1970 Banks #630 SGC 70 EX+ We have a winner.

[Casey2296]

Mr. Banks is looking for a good home with a Banks/Cubs collector. Send me a good story about Wrigley/Banks/Cubs etc. and the card is yours.

We have a winner, (it's me for reading your stories but I'll be sending the card to a Cubs fan here) I kind of expected Cubs fans to have the best yarns, thank you. I'm a Giants fan and flew back to spend a 4 game series with Cubbie fans at Wrigley, we lost 4 straight which was a little embarrassing but the one thing I took away was how great Cubs fans are. Nothing greater than listening to an off key rendition of Go Cubs Go!

[BanksFanForever]

Great card. BTW, Love the idea of giving away to Cubs/Banks collector for captivating story. I've always loved Ernie even though I didn't get to watch him in his playing years (only in my 30's). I did get my one and only shot to meet him at a AAA game in Peoria IL a couple years before he passed -> BUT ONLY BECAUSE HE STAYED 3 & HALF HOURS after he was supposed to continuing to sign autographs for fans. Truly a gentleman and very passionate man. You can't help but respect a guy in his 80's that stays till the very end signing for every last person. You should have seen his face when he signed my 1955 Topps. Said "Woah haven't seen that young man in quite awhile" laughing at himself.

Ps. Not looking to get the Banks, I have a few already of the 1970 and needs to go to Cubs/Banks collector that maybe just got into vintage. But always love hearing stories about Mr Cub. Can't wait to hear some others that post on here. Hope it goes to someone who doesn't have this one.
Lance

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[kmac32]

Okay true story.

I 2007 I went to Cubs fantasy camp and Ernie Banks, my childhood idol showed up. Talked with him a couple of times that week. Great guy.

One night some buddies and I went into the photographers suite and Ernie was there. He was talking to the guys and keep in mind, Ernie never talked about himself and always wanted to know about the person he was talking to. It came my turn and Ernie said to me”Who is your boss?” I replied to Ernie, “my wife is my boss”! He said call your boss up so I called my wife up for him to talk to her. (You do not tell Mr Cub no). My wife thought I was yanking her chain and she said you guys are so funny. I said, I’m not kidding, Mr Banks wants to talk to you. She still didn’t believe me so I told her I was serious and handed the phone to Ernie.

Ernie said to her”your husband says you are the boss”! She said, “yes Mr Banks, I am the boss!” They must have been on the phone for 15 minutes talking and she was thrilled. Not often that Mr Cub himself asks to talk to your spouse. He was so nice and definitely did not have to do that. Says a lot about him as a man and person in general.

Several years later, I met his son Joey at Cubs camp. Just as kind as his father and a real gentleman. Such a great memory. P.s. the team I was on won camp title that year and it was the 25th anniversary camp making it special. Also Eddie Vedder was there and he gave his first public singing of “one day we’ll go all the way”. Such a wonderful year for me.

[whitehse]

You are awesome for offering this card.

How about this one....Wrigley Field is haunted.

I had worked as game day security at Wrigley in the early to mid 80's and would hear from the other full time security guys, the cleaning staff and others that some funky stuff was going on in the main offices. Not being a believer in ghosts I blew them off. It wasnt long after that I was offered a full time position in the stadium operations department but I would be low man on the totem pole meaning I would do all the crap work like if the security guy did not show up for the night shift, I was expected to step up and take his place....stuff like that. I was thrilled to find out the security guy didnt show up quite often and that I would be handed the keys to a National Treasure and I would be all alone...or so I thought.

It all started on a cold January day when nobody had been in the ball park for quite some time. I had to walk by the umpires locker room which was in what seemed like a crawl space of the old ball park when suddenly the moment I stepped in front of the umpires room at three in the morning a radio inside the locker room turned on at an ultra high decibel. Needless to say it scared the crap out of me and I ran like a sissy out to the field. I worked up the courage to return to the umpires room to check out the radio two minutes later and it was no longer playing and there was nobody in the locker room.

Late one Saturday a member of the front office was working in the upstairs offices by himself. Now the only way to get to these offices was to come past me so I knew exactly who was in the ball park at all times. Suddenly I got a phone call from the office staffer asking me what I wanted. I explained I did not call him and we eventually hung up the phone. Ten minutes later the guy called me and was a bit annoyed and said he didn't have time for games and demanded to know what I wanted. I explained I didn't call his name but he was still mad at me as he walked away. Ten minutes later I herd him coming down the stairs with a ashen look on his face. He looked me square in the eyes and said "don't f-ing lie to me...are you calling out and saying "Jim...come here...I need you"? I swore to him I had no idea what he was talking about and he looked me in the eye and said "someone is calling my name up there and I am outta here". That guy never worked late in the office ever again.

The cleaning ladies tell of a picture of old Mr. Wrigley that hung in the offices that was ALWAYS at a slight angle. Even after they fixed it not three minutes later it would be back hanging at an angle once again. There were rumors that Charlie Grimm's ashes were in an urn in the closet of a long time Cub employee who was grandfathered into a job when Mr. Wrigley sold the team to the Chicago Tribune. On one of those nights I felt comfortable enough to go into this employees office there was in fact something that resembled an Urn at the top of the closet with Charlie Grimm's name on it. Was it an urn or a long lost award given to the former Cub manager, well I never found out.

People do not realize many people die at the old ball park every year and even more ashes are spread there than one can even imagine so I have no doubt something is going on there. I always thought that I would walk up the stadium stairs in the middle of the night and see a ghost team made up of the '32 Yankees replying the World Series against the Cubs. It never happened but it was fun to sit in those seats when nobody was around and imagine the history that the old ball park saw.

I have lots of stories of the old ball park but that is enough for now I guess. I don't need the Banks card so you do not have to include me to be considered for the give away.

[Casey2296]

Awesome story Andrew thanks for sharing. Your story just reinforces my belief that Cubs fans are the best by a long margin.

[Casey2296]

Great story and pic Ken, thanks for sharing.