'Mr. Cub:' One Newspaperman's Encounter With Ernie Banks

Chicagoans gathered at a downtown church on Friday to say goodbye to “Mr. Cub.” Ernie Banks died late last week at the age of 83. He played his entire 19-year Major League career with Chicago, earning 14 trips to the All-Star game. But, as Chicago Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg sat down to pen his remembrance of Banks, he was worried he might not have anything to add.

"I was hesitant to pile on," Steinberg told Only A Game. "I mean, the city was moved by Ernie Banks' death. Everyone who could flop their hands on a keyboard was writing about him. I only had this one story."

Click the play button above to hear Steinberg's story.

You can read Steinberg’s full Chicago Sun-Times column “Ernie Banks: One of a Vanishing Breed" here. He blogs at everygoddamnday.com.