Ernie Banks

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ernie Banks

Number retired on 22 August 1982
Positions First Base
(1,259-games)
SS (1125-gms)
3B (69-games)
OF (23-games)
MLB Seasons 19
Teams Chicago Cubs
Debut 17 Sept. 1953 (CHC)
Final Game 26 Sept. 1971 (CHC)
Total Games 2,528 batting
(2,476 fielding)
LCS Appearances (none)
World Series Teams (none)
Allstar Teams 1955, 1956,
1957, 1958,
1959, 1960,
1961, 1962,
1965, 1967,
1969
Awards NL MVP
(1958, 1959)
League Leader RBIs (1958-129; 1959-143)
League Leader Home Runs (1958-47; 1960-41)
Gold Glove (1960)
Lou Gehrig Memorial Award (1967)
National Baseball Hall of Fame (1977)
Nickname
"Mr. Cub"

Ernest "Ernie" Banks (born January 31, 1931 in Dallas, Texas) is an American former Major League baseball player who played his entire career with the Chicago Cubs (1953-1971). Banks is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. His nickname was Mr. Cub. He currently resides in the Los Angeles area.

Contents

[edit] Playing career

Baseball Hall of Fame
Ernie Banks
is a member of
the Baseball
Hall of Fame

Banks signed with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League in 1950 and broke into the major leagues in 1953 with the Chicago Cubs as their first black player. He played for the Cubs his entire career, starting at shortstop and moving to first base in 1962. Banks wore number 14 as a Cub, and is one of only four Cubs players who have had their number retired by the organization. He is well known for his catch phrase of, "It's a beautiful day for a ballgame... Let's play two!", expressing his wish to play a double-header every day out of his pure love for the game of baseball, especially in his self-described "friendly confines of Wrigley Field." In 1955, he set the record for grand slams in a single season with 5, a record that stood for over twenty years.

Banks won the National League Most Valuable Player Award twice, in 1958 and 1959 despite the fact that the Cubs were not pennant contenders during the season. Jimmy Dykes reportedly remarked that, "Without Ernie Banks, the Cubs would finish in Albuquerque!"[1]

On September 2, 1965, Banks hit his 400th home run, and five years later, on May 12, 1970 at Chicago's Wrigley Field, hit his 500th home run. Banks finished his career with 512 home runs, the most ever by a shortstop. Ernie Banks also currently holds the record for most extra base hits by a Cub with 1,009.

[edit] Coaching career

On December 1, 1971, Banks retired as a player, and the Cubs signed him as a coach.

On May 8, 1973, Cubs manager Whitey Lockman was ejected from the game. Coach Ernie Banks filled in as manager for the two innings of the 12-inning 3-2 win over the San Diego Padres. Thus, he was technically, if not officially, MLB's first black manager, predating Frank Robinson's hiring by almost two years.

[edit] Honors

Banks is regarded as one of the most popular baseball players in Chicago sports history. He was a constant promoter of the Cubs and of daytime play at Wrigley Field. His popularity and positive attitude led to the nicknames "Mr. Cub" and "Mr. Sunshine".

On August 22, 1982, his uniform number 14 became the first to be retired by the Cubs. It had already been de facto retired for nearly 9 years, not having been assigned to anyone else following Banks' retirement from the coaching ranks.

In 1977, in his first year of eligibility, Banks was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

In 1999, he ranked Number 38 on The Sporting News list of Baseball's Greatest Players, and was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

[edit] Other

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Ernie Banks operated car dealership Ernie Banks Ford on Stoney Island Avenue in Chicago.

In June of 2006, Crain's Chicago Business reported that Ernie Banks was part of a group looking into buying the Chicago Cubs, in case the Tribune Company decidefs to sell the club.[2] However, in April 2007, the Cubs, and other parts of the Tribune Entertainment Company were sold to a group led by businessman Sam Zell, who is undecided on his intent whether or not to sell the team after aquiring control.

[edit] Stats

  • Height: 6'- 1"
  • Weight: 180 lb (82 kg)
  • Bats: Right
  • Throws: Right
  • Uniform number: 14
  • MLB
    • Batting average: .274
    • Hits: 2,583
    • RBIs: 1,636
    • Home runs: 512
  • Cubs' all-time leader:
    • Games played (2,528)
    • At-bats (9,421)
    • Total bases (4,706)
  • Major League Single Season Records
    • 5 grand slam home runs in 1955

[edit] Years led league by statistical category

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Hank Aaron		 National League Home Run Champion
1958		 Succeeded by
Eddie Mathews
Preceded by
Hank Aaron		 National League RBI Champion
1958-1959		 Succeeded by
Hank Aaron
Preceded by
Hank Aaron		 National League Most Valuable Player
1958, 1959		 Succeeded by
Dick Groat
Preceded by
Eddie Mathews		 National League Home Run Champion
1960		 Succeeded by
Orlando Cepeda
Preceded by
Brooks Robinson		 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award
1967		 Succeeded by
Al Kaline
Major League Baseball | MLB All-Century Team

Nolan Ryan | Sandy Koufax | Cy Young | Roger Clemens | Bob Gibson | Walter Johnson | Warren Spahn | Christy Mathewson | Lefty Grove
Johnny Bench | Yogi Berra | Lou Gehrig | Mark McGwire | Jackie Robinson | Rogers Hornsby | Mike Schmidt | Brooks Robinson | Cal Ripken, Jr. | Ernie Banks | Honus Wagner
Babe Ruth | Hank Aaron | Ted Williams | Willie Mays | Joe DiMaggio | Mickey Mantle | Ty Cobb | Ken Griffey, Jr. | Pete Rose | Stan Musial
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../e/r/n/Ernie_Banks_1bb2.html"
In other languages