Cubs’ 60-Year Standout, Wrigley Legend, Dies After ‘Complications’ In Surgery

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 )

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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.

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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.

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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.

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While his visible support for the Cubs made him famous, Anixter also built an accomplished career away from the ballpark.

“While Anixter may be remembered by Cubs fans for his attire, his family notes his accomplishments in his obituary,” WIFR’s Forrest Nelson reported. “He served for 22 years as executive vice president of Anixter Brothers, a wholesale wire and cable distribution founded by his father and uncle.”

And, following his death, Anixter’s family also emphasized just how deeply baseball shaped his life.

“In an ode to a life devoted to Cubs fandom, Darren Anixter, one of Anixter’s four children, described his dad as ‘the greatest Cubs fan of all time,’” Kiehl added.

That permanent tribute on his old seats ensures that future fans will remember the man whose familiar presence became intertwined with the Cubs experience. While players, managers and front-office executives came and went over nearly 60 years, Anixter remained a constant, witnessing everything from rebuilding seasons to the franchise-ending 2016 World Series championship.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com

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