4

The road scholar

Banks, who has two adult children and two grandchildren, enjoys traveling. He always begins by researching his destinations and comes home with new facts to dispense. The magnets on his refrigerator, from places like Detroit, San Antonio, Sacramento, New Orleans, Orlando, reflect his love of exploration. Discussing his trips is like tugging on a string.

“Lincoln was shot on the 14th, he died on the 15th, he was the 16th president and they carried him 1,700 miles,” he said, referring to Lincoln’s assassination in April 1865 and the three-week funeral train procession that followed. “My favorite building of all time is the Empire State building. It was built in 1931 in New York City. The 31st state is California. California became a state in 1850. This past year California, in Santa Clara, had the 50th Super Bowl. The mayor of Sacramento, Kevin Johnson, was 50 years old this year.”

His travels have connected him with key moments in history. During a trip to Memphis, he visited the Lorraine Hotel, where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed. In Little Rock, Ark., he stopped by Central High School, desegregated over a defiant governor’s unlawful intentions with the help of federal troops in 1957. He recalled watching the rancor on television all those years ago.

“I wanted to see this building where the Little Rock Nine were marched in,” he said. “When I got there it was quiet and peaceful. I just tried to drift back in time to see how courageous those kids were.”

Banks was married for a few years, as a young man. Today he and his longtime friend and companion Geri Dunlap enjoy traveling and spending time together.

“From the time I met him he’s always carried himself in a dignified manner,” she said.

Occasionally she’ll try coming up with a topic to stump him with, but it hasn’t worked yet.

“He’ll go and research it.” she said. “He loves to read.”

They both love sports, too. They’ve talked about marriage, but a bit of independence suits them both.

“I had my home, he had his,” Dunlap said. “Maybe one day.”

Banks demurred at the notion.

“I’m so mean and hard to get along with,” he said with, literally, a twinkle in his eye.

❏ ❏ ❏

If you put a stethoscope to Walter Banks’ chest, it is tempting to imagine that instead of the usual thump-thump-thump, you’d hear the crack of a bat or the smack of a glove with every beat of his heart.

He works Section 107 at Turner Field, just behind and to the right of home plate, welcoming fans and helping them find their seats. That’s pretty prime real estate; a seat there for Monday night’s game against Cincinnati is $77, probably pricing out some families, given the additional cost of parking, snacks and souvenirs. Banks figures out a way to share his premium slice of the ballpark with a different fan each game.

On game day he drives from his home in the Cascade Road area to the Hamilton E. Holmes MARTA station, rides the train to Five Points, then catches the No. 32 bus for Turner Field. He strolls through the Braves’ fan plaza, looking for a stranger to surprise.

“I look around and just pick somebody out, and I hope they’re from out of town,” he said. “I’ll stop and speak to them. They’ll tell them me where they’re from. I’ll say, ‘Do me a favor. When you get inside, come over to 107 and I’ll let you experience batting practice.’”

Such inspired acts of kindness have made him a cherished ballpark figure among fans and a mentor to his fellow ushers.

“You can’t teach that,” said usher Damion Carpenter, who’s been working with Banks for nine years. “It says a lot about his character.”

Usher J.D. Goldstein talks about the time he worked Banks’ section like kids recall the time they caught a fly ball or scored a favorite player’s autograph.

“My first season I was like, ‘That’s Walter Banks,’” said Goldstein, who grew up seeing Banks at games he attended at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. He became a colleague three years ago.

“Our job out here is to make memories for the fans, but I’ve been making memories for myself, and Walter Banks is at the top of my list,” Goldstein said. “Working with Walter is like working with an icon. Everybody in the stands knows him. Everyone wants to shake Walter’s hand.”