Ernie Honored by The President

From this morning's Tribune...

Banks, 82, a bald and bespectacled Hall of Famer still called "Mr. Cub" more than 40 years after retiring, was saluted by Obama for his rise from a $7-a-day player in the Negro Leagues to the first African-American to suit up for Chicago's North Side ballclub.

The president extolled Banks' 512 home runs and exhortation, "Let's play two." He said as a White Sox fan, he respected Banks' "eternal faith that someday the Cubs would go all the way."

"And that's serious belief," the president said.

Banks, speaking after the ceremony, said he was proud of having played for one team in one city under one mayor (Richard J. Daley), for one owner (P.K. Wrigley) and in one home park (Wrigley Field) under sunlight — what he called "God's light."