Books and articles about Ernie Banks

He will always be "Mr. Cub," the most popular player the Cubs ever had. His sunny personality is legend, as is his refrain on a sunny day: "Let's play two!" The first black player on the Cubs, Banks came up as a shortstop, where he won consecutive MVP awards, but actually played more games at first base. He is also one of a handful of Hall of Famers never to get into postseason play.

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RELATED LINKS » 1967: The Fury at Fenway » 1971: Red Smith on Ernie Banks Photos » Photo: Ernie Banks and Satchel Paige from Black Baseball in Chicago » Photo: Ernie Banks & The Cubs (1953) from Black Baseball in Chicago Book Excerpts » "You’ll never believe this, but at one time, Ernie never said one thing": Ralph Kiner » "The first game Ernie Banks ever played in, he used my glove": Eddie Miksis » Ernie Banks from Banks to Sandberg to Grace » "We didn’t know we weren’t a good team because we had Ernie Banks": Moe Drabowsky Submissions » One Man Can't Do It Alone: Sosa Proves That One-Man Shows Don't Bring Pennants by Tommy Szarka Matchups » Who's Better: Ernie Banks or Cal Ripken? Ask The Experts » Who has the most career home runs at each position? Around the Web » Ernie Banks from baseball-reference.com » Ernie Banks from thebaseballpage.com Jump directly to Library content from any website!

Growing up in Dallas, Banks had to be bribed with nickels and dimes by his father 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. 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.

Like his contemporary, Hank Aaron, Banks didn't look like a power hitter. He was slim, with powerful thighs, and he held his bat high, wiggling it nervously while waiting for the pitch. Like Aaron he got his power from amazingly quick and strong wrists. A teammate of his once remarked that Banks had "wrists right up to his armpits." An opposing player noted that he often "hits the ball right out of the catcher's mitt." In 1955, he switched to a lighter bat, starting a trend. He then went out and smacked 44 HR, the most ever for a shortstop, including three in one day at Wrigley against Pittsburgh and an NL-record five grand slams. 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. 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. By 1964, Banks had relented, and the honorary day was held.

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.

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. (SEW)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » June 3, 1911: In Chicago, Cubs slugger Frank "Wildfire" Schulte hits a grand slam off Rube Marquard to beat the Giants, 8–4. Schulte will slam four this season, a record tied by Babe Ruth in 1919 and topped by Ernie Banks' five in 1955. The four this season are Schulte's only grand slams in his 11-year career. Ed Reulbach picks up the victory. » September 17, 1953: The Cubs Ernie Banks goes 0-for-3 and makes an error in his first ML game, as the Phillies win 16-4. » September 20, 1953: Ernie Banks of the Cubs hits his first ML HR, against Gerry Staley, but the Cards win 11-6. » March 20, 1954: The Cubs send SS Roy Smalley to the Braves for P Dave Cole, opening up the shortstop job for Ernie Banks. » May 11, 1955: The Cubs click off five DPs in a 10–8 win over Brooklyn, snapping the Dodgers' 11-game winning streak. Ernie Banks hits a grand slam, the 1st of five he'll hit this year. The loss goes to Russ Meyer, who had beaten the Cubs 17 straight times and 22 times in his last 23 decisions against Chicago. » August 2, 1955: "Mr. Cub" Ernie Banks hits his 4th grand slam of the season, tying the major-league record, as Bob Rush bests the Pirates 12-4. » August 4, 1955: Ernie Banks hits three HRs at Wrigley against three Pirate pitchers, as the Cubs win 11-10. » September 19, 1955: Cubs slugger Ernie Banks hits his 5th grand slam of the season to set a new ML mark, but the Cubs lose 6-5 in 12 innings, to the Cardinals. » May 2, 1956: Twenty-five Giants and 23 Cubs appear —a ML record—in a 17-inning marathon finally won by the visiting Giants 6–5. The two teams combined to intentionally walk 11 batters, a record, with the Cubs contributing seven of the free passes. Losing pitcher Jim Brosnan chipped in with four walks, all intentional. Cub 3B Don Hoak was not one of the strollers, whiffing a National League record six times—all against different pitches, while Ernie Banks, Willie Mays and Wes Westrum were twice walked intentionally. Whitey Lockman starts in LF, goes to 1B, returns to LF, and finishes at 1B. Ex-Giants Monte Irvin is 0-for-5 against five pitchers. The game is six minutes shy of the 5:19 record set by the Dodgers-Braves in 20 innings in 1940. » July 18, 1957: Ernie Banks and Chuck Tanner of the Cubs both hit inside-the-park homers at spacious Forbes Field. The Cubs nip Pittsburgh 6-5. » September 29, 1957: Ernie Banks goes 5-for-5 against the Cardinals. » May 30, 1958: Cubs Walt Moryn hits three home runs in the 2nd game at Wrigley Field as the Cubs sweep the Dodgers 3–2 and 10–8. Moose scores the winning run in the opener and then in game two goes back to back with Ernie Banks in the 4th and Chuck Tanner in the 7th. His 2-run home run in the 9th tags Sandy Koufax with his 1st loss. » September 9, 1958: The Cardinals beat the Cubs, 8–7, with Jim Brosnan earning the win over his old team. Don Elston takes the loss. Ernie Banks hits his 1st home run in St. Louis in two years while Eddie Kasko cracks a grand slam. » November 25, 1958: The BBWAA names Chicago Cubs slugger Ernie Banks the 1958 MVP. Willie Mays is the runner-up. » April 14, 1959: Let's hit two! Ernie Banks clouts a pair of 2-run homers off Jack Sandford to give the Cubs a 5–2 win over the Giants. Bob Hillman pitches into the 9th inning for the win. Sanford won't forget and will hit Ernie three times this year with pitches, » November 4, 1959: "Mr. Cub" Ernie Banks wins his 2nd MVP award in a row on the strength of his 45 home runs and 143 RBI. Eddie Mathews finishes 2nd. » April 14, 1960: At San Francisco, the Cubs win 6–5 despite a helping hand by Cubs pitcher Moe Drabowsky. Moe, warming up in the bullpen when teammate Frank Thomas lines a ball down the 3B line, fields the double cleanly, and the interference holds Thomas to a single. But Thomas has a wind-blown double in the 9th to win the game. Ernie Banks has a grand slam in the 3rd to counter three solo homers by the Giants. » April 29, 1960: In St. Louis, the Cards crush the Cubs, 16–6. Stan Musial plays his 1,000th game at 1B, becoming the first player ever with that many at two positions (1,513 in the outfield). A bright spot for the Cubs is Ernie Banks hitting two homers to break Gabby Hartnett's club record of 231 home runs. » May 13, 1960: 15th Two days after being traded from the Phillies to the Cubs, Don Cardwell pitches a no-hitter. A brilliant, leaping catch of Carl Sawatski's drive by RF George Altman in the 8th inning saves Cardwell's gem. Ernie Banks' home run paces the 4–0 win, the first no-hitter against the Cards since May 11, 1919. » July 11, 1960: One-hit shutout pitching by Bob Friend and home runs by Ernie Banks and Del Crandall pace the National League to a 5–4 win over the American League at Kansas City's Municipal Stadium in the first of two All-Star Games. Friend has notched two of the NL's last three All-Star wins. » August 4, 1960: Believing that Chicago's Jim Brewer is throwing at him, the Reds 2B Billy Martin throws his bat toward the mound. Then, advancing to retrieve it from Brewer, who has picked it up. The two exchange words and Martin launches a hard overhand right that fractures the orbital bone of Brewer's right eye. Both benches empty and Martin continues swinging, decking Frank Thomas. Brewer requires surgery and will be out of action for a month. The Cubs win, 5–3, on Ernie Banks' homer at Wrigley. Martin will be fined $500 for the punch and Brewer and the Cubs will sue the combative infielder on August 22nd for $1,000,000. Years later, when the courts award Brewer $100,000, Martin's comment will be, "how can they ever collect it? I haven't got that kind of money," » September 18, 1960: Don Zimmer, Ron Santo, and George Altman hit 6th-inning home runs as the Cubs beat the Dodgers 5–2 at Wrigley Field. Chicago's biggest home run threat, Ernie Banks, sets a record by drawing his 27th intentional walk of the year. » May 23, 1961: At Chicago, Ernie Banks makes his debut in left field and goes 1-for-4 with no errors. But the Cubs lose, 2–1, in 10 innings to the Phillies. » May 28, 1961: Ernie Banks clouts a 2-out grand slam in the bottom of the 8th to tie the Giants at 4–4, but 1st-place San Francisco wins over the Cubs, 6–5. » June 2, 1961: The Cubs Ernie Banks ties a major-league record with three run-scoring sacrifice flies in one game. Chicago beats the Reds 7–6. » June 23, 1961: Ernie Banks voluntarily takes the bench as a sore knee brings his 717 consecutive-games-played streak to an end. The streak started August 26, 1956. The Bank-less Cubs still win 5–3 over the Braves at Wrigley. Joe Adcock, who applied the hidden ball trick last August 31 to George Altman, nabs another Cub, Billy Williams in the 8th. » April 22, 1962: The Cubs, 1–9 before today, hand the Cards their first defeats of the year, sweeping the Birds, 11–5 and 5–1. Ernie Banks hits a 3-run home run to start the scoring in the opener. » May 25, 1962: Ernie Banks is beaned by Moe Drabowsky and taken from the field on a stretcher, as Cincinnati beats Chicago 2–1. » May 29, 1962: Ernie Banks makes a spectacular return from his May 25th beaning with three HRs and a double against the Braves at Wrigley Field. Three teammates hit HRs, but the Cubs lose to the Braves, 11–9. Amado Samuel hits his 1st ML HR and Joe Torre and Joe Adcock also connect. The Cubs outhit the Braves, 15–8, but a Andre Rodgers error in the third opens the way for six unearned runs. » May 9, 1963: Ernie Banks becomes the first National League 1B to register 22 putouts (and 23 chances) in a game, as the Cubs beat Pittsburgh 3–1 on Dick Ellsworth's 2-hitter. Singles in the 2nd and 9th are the only Buc safeties, as they pound Ellsworth's slider into the ground. » June 9, 1963: Ernie Banks bangs solo homers off Sandy Koufax, in the 2nd and the 5th at Wrigley, and the Cubs kayo the ace with six earned runs in five 2/3 innings. But Sandy gets no decision as the Dodgers outslug the Cubs, 11–8. Larry Sherry is the winner over Cubs ace Dick Ellsworth, who has his worst outing of the year. » June 15, 1963: Ernie Banks, with 15 home runs up till now, will hit just three after this date. He is diagnosed with sub clinical mumps, a disease that stays in his blood and leaves him rundown and sick. » September 5, 1964: Ernie Banks belts a double and homer in the same inning, and the Cubs use the big score to beat the Cards, 8–5. Mike Cuellar takes the loss against Larry Jackson. » April 12, 1965: On opening day in Chicago, the Cards hand Bob Gibson a 5-run lead in the 1st inning against Larry Jackson. But the wind is blowing out and the game ends after 11 innings called because of darkness. The standoff is 10–10. For the Cubs, Roberto Pena makes three errors in seven chances but is 3-for-6 with home run and double. Ernie Banks hits the only other home run. » September 2, 1965: The Cubs beat St. Louis 5–3 at Wrigley Field, as Ernie Banks hits his 400th home run, a three-run shot off Curt Simmons, in the 3rd. Simmons teed up the 400th home run of Willie Mays in 1963. Banks will end the season with 28 home runs and 106 RBI. Ron Santo and Billy Williams will also knock in over 100 runs, the only team with three such sluggers, but the Cubs will finish 8th. » October 3, 1965: The Cubs tie a major-league record with their 3rd triple play of the season -- 1B Ernie Banks to SS Don Kessinger -- but Pittsburgh wins 6–3 at Forbes Field. Bill Faul is on the mound during each triple play. Submariner Ted Abernathy suffers the loss to Roy Face, but concludes a record season for appearances (84) and consecutive errorless games (84) for a pitcher. He has 31 saves. » June 11, 1966: Ernie Banks ties a modern major-league record with three triples, as Chicago wins 8–2 in the Astrodome. Chicago OF Adolfo Phillips also ties an major-league record by striking out nine straight times in two consecutive games (more than 18 innings). » June 25, 1967: Ernie Banks slams two 2-run homers to back rookie Joe Niekro's 3-hitter, and the Cubs win 80 over the Astros to sweep. Bill Hands hurls a 5-hitter in the opener to win, 4–1. Banks' 1st blast breaks up a pitching duel with Bo Belinsky and his 2nd caps a 5-run 7th. » July 31, 1968: Chicago's Billy Williams, Ernie Banks, and Jim Hickman hit 4th-inning home runs as Fergie Jenkins (12-10) beats the Astros 6–1 at Wrigley Field. » April 8, 1969: In the opener at Wrigley Field, the Cubs trail the Phillies 6–5 with one on in the 11th when Willie Smith hits a pinch homer into the RF bleachers to give Chicago the win. The Cubs will not drop out of first place for 155 days. Ernie Banks has a pair of homers for Chicago and is matched by Don Money's pair. » May 13, 1969: Cubs 1B Ernie Banks has seven RBI—including his 1,500th—on two 3-run homers and a double in Chicago's 19–0 blowout against San Diego, matching the biggest shutout margin in modern National League history. Cubs pitcher Dick Selma is the recipient, allowing just three hits, while Dick Kelley takes the loss. The Pads swapped Selma earlier in the season and he gives the Cubs their 3rd shutout in a row. Banks, Billy Williams and Randy Hundley leave after Oliver's home run in the 6th makes it 14–0, and Don Young caps a 5-run 7th with a 3-run homer. Selma's shutout follows consecutive shutouts by Ferguson Jenkins and Ken Holtzman. » February 27, 1970: The FBI arrests Lawrence Bankhead in Chicago, charging him with making threatening phone calls to Cubs' star Ernie Banks. » May 12, 1970: At Wrigley, Ernie Banks becomes the 8th member of the 500 home run club, connecting off Pat Jarvis during a 4–3 eleven-inning Cub win over the Braves. It his 1,600th career RBI. Frank Secory, an ex-Cub, is umpiring this game, and he was one of the umpires in the 1953 game in which Banks hit is first homer. Billy Williams' homer in the 9th ties the game and Ron Santo's RBI single in the 11th wins it. Atlanta's Rico Carty, meanwhile, has three singles and has hit in 30 consecutive games. » August 24, 1971: At Wrigley Field, Ernie Banks hits his 512th and final home run, connecting off the Reds Jim McGlothin in the 4th inning. Ernie moves past Mel Ott into an 8th place tie with Eddie Mathews on the all-time list. Chicago beats Cincy, 5–4. The Cubs will lose 10 of their next 12, however, to drop out of contention. » September 3, 1971: Owner Phil Wrigley takes out newspaper ads criticizing the Cubs players who want to dump manager Leo Durocher. A postscript adds, "If we could only find more team players like Ernie Banks." Banks will play his last game on September 26th. » September 26, 1971: Ernie Banks gets his 2,583rd hit, a first-inning single off the Phils Ken Reynolds, but the Cubs lose 5–1. It is the last hit of his 19-year ML career. » December 1, 1971: The Cubs release Ernie Banks and sign him as a coach. Mr. Cub finishes his playing career with 512 home runs and 1,636 RBI. » May 8, 1973: Cubs manager Whitey Lockman is ejected during a 12-inning 3–2 win over the Padres. Coach Ernie Banks fills in for the last few innings, technically becoming the ML's first black manager. Cubs Bob Locker pitches in his 500th game: all have been in relief, a ML record. » January 19, 1977: The BBWAA elects Ernie Banks to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. » August 5, 1980: Expos manager Dick Williams wins his 1,000th career game 11–5 over the Mets, at Olympic Stadium. He is 3rd in wins among active managers behind Gene Mauch and Earl Weaver. The Expos overcome the offense of Doug Flynn, who ties the modern major-league record with three triples. It was last done in the National League by Ernie Banks, in 1966. » November 18, 1981: Phillies 3B Mike Schmidt wins his 2nd consecutive National League MVP Award, joining Ernie Banks and Joe Morgan as the only NL players to win the award back-to-back. Schmidt hit .316 with 31 home runs and 91 RBI in the abbreviated season and also led the league in runs and walks. » November 8, 1983: Atlanta's Dale Murphy wins his 2nd consecutive National League MVP Award, joining Ernie Banks, Joe Morgan, and Mike Schmidt, who also accomplished that feat. Murphy hit .302 with 36 home runs, 121 RBI, and 30 SBs this season, and received 21 of a possible 24 first-place votes. » November 13, 1984: Ryne Sandberg wins the National League MVP Award, becoming the first Cub to do so since Ernie Banks in 1959. Sandberg hit .314 with 19 home runs and 32 stolen bases and led the NL in runs (114) and triples (19). He's a triple and homer short of being the first with 200 hits, 20 home runs, 20 triples, 20 doubles, and 20 steals. » June 20, 1985: Reggie Jackson's 513th home run sparks the Angels to a 4–0 win over the Indians and moves him past Ernie Banks and Eddie Mathews into 10th place on the all-time list. » October 6, 1985: Hubie Brooks drives in his 100th run of the season in Montreal's season-ending 2–1 win over the Mets, becoming the first National League shortstop with 100 RBI since Ernie Banks in 1960. » July 9, 1987: Mike Schmidt hits his 513th career home run off Atlanta's Zane Smith to move past Eddie Mathews and Ernie Banks into 10th place on the all-time list, but the Phillies lose to the Braves 11–6. » September 29, 1987: Don Mattingly hits his ML-record 6th grand slam of the season off Boston's Bruce Hurst in a 6–0 Yankees victory, eclipsing the mark shared by Ernie Banks (1955) and Jim Gentile (1961). » June 28, 1991: Reds SS Barry Larkin hits three consecutive home runs in an 8-5 win over the Astros, giving him a major league record-tying five over a 2-game span. Ernie Banks and Fred Patek are the only other SS to homer three times in a game. » July 11, 1992: Atlanta 2B Jeff Blauser hits three home runs in a 7–4 win over the Cubs. Blauser had hit only 39 round-trippers in the previous six seasons. He becomes only the 4th SS ever to hit three homers in a game, joining Ernie Banks, Barry Larkin, and Fred Patek. » August 6, 1992: Padres Gary Sheffield and Fred McGriff become the first teammates to swat back-to-back HRs twice in the same game since Ernie Banks and Dee Fondy of the Cubs in 1955. The Padres win the game over the Astros, 7-5. » July 15, 1993: The Orioles defeat the Twins, 5–3, as Cal Ripken hits the 278th home run of his career as a SS for a new major league mark. Ernie Banks held the old standard. » August 31, 1998: Cubs' OF Sammy Sosa ties Mark McGwire by hitting his 55th home run in Chicago's 5–4 win over Cincinnati. Sosa has hit 30 of his homers at Wrigley, three short of Hack Wilson's Cub record and tying him with Ernie Banks. » September 17, 1999: The Cardinals score nine runs in the 4th inning on their way to an 11-8 win over the Astros. Mark McGwire hits home run #56 on the season, and the 513th of his career. Big Mac passes Ernie Banks and Eddie Mathews on the all-time list. » July 14, 2002: The Twins beat the Rangers, 5–4, despite a pair of home runs by Alex Rodriguez. The round–trippers give Rodriguez his 6th 30–HR season, breaking Ernie Banks' record for SSs.