Happy Birthday Mr. Banks

"Let's Play Two!"

Today is January 31, 2007, it is also Mr. Cub's 76th birthday. The greatest Cub player off all time came up with the Cubs in September 1953 and was a shining star on the awful Cub teams of the 1950's and early 60's. Banks won back-to-back NL MVP's in 1958 and 59.

I don't think I can put the Hall of Famer into proper perspective. He has meant so much to the Cubs organization and Cub fans for 54 years. As most of you know Banks was the Cubs first black player. When he arrived with the Cubs the club record for career homeruns was 231 by Gabby Hartnett. Banks hit his 231st career homerun at the start of his seventh full season with the Cubs in 1960. He went on to hit 512 career homeruns (a record since broken by Sammy Sosa). Ernie has been a great ambassador for the Cubs and baseball since he retired at the end of the 1971 season.

There is only one Mr. Cub. Happy Birthday Ernie Banks!

UPDATE: Thanks to e-mailer poppopfishy for sending me an e-mail about Gene Baker. I mentioned above that Ernie was the Cubs first black player. That is partly right. But, I really should have mentioned Baker when I made that comment. You see, the Cubs signed Baker first. But Ernie made the majors first breaking the Cubs color barrier on September 17, 1953. 3 days later Baker joined Banks making his debut on September 20, 1953.

Cub spinoff part of Tribune restructuring plan?

As I sit and wait for the SuperBowl this Sunday I ran across a bit that seems to show the Cubs are going to be moved in the not-so-distant-future.

Today's Crain's Chicago Business is reporting the Tribune is in talks with priivate equity firms to restructure. As part of the restructuring the TV stations and the Chicago National League Ballclub would be spunoff. Here is what Carin's reported:

Tribune Co. is in talks with private-equity firms about a new deal to restructure the media conglomerate that may include spinning off its television stations and Chicago Cubs baseball team, the company's own Chicago Tribune said Saturday.

Citing sources close to the matter, the Chicago Tribune said management is mulling options from several private-equity firms, including Chicago-based Madison Dearborn Partners, after offers tendered by the Chandlers and Los Angeles billionaires Eli Broad and Ron Burkle were not deemed high enough.

And what would one of these reports be without mention of the Carlyle Group? This from the last paragraph:

A proposal from Washington, D.C.-based private-equity firm Carlyle Group to purchase the television stations for more than $4 billion still stands.

Pep Rally this Weekend!

This page will not be any place for news on the Pep Rally this weekend at Chicago Hilton and Towers. I trust that the guys at GROTA will give you some real good info, Andy Dolan usually writes a fuckin' hillarious piece after the convention and there will probably be some spin from the MSM.

My favorite comment on the Pep Rally came from the Trib's very own Paul Sullivan who wrote this earlier in the week:

The Cubs come out of hibernation this week for the annual off-season spinfest known as the Cubs Convention, hoping to assure a shell-shocked fan base that last year's 96-loss disaster won't be repeated.

Don't tell McVicker, I'm gonna ditch this one and smoke cigarettes in the parking lot. Anyone wanna join me.

More importantly there is a football game on the lakefront this Sunday. Go Bears! (visit Midway Chat for the latest on the Monsters)