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Ernie Banks
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Ernie Banks was born on January 31, 1931 in
Dallas, Texas and played from from 1953 to 1971. Ernie 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. Banks played for the Cubs his
entire career starting at shortstop and moving to first base in
1962. Banks, who wore the number 14 as a Cub, is one of only
three Cubs players who have had their number retired by the
organization, along with Billy Williams (#26) and Ron Santo
(#10). Both were teammates of Banks' in the 1960's and 70's.
Growing up in Dallas, Ernie was bribed by his father with
nickels and dimes to play catch. Banks, more interested in
softball than baseball, was a high school star in both football
and basketball, and once ran a 52-second quarter mile. |
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At the age of 17, he signed on to play
baseball with a Negro barnstorming team for $15 a game. Cool
Papa Bell later signed him for the Kansas City Monarchs. He
returned to them after two years in the army, and the Cubs
discovered him there at the end of the 1953 season. The
22-year-old went right to the Cubs and hit his first homer
on September 20, 1953, off Gerry Staley in St. Louis. He
quickly replaced Roy Smalley, Sr., as the regular Cub
shortstop in 1954. Starting with his first game in 1953, he
played 424 consecutive games until fracturing his hand
midway through the 1956 season. His best years were his
consecutive MVP years in 1958 and 1959. He hit .313 and .304
respectively -- his only full years over .300 -- and led the
league in RBI both years, with 129 and a career-high 143. |
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He also hit a league-leading and career-high
47 HR in 1958 and added another 45 in 1959. From 1955 to 1960,
Banks hit more homers than anyone in the majors, including
Mantle, Mays, and Aaron. At the end of the 1959 season, he was
so popular that the Cubs wanted to give him his own day. The
modest Banks gratefully declined, saying that he hadn't been
around long enough to be so honored. At first, Banks's fielding
was erratic. He posted error totals of 34, 22, and 25 early in
his career, culminating in a league-leading 32 in 1958. He
worked dilligently to cut his errors down to 12 in 1959, then a
record for shortstops, and led NL shortstops in fielding in both
1960 (he won a Gold Glove) and 1961. Meanwhile, he kept hitting.
In the first 1960 All-Star game he had a two-run homer in a 5-3
NL victory, and he ended the season leading the league in HR for
the second time, with 41. |
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Even though Banks had led the league in
fielding the previous two seasons, injuries to his legs had cut
down his range, so he accepted a move to first base in 1962.
When Leo Durocher took over the team in 1966, he kept bringing
up young phenoms to replace Banks, but none did. Banks won the
fielding title at his new position in 1969, and led NL first
basemen in assists five times. By 1970, his legs had begun to
weaken from nagging injuries and arthritis. On May 12, 1970, he
hit his 500th homer, the most avidly anticipated event in
Wrigley Field history, with the possible exception of the first
night game. After Banks's retirement in 1971, the Cubs hoisted a
pinstriped pennant with his number 14 atop the left field foul
pole at Wrigley Field. He was the first Cubs player to have his
number retired. |
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