UPTOWN — As the Chicago Cubs seek to make history in the World Series, the legend who earned the nickname "Mr. Cub" rests just a few blocks North of Wrigley Field.
Ernie Banks, who died in January 2015, is buried in front of Lake Willowmere at Graceland Cemetery, Clark Street and Irving Park Road in Uptown.
[Graceland Cemetery/DNAinfo/Josh McGhee]
[Graceland Cemetery/DNAinfo/Josh McGhee]
The ebullient infielder, who is honored with a statue outside Wrigley Field, died of a heart attack a week before his 84th birthday.
Banks played 19 seasons on the North Side, making his debut in 1953. He retired in 1971 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977.
He was a 14-time All Star and won back-to-back National League MVPs in 1958 and 1959. He hit 47 homers with 129 RBI in 1958, and 45 homers with 143 RBI in 1959.
His 500th home run, to deep left in Wrigley Field, is an iconic moment in Cubs history, with broadcaster Jack Brickhouse celebrating: "He did it! He did it!"
Banks finished with 512 home runs — including an NL-record 277 as a shortstop.
He ushered in a number of firsts for the Cubs, including being the team's first black player.
When he took over the team following the ejection of his manager in 1973, he became Wrigley's first black manager.
When his number was retired in 1982, he was the first Cub to have his number hang from the foul pole.
Mr. Cub was buried at the North Side cemetery a week after his death, though an early will had asked his body be cremated and his ashes scattered at Wrigley Field when the wind was blowing out, according to the Chicago Tribune.
According to the Tribune, the gray granite headstone is temporary and in the spring a more elaborate marker will be erected by private donors.
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