Remembering Ernie Banks: My Cub Runneth Over

When you think of Ernie Banks, you think the engaging smile, the gentlemanly grace he carried with him naturally both on the field and off, the quick bat, and all that power.

He was a consistent fan favorite throughout his career, never letting Cubs fans down even though the team surrounding him so often did.

Banks was an offensive star for the Cubs starting in his rookie season of 1954, hitting .275 with 19 homes runs and 79 RBIs, respectable hitting numbers for any major league shortstop. But Banks was to redefine the power and run production standards for a shortstop, starting the next season when he hit .295 with 44 home runs and 117 RBIs.

Banks continued his onslaught against National League pitching through the rest of the 1950s. He hit 40-plus home runs each year from 1957 through 1960, leading the major leagues in 2 of those seasons (with 47 home runs in 1958 and 41 in 1960). He averaged 123 RBIs during that 4-years stretch, again leading the majors twice (with 129 in 1958 and 143 in 1959), while winning the National League's Most Valuable Player award in both 1958 and 1959. Banks also won his only Gold Glove in 1960, making him the first shortstop ever to lead the league in home runs while winning a Gold Glove. He was, at his peak, far and away baseball's finest all-around shortstop, and maybe the best all-around shortstop ever.

Throughout the 1960s, Banks continued to be a consistent offensive threat despite the fact that he played for mostly sub-.500 Cub teams. During the decade, starting as the Cubs' shortstop and later moving to first base, Banks averaged 27 home runs and 95 RBIs per season for the decade. During the Cubs' ill-fated pennant chase of 1969, Banks closed out the decade with a fine year, batting .253 with 23 home runs and 106 RBIs.

Banks was a Cub for his entire career, 19 seasons during which he hit 512 home runs and drove in over 1600 runs. He was as durable as he was productive, playing 150 or more games in 12 of his 19 seasons, and leading the National League in games played in 6 of his first 7 seasons.

Banks finished his career as the leader in career home runs by a shortstop (277). His total still ranks third today (behind Cal Ripken and Alex Rodriguez, respectively). Banks was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977.