Baseball: World Series: Chicago Cubs cap on homeplate with World Series logo before game vs Cleveland Indians at Wrigley Field. Game 4. Equipment. Chicago, IL 10/29/2016 CREDIT: Stephen Green (Photo by Stephen Green /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: SI600 TK4 )
Sports Illustrated via Getty Images
Few peripheral figures around baseball become as recognizable as the players on the field, but that was the case for one longtime fixture at Chicago Cubs home games.
For generations of fans watching games at Wrigley Field or on television, one familiar face behind home plate became part of the backdrop of nearly every home game.
With a signature pink hat that turned him into one of the most recognizable figures in Cubs history, James Anixter became a standout fan at Cubs games with a legacy that is formerly honored by the team after his recent death.
Chicago Cubs Lose One Of Wrigley Field’s Most Familiar Faces
After attending Cubs games for nearly six decades, Anixter — better known as the “Pink Hat Guy” — has died at age 81.
“For nearly six decades, Chicago Cubs fans at Wrigley Field or watching a game from their couches saw James Anixter sit diligently behind home plate,” Allison Kiehl reported for the Chicago Tribune. “Through thick and thin, from the Cubs’ triple-digit-loss season of 2012 to their 2016 World Series championship, Anixter was there for it all… However, for the rest of this season, Anixter’s seats behind the plate since 1967 will go unfilled. Anixter, Wrigleyville’s beloved ‘Pink Hat Guy,’ died Tuesday night from complications with surgery, according to his family. He was 81 years old.”
Anixter rarely missed home games over his six decade stretch and the team has honored that commitment by affixing his name permanently to his Section 18 seats at Wrigley.