It was a moment that left the baseball world breathless. Ferguson Jenkins – the legendary pitcher who once graced the Chicago Cubs – returned to the resting place of his greatest teammate, Ernie Banks, whom he once called “the light of the locker room, the soul of the team.”
In the photo that went viral, Jenkins stood alone, his hand resting lightly on a headstone depicting Banks holding a bat – an everlasting symbol of the “Let’s play two!” spirit that Cubs fans will never forget. Behind him was a peaceful view of a lake and green trees – a stark contrast to the vibrant, bright years under the lights of Wrigley Field that the two shared.
“Ernie is the guy who made me love baseball more,” Jenkins once said in an interview. “He was more than just a teammate, he was a brother, a friend, someone who always made the team believe that tomorrow would be better.”
When Ernie Banks passed away in 2015, baseball lost a piece of its soul. But for Ferguson Jenkins, the loss never faded. He still vividly remembers the afternoons Banks beamed in the locker room, shrugged after a home run, and shouted, “One more game, Ferguson? Let’s play two!”
Now, nearly a decade later, Jenkins—who threw more than 3,000 strikeouts and is a Hall of Fame hero—returned to his friend’s resting place as a final promise. “I told Ernie I would never forget him,” Jenkins shared in a post that brought fans to tears.
They say time heals all wounds, but for Ferguson Jenkins, it seems the wound of Ernie Banks is still there, just covered with memories and gratitude.
The image of the 81-year-old legend bowing his head before his teammate’s grave has become a touching symbol of friendship in sports – where there is not only victory, glory or titles, but also humanity, gratitude and memories that never die.
And in the moment when the wind gently shook the branches, people thought they could hear Ernie Banks’ laughter echoing from afar: “Come on, Fergie, let’s play two…” — a simple sentence but enough to make the entire baseball world silent.
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