Cubs’ Ernie Banks statue moved downtown for tribute

Ernie Banks fans got their first chance to pay their respects to the most famous and beloved Cub after the statue of the Hall of Famer was placed in a downtown Chicago plaza Wednesday. One after another, fans stopped to see the statue that normally stands at Wrigley Field. The city and the Cubs took the statue out of storage – where it was being held while the ballpark is renovated – and put it on public display. The 83-year-old Banks died last Friday of a heart attack. A visitation will be held Friday, followed by a memorial service Saturday. By 7:30 a.m., Daley Plaza was growing crowded with fans admiring the statue of Banks, frozen in the batting stance that kids in Chicago in the 1950s and 1960s grew up imitating. They told stories about their own connections to Banks, whether it was watching him play or meeting him. – AP