CHICAGO - As he approached the casket to pay his respects to Ernie Banks, a steady flow of memories came rushing back to Billy Williams. Nike Shoes Discount Australia .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. Vapormax Flyknit Sale Australia . -- Sonny Grays fastball wasnt as sharp as it usually is, and the Oakland Athletics young pitcher even had a quirky replay go against him. Nike Air Max 1 Australia . - Chelseas 1-0 win at the Etihad, spoiling Manchester Citys perfect home record continues to be the talking point of the week. http://www.salenikeshoesaustralia.com/air-vapormax-clearance/vapormax-97-cheap.html . JOHNS, N.Irving, TX (Sports Network) - Alabama sits at its usual perch atop the BCS standings, which were released Sunday for the first time this season. The two-time reigning BCS champion Crimson Tide have been nothing short of spectacular in rolling to a perfect 7-0 record, outscoring their opponents, 201-16, over the past five games. The dominating display has Alabama No. 1 in the USA Today and Harris Poll and an overall BCS composite of .984. The second spot in the original standings went to Florida State (6-0, .935) following its thorough 51-14 blowout of former title contender Clemson on Saturday. The strength of the Seminoles schedule gave them the No. 1 spot in the computer rankings and a slight edge over Oregon (7-0), which sits third at .932 despite not being seriously tested thus far. That may change Saturday when the Ducks host UCLA. A weekend full of upsets resulted in a lot of changes in the polls, as Cllemson, UCLA, LSU, Texas A&M and Louisville all lost. Onitsuka Tiger Outlet Australia. . Ten unbeaten teams remain, including Ohio State and Missouri, which came in at fourth and fifth, respectively, in the BCS poll. Stanford, Miami-Florida, Baylor, Clemson and Texas Tech round out the top-10, while potential BCS busters Fresno State (6-0) and Northern Illinois (7-0) sit at 17 and 18, respectively. Stanford is the highest ranked one-loss team. This is the final year the national championship will be determined by the BCS standings, which factor in the USA Today Poll, the Harris Poll and six computer rankings. A highly anticipated four-team playoff will be installed for the 2014 season. Alabama and Notre Dame played in the BCS final last year, and the Crimson Tide won handily, 42-14, en route to their third championship in four years. The win also extended the SECs streak to seven consecutive national champions. ' ' '