Chicago Tribune, January 31, 2015

To the Editor:

When I worked at Lerner Newspapers in the mid-’70s we put together a softball team and challenged our suburban rivals, the Pioneer Press. Someone there knew Ernie Banks and asked him to umpire. You can imagine what a pleasure and honor it was to step up to the plate with Mr. Cub calling balls and strikes! He was a tremendous ambassador for baseball, sport and Chicago, and an outstanding exemplar of decency, character and the simple joy of being alive.

Les Jacobson
Evanston, IL