1986 Sportflics Decade Greats Ernie Banks

 

The player: Ernie Banks was a rock at shortstop for the Cubs in the 1950s. From 1954 to 1961 he was the team's regular shortstop, and in six of those eight seasons he led the NL in games played. In five of those seasons he topped 40 HR and 100 RBI. Despite playing for losing teams, he won the NL MVP in 1958 and 1959. In 1962, the infamous Cubs "college of coaches" moved Banks to first base after a brief outfield experiment, and he remained the team's first baseman throughout the 1960s. Though not quite the elite hitter he was in the '50s, Banks was a steady power threat and one of the league's most feared hitters. (Though remembered best as a SS, Banks actually played more career games at 1B.) Overall, in 2,528 games he hit .274 with 512 HR and 1,636 RBI.

The man: Banks was known for his positive demeanor, particularly the phrase "Let's play two!" to indicate how much he loved to play. He was also very active outside of baseball, during and after his career. In 1963 he ran for alderman in Chicago's Eighth Ward; in 1967 he became the first Black Ford dealer (Ernie Banks Ford on Chicago's South Side) and in 1969 he was appointed to the board of the Chicago Transit Authority. After his career he briefly coached for the Cubs, worked in insurance, and was a longtime executive for New World Van Lines. He was also an ordained minister and heavily involved in charitable activities. He died in 2015.

My collection: I have two playing-days cards of Banks, his 1969 Topps card as well as the Globe Imports card for him that year. His final Topps card was #525 in the 1971 set.