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Ernie Banks
Shortstop/First Base

1953-71 Chicago Cubs

  • Won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1958 and 1959, both times his team had a below-.500 record. He was the first MVP recepient ever from a team with a losing record. Banks was also the first National League to ever win back-to-back MVP Awards.

  • Banks played with the Kansas City Monarchs, a Negro League powerhouse, for one year before entering the Army. Upon returning to the Monarchs, the team's owner Tom Baird would only sell Banks contract to a ML team if the team agreed to let Banks skip the minor leagues.

  • Was the first black player to play on the Chicago Cubs.

  • Was on nine All-Star teams.

  • His nickname was "Mr. Cub." Banks is arguably the most popular player to ever don a Cubs uniform.

  • Drove in 100 or more runs 8 times.

  • Led all first basemen in putouts five times.


A youthful Mr. Cub in 1955

  • Was one of the greatest shortstops in the history of the game until knee injuries forced him to move to first base in the 1962 season.

  • Led the league with 47 home runs in 1958, the most ever by a shortstop. Also led the league in homers in 1959 and 1960 with 45 and 41.

  • Hit 44 home runs in 1955 including 5 grand slams, an NL record.

  • Banks' mantra of "What a great day for baseball! Let's play two!" is one of the most recognizable slogans in baseball history.

  • Hit 512 homers over the course of his long career.

  • Elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977.
YR TM L POS G AB R H HR RBI AVG OBP SLG
1953 Chi N S 10 35 3 11 2 6 .314 .385 .571
1954 Chi N S 154 593 70 163 19 79 .275 .328 .427
1955 Chi N S 154 596 98 176 44 117 .295 .347 .596
1956 Chi N S 139 538 82 160 28 85 .297 .359 .530
1957 Chi N S-3 156 594 113 169 43 102 .285 .363 .579
1958 Chi N S 154 617 119 193 47 129 .313 .370 .614
1959 Chi N S 155 589 97 179 45 143 .304 .379 .596
1960 Chi N S 156 597 94 162 41 117 .271 .353 .554
1961 Chi N 1-S-O 138 511 75 142 29 80 .278 .349 .507
1962 Chi N 1-3 154 610 87 164 37 104 .269 .311 .503
1963 Chi N 1 130 432 41 98 18 64 .227 .297 .403
1964 Chi N 1 157 591 67 156 23 95 .264 .310 .450
1965 Chi N 1 163 612 79 162 28 106 .265 .331 .453
1966 Chi N 1-3 141 511 52 139 15 75 .272 .317 .432
1967 Chi N 1 151 573 68 158 23 95 .276 .312 .455
1968 Chi N 1 150 552 71 136 32 83 .246 .288 .469
1969 Chi N 1 155 565 60 143 23 106 .253 .313 .416
1970 Chi N 1 72 222 25 56 12 44 .252 .317 .459
1971 Chi N 1 39 83 4 16 3 6 .193 .247 .325
  19     2528 9421 1305 2583 512 1636 .274 .333 .500






Created by JingleBob, 1999