Jan. 31--Ernie Banks was a man of the people, and people from all walks of life paid their respects to Mr. Cub during a public visitation Friday at Fourth Presbyterian Church in downtown Chicago.
"You don't think it's real until you see the casket," Billy Williams said Friday at the church. "He's a person that left lasting memories in Chicago because he met so many people. If he met someone two or three years before, he'd still remember them."
Banks' casket is in the center on the altar, draped in a no. 14 flag.
Sen. Dick Durbin said he remembers when Banks met Harry Reid at the White House. Banks asked him to get in a catchers pose to prove he played ball.
"I lost a friend," Durbin said Friday. "Chicago lost one of its greatest. I'm glad he's receiving this tribute today.
"Very few athlete get honored with presidential medals. ... But Ernie was not only a great ball player but a great American."
Also there Friday was Cubs owner Tom Ricketts. "He was a kind, generous man," he said. "The reason why Ernie was so loved by the fans was that he gave the love back."
As for how the Cubs will honor him this year, Ricketts said: "We don't have anything finalized. ... Obviously we want to honor the memory of Ernie and dedicate the season to him."
The visitation started at noon and will continue until 8 p.m. Memorial services for Banks, who died of a heart attack on Jan. 23, will be held 10 a.m., Saturday, which would have been his 84th birthday.
Among the speakers at the memorial service Saturday will be former Cubs teammates and fellow Hall of Famers Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins and Lou Brock.
Banks' twin sons, Jerry and Joey Banks, also are scheduled to pay tribute at the service, along with Chicago businessman John Rogers, a personal friend of Banks. Also offering remembrances will be Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts, Major League Baseball executive and former player Joe Torre, Gov. Bruce Rauner, Mayor Rahn Emanuel, and Rev. Jesse Jackson.
The memorial service Saturday also will be held at Fourth Presbyterian Church, 126 E. Chestnut St.
After Saturday's memorial service, the funeral procession will drive past Banks' statue in Daley Plaza before heading north on Lake Shore Drive to pass by Wrigley Field.
Among the fans at Friday's visitation was Terry Lavery, 60, who came in from Tuscon, Ariz., and carried with him a photo of Banks from the 1964 season.
"He was the poster boy for the lovable losers. Just watching him, you could tell he was the happiest baseball player ever," he said. "This is a rare opportunity to say goodbye."
fmitchell@tribpub.com
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