"Let's play two".....................................

      "Cub history before Banks seems archaic, cold.  You can admire the statistics of Hack Wilson, or groove on that three-note poem Tinker to Evers to Chance, but that's black and white, whereas Ernie is Technicolor.  Failing with him was not always fun;  failing without him would've been intolerable.  His philosophical position was existentialist.  He seemed to say, Yes, you will lose, yes, you will die, but it's a beautiful day, a wonderful park.  His great saying, "Let's play two," is as defiantly hopeful as anything by Sinatra."  -as excerpted from Rich Cohen's Ode to Joy in the 2/2/15 Sports Illustrated issue

More on Ernie Banks here.  Growing up in the '50's and '60's, well, things were simpler back then.  The Phillies would be bad, but the Cubs would be worse.  (At least that's how I remember it.  No fair looking up the actual standings and proving me wrong.)  It was one of those strange things.  They had great players in Banks, Billy Williams, and Ron Santo and were always fun to watch, but something always seemed to happen.