CHICAGO - As he approached the casket to pay his respects to Ernie Banks, a steady flow of memories came rushing back to Billy Williams.There were so many from their Hall of Fame careers with the Chicago Cubs and their decades of friendship. And there was plenty of reminiscing during Fridays visitation.People not only here in Chicago but people around the world recognize the type of individual he was, Williams said. Its beginning to sink in now — Ive lost a great friend, youve lost a great friend.Banks hit 512 home runs and won two NL MVP awards. But hes remembered as much for his boundless enthusiasm — despite playing on mostly losing teams — and his desire to connect with everyone he met.Fans have been placing flowers outside Wrigley Field and stopping in Daley Plaza to take photos of his statue, which normally stands outside the ballpark. The city and the Cubs took the unprecedented step of taking the statue out of storage — where it been kept while the ballpark is renovated — and putting it on public display away from its usual home.On Friday, dignitaries and fans, some pausing to snap a picture, streamed past his casket draped with a giant Banks 14 jersey and a large photo of him in a Cubs cap smiling right behind it.A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, on what would have been his 84th birthday. After that, he will take one final trip to Wrigley. The procession will go by the statue before heading north past the ballparks famed marquee at the corner of Clark and Addison.Chairman Tom Ricketts said the Cubs will do everything we can to honour Banks and dedicate the season to him, although he did not have any details. He said they are still finalizing plans.Baseballs lost a great icon, Hall of Fame teammate Fergie Jenkins said.Jenkins talked about Banks love of day games and carpooling with him and Williams from the South Side to Wrigley. He also mentioned the nickname he gave Banks.Forget Mr. Cub or Mr. Sunshine. To Jenkins, Banks was AM and FM.He was like a radio. You couldnt turn him off, Jenkins said.Williams recalled babysitting Banks children and thanked them for lending me your father that many years. He said he tried to call Banks a few days before he died but was unable to reach him. When he got the news, it hit hard.It was hard to believe at that time, Williams said. I went to sleep. And then when I woke up that morning, I said, This is a dream. This is a dream. This individual, he made a lot of people happy. He was always joyous, and to wind up with a heart attack, it was really something.When I got the word, I was upstairs. I remember putting the phone on the bed and just putting my head on the bed and just thinking about the times we had through the years.One of Williams favourite memories was when Banks called to say he was going to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The ceremony at the White House was in November 2013 and Banks wanted his friend to attend.It was one of the moments we shared, Williams said. He was so joyous about it. I think back and I said, I was with Ernie for some of his greatest moments, and I really enjoyed that. Hes a guy that I will always — I will always — talk about, enjoy being his friend.Banks was not afraid to take on bigger issues, whether he was running for Chicago alderman in the 1960s or riding a Cubs float at Chicagos gay pride parade in recent years.People who did not really know Banks felt like they did.Longtime Cubs fan Trudie Acheatel recalled how he would walk around the ballpark talking to fans after he retired.He was so nice to us fans, said Acheatel, wearing a Banks jersey, plus a Cubs hat with two of his baseball cards and a pin in a protective plastic envelope attached. Ernie was such a wonderful gentleman.Whether he was talking to a teammate or a fan, Banks seemed more interested in learning about the other person than he was in discussing himself.In that sense, he was tough to crack. But he always found a way to connect, just like a great hitter.Ricketts saw it before his family purchased the Cubs. He met Banks at corporate events, and one thing struck him.When you do a speaking engagement, you have a contract. It says show up at this time, leave at this time, no autographs. Ernie would never leave. He would stay until the very last person got everything they wanted. He was just special that way. Wholesale Fake NBA Jerseys .C. - Blair Jones scored the eventual winner in the third period as the Abbotsford Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Oil Barons 3-2 in American Hockey League action on Friday. Fake NBA Jerseys 2019 . Strasburg (1-1) got 14 consecutive outs in one stretch and allowed only three hits, including Marcell Ozunas homer in the seventh. The right-handers lone walk was to the last batter he faced. Washingtons starter Wednesday, Jordan Zimmermann, left after a career-low 1 2-3 innings, leaving the bullpen "taxed," as manager Matt Williams put it. http://www.fakenbajerseys.com/ . MLB executive Joe Torre ruled on Tuesday nights game at Wrigley Field that was called after 4 1-2 innings. The Cubs were declared the winners by a 2-0 score. Now, it is instead a suspended game that will resume at 4:05 p. Fake NBA Jerseys Online . Masahiro Tanaka has touched down in the United States and the courting of the Rakuten Golden Eagles stud pitcher has begun in earnest by a bevy of MLB teams interested in the Japanese ace. Fake NBA Jerseys China . The union filed a grievance late Thursday, one day after Goodell suspended four players who participated in bounties from 2009-11. The complaint says Goodell is prohibited from punishing players for any aspect of the case occurring before the new collective bargaining agreement was signed last August.BROSSARD, Que. -- The feeling of impending doom that seems to have descended on the Montreal Canadiens fans had not reached the dressing room of their suburban training centre on Sunday afternoon. Centre David Desharnais even saw the notion of competing in a must-win Game 6 of their NHL Eastern Conference semifinal against the Boston Bruins as fun. The Canadiens trail the Bruins 3-2 ahead of the Monday night game at the Bell Centre. Desharnais recalled that his team was in the same predicament against Boston in the first round in 2011 and ended up winning 2-1 before falling in overtime in Game 7. "Its not the first time for all of us," said Desharnais. "Its fun. You play all year to be in this kind of situation, playing a big game at home. We need to take advantage of it." A 4-2 defeat in Boston on Saturday night, in which conceding the Bruins first two power-play goals of the series had them down 3-0 in the second period, has put the Canadiens on the brink of elimination. A concern is that they havent scored a goal at even strength in the last two games, including a 1-0 overtime loss in Game 4, which was the first time in four tries they failed to win on home ice in this years playoffs. But coach Michel Therrien said that was no reason to panic. "Were playing the Boston Bruins," he said. "They were the best team in the NHL in the regular season, so you have to give them credit. "We have to find a solution to be better five-on-five and we will. Thats the challenge to play against a team like that. But weve faced adversity through the course of the season and what I like about this group is weve always got that attitude when we face adversity. It wont be any different." Captain Brian Gionta added: "Were playing at home. For the most part of the series weve outplayed them and we feel comfortable." Going into the game in Boston, Therrien had called on his top offensive players to adjust better to the added intensity of playoff hockey. Max Pacioretty, a 39-goal scorer in the regular season who has one in nine playoff games, responded with lots of energy. He tied with P.K Subban for the team lead with six shots on goal and assisted on Subbans power-play goal late in the third period. Desharnais added three shots, but still has only one assist in the series. And Thomas Vanek, who has been quiet since potting two power-play goals in Game 2, was also held off the scoresheet. "We need everyone and Im part of that group, so obviously weve got to raise our game," said Vanek. "Starting from myself." The Austrian right-winger was acquired at the trade deadline to add puncch to the attack and mostly he has done that.dddddddddddd The Canadiens didnt need their top guns much as they swept the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, but their production has been missed against a tight defensive club like the Bruins, which seems to have six-foot-nine defenceman Zdeno Chara on the ice for every important shift. "Its been a little bit different series than Tampa," said Vanek. "Thats a big team over there and I thought overall its a team thats been playing well. "We knew from the get-go that they have depth and I think thats what makes them strong. But so do we. I dont think this series is about one or two players. Its about depth. We still believe in this group and well be ready to go." Bostons depth came through on Saturday as the third line of centre Carl Soderberg with Loui Eriksson and Matt Fraser produced a pair of goals. Fraser had scored the only goal in Game 4 as well. Therrien gave no hint whether he will stick with slow-moving defenceman Douglas Murray, against whom Bruins coach Claude Julien likes to put the Soderberg line. Murray replaced the much-smaller but more mobile Francis Bouillon after the first two games. He also wouldnt discuss his decision to replace veteran Daniel Briere with Brandon Prust, a more robust forward who looks to be playing through some sort of upper-body injury. "I dont want to talk about (Saturday) night," he said. "Whats important to us is we brought all the guys here today and everybody was upbeat." The Canadiens held an optional practice that included five players who played in Game 5: Prust, Murray, Travis Moen, Mike Weaver and Michael Bournival. "I dont think we have to change much," said Gionta. "We have to make some minor tweaks, but its a matter of playing our game. "I thought in the second period we lost some momentum. It went from a 1-0 to a 3-0 game and from that point, youre chasing the game. So its not huge adjustments by any means." The game was marred by an incident late in the third period just after Subban scored Montreals second goal. Subban was skating past the Boston bench during the play when he had water squirted into his face from the bench by Bruins forward Shawn Thornton. No penalty was called but the NHL fined Thornton US$2,820.52 for unsportsmanlike conduct Sunday. Gionta feels that was ample punishment. "I still havent seen what happened," he said. "But from what Ive read or whatever Ive heard, it seems fair enough. "Ive seen worse. I guess what theyre trying to do is get guys off their game." ' ' '