilson tweeted as he and the Seattle Seahawks were getting ready to defend their Super Bowl title.Banks was playing for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues when the Cubs discovered him in 1953, and purchased his contract for $10,000. He made his major league debut at shortstop on Sept. 17 that year, and three days later hit his first home run.Tall and thin, Banks didnt look like a typical power hitter. He looked even less so as he stood at the plate, holding his bat high and wiggling it as he waited for pitches. But he had strong wrists and a smooth, quick stroke, and he made hitting balls out of the park look effortless.When he switched to a lighter bat before the 1955 season, his power quickly became apparent. He hit 44 homers that season, including three against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Aug. 4. His five grand slams that year established a major league record that stood for more than 30 years before Don Mattingly hit six in 1987.Banks best season came in 1958, when he hit .313 with 47 homers and 129 RBIs. Though the Cubs went 72-82 and finished sixth in the National League, Banks edged Willie Mays and Hank Aaron for his first MVP award. He was the first player from a losing team to win the NL MVP.Banks won the MVP again in 1959, becoming the first NL player to win it in consecutive years, even though the Cubs had another dismal year. Banks batted .304 with 45 homers and a league-leading 143 RBIs.He led the NL in homers again in 1960 with 41, his fourth straight season with 40 or more. His 248 homers from 1955-60 were the most in the majors, topping even Aaron and Mays.Mr Cub. What you have done for the game of baseball the city of Chicago and everyone you have ever touched will never be forgotten. RIP, tweeted Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo.Though Banks didnt break the 40-homer barrier again after 1960, he topped the 100-RBI mark three more times, including 1969, his last full season. Then 38, he hit .253 with 23 home runs and 106 RBIs, and was chosen an All-Star for an 11th time.On May 12, 1970, he hit his 500th home run at Wrigley Field, becoming only the eighth player at the time to reach the plateau.Banks retired after the 1971 season. He owned most of the Cubs career slugging records, some of which still stand today.Known mostly for his power at the plate, Banks was a solid fielder, too. He is best known as a shortstop, where he won a Gold Glove in 1960, but he switched to first base in 1962. He played 1,259 games at first and 1,125 games at shortstop.Born and raised in Dallas, Banks would be bribed to play catch by his father, who always wanted him to be a baseball player. Banks grew to love the game and was a standout in high school, along with participating in football, basketball and track and field.He joined a barnstorming Negro Leagues team at 17 and was spotted by Cool Papa Bell, who signed him to the Monarchs in 1950. Banks played one season before going into the Army. He returned to Kansas City after he was discharged, playing one more season before joining the Cubs.He was one of the great crossover baseball players of his day, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said. His personality was a racial bridge builder. He treated all people with dignity and respect. He never stopped reaching out to bridge the racial chasms. Wholesale Los Angeles Chargers Jerseys . The Jays responded to the three-spot Detroit placed on Casey Janssen the evening before with an attack on the Tigers Achilles Heel, its bullpen, tying the game in the ninth and winning the game in the 10th. The result absolved Marcus Stroman, brilliant once again, of a tough luck loss while at the same time robbing Max Scherzer, brilliant once again, of a deserved win. Los Angeles Chargers Jerseys China .A. Happ is coming off his first start of the year, a win at Philadelphia Monday. The former Phillie allowed three hits in five scoreless frames of a 3-0 triumph. http://www.cheapchargers.us/ . Everton Preview West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has been around the game long enough to not get too high when things are going well and not get too low when they arent. Cheap Los Angeles Chargers Jerseys Online . Nikolai Khabibulin was yanked in the second period, and the Ottawa Senators looked ready to put away a big road win. Discount Los Angeles Chargers Jerseys . Louis against the Blues. The Canucks picked up their second straight victory in the swings opener on Tuesday in Calgary before getting routed in Minnesota last night, 5-1.Exactly this time last year, the USMNT captain was spotted at San Francisco airport. Soon after ESPN reported Clint Dempsey was coming home to a league that in 2007 set him on his way to a successful six- year stint in the BPL. Tottenhams loss would be Seattle and MLS gain. Over the intervening 12 months, we have witnessed unprecedented growth for a league which next year will celebrate its 20th season. It was following the 2013 All Star Game Board of Governors meeting Don Garber informed that having added the 20th franchise New York City FC for a fee of $100m only a few months previously, the league was now on an accelerated expansion path. The stated target was to add four more clubs by 2020. In the midst of last seasons playoffs, to the surprise of many it was announced the 21st franchise had been awarded to the City of Orlando. Like NYCFC, they will join the league next season. A Cinderella story if ever there was one, only four years ago Orlando didnt even have a professional soccer club until third division club Austin Aztex was relocated to the sunshine state in fall 2010. The man with the MLS plan and extraordinary vision is Phil Rawlins. Who moved the club from Austin to Orlando with the singular purpose of securing MLS football to a city that is more famous for Quidditch than the Beautiful Game. No word yet on if Harry Potter is amongst the 7,500 season ticket holders the club sold during the four-weeks of Brazil 2014. Contingent on stadium approvals in February, Florida was awarded a second franchise. David Beckham, who had previously been linked with New York and Montreal as locations where he would exercise his ownership option, chose Miami. Beckham and his ownership group have spent the intervening six months surrounded by opposition to their stadium plans. The latest rejection occurred last month when they were denied the right to buy land where they proposed to build a 25,000 capacity stadium which would have been privately funded. Scheduled to begin play in 2017, earlier in the week MLS knocked back suggestions Beckhams group were in discussions to purchase Chivas. 2017 is also when Atlanta, the leagues 22nd franchise will begin play in a $1 billion multi-purpose stadium which will also be the home for the NFLs Falcons. The ground breaking ceremony occurred in mid-May a little over a month after the announcement Arthur Black had finally secured a franchise. Black was widely speculated to bring an MLS franchise to Atlanta back in 2009 when eventually Portland and Vancouver were selected. MLS new additions for 2015 have wasted little time in announcing DPs of a stardust variety who wouldnt look out of turn playing in any of the top sides from the list of elite domestic leagues in world football that MLS has targeted to be mentioned in the same breath as by 2022. With a Brazilian in Flavio Augusto da Silva as Orlandos majority owner, it was one of MLSs worst kept secrets when finally early this month, the former world player of the year and Seleção legend KaKa was named as the clubs first DP.dddddddddddd Thursdays announcement that Chelsea legend Frank Lampard had joined David Villa at New York City leaves no one in doubt of the intentions for the Sheik Mansour funded club. The hiring of head coach Jason Kreis may well go on to be recognized as one of the greatest managerial coups in league history. Lampard disclosed yesterday opportunity existed to extend his Chelsea career but he chose to call it a day as he recognized the club was moving in a different direction. Renowned as Chelseas all-time scoring leader, what will not have been missed by Kreis is the fact only Ryan Giggs has more assists than Lampard in the history of the Premier League. Yesterday he credited Gianfranco Zola for turning him into the player he is. Zola, who was a teammate of Lampards at Stamford Bridge for two seasons, personified what it was to be the model professional. Being like Franco certainly allowed Lampard to extend his time at the very top end of world footballs most demanding leagues. I have no doubts come the 2015 All Star Game, Lampard will make his third appearance, having done so previously in 2006 and 2012 when Chelsea were the opponents. As vital as it is for the Kakas, Villas and Lampards of the world to play in MLS – this to me is trumped by the recent news the MLS Cup Champs had signed two of the stand out members of the USMNT Brazil 2014 team. Securing Matt Besler and Graham Zusi to long term DP deals sends a significant warning shot over the bows of European football. As Dempsey proved last year, and Michael Bradley this spring, no longer are Americas elite players solely focused on carving out a distinguished career in Europe. DaMarcus Beasley returning after a decade abroad is another watershed moment for our league. No other player in the 100-year history of the USSSF has appeared in four World Cup Finals. Houston has instantly purchased playoff credibility. All exciting plots require a villain. This week MLS secured theirs. We could not have asked for a finer rogue than Ashley Cole. The ex-Chelsea player was arrogant and downright rude in his appraisal for a league which continues, as Lampard stated yesterday, to tick all the right boxes. "I had offers from the USA, but Im not ready to relax on a beach yet," Cole stated to reporters earlier this week at Romes International Airport. A frequent visitor to Los Angeles, Cole was recently reported to throw a glass of champagne over a UK TV Presenter in an LA nightclub. Which according to one witness allegedly resulted in a bar room brawl that got the attention of the LAPD. Not sure we want or need his type. 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