His favorite catchphrase will still be heard around Wrigley Field during daytime doubleheaders, but the man himself will not walk onto its field again. Chicago Cubs legend Ernie Banks passed away Friday at the age of 83.
Banks is survived by his wife Liz and his four children, Joey, Jerry, Jan and Alyna Olivia.
Banks played his entire 19-year major league baseball career with the Cubs from 1953 to 1971. Banks was named an All-Star 11 times and played in 14 All-Star games. In his time with the Cubs, Banks never played in a postseason game, actually setting an MLB record for most games (2,528) played without a postseason appearance.
His personal success didn’t come with team success, but Banks never forced a trade or considered leaving the Cubs for greener pastures. In a 2009 interview with NPR’s Steve Inskeep, Banks talked about his loyalty to the Cubs and the city of Chicago.
“They (the Cubs) talked about it, but I didn’t think about no trade at all,” Banks said. “I just was so focused on playing. When I walked into that ballpark, my mind just, boom, on the game… When I walk in a ballpark today, I mean it’s the same thing, just me and the ball. And my life is like a miracle.”
Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts released a statement Friday night after the news broke.
“Ernie Banks is and always will be Mr. Cub,” Ricketts said. “My family and I grieve the loss of such a great and good-hearted man, but we look forward to celebrating Ernie’s life in the days ahead.”
There’s plenty to celebrate. Banks was a two-time National League MVP in 1958 and 1959. He won the Golden Glove in 1960, took the National League home run and RBI titles in 1958 and 1959 and was named to the Major League Baseball All-Century team. Banks won the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award in 1968 as he battled with his team for what would have been their first postseason berth. Banks did his part, at the age of 37, hitting 32 home runs and knocking in 83 RBIs, but the Cubs squandered an 8.5-game lead in August to miss the pennant once again.
When Banks retired in 1971 he held the home run record for shortstops with 277 and hit 512 for his career. Banks still holds the Cubs record for games played (2,528), at-bats (9,421), extra-base hits (1,009) and total bases (4,706). Banks was voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977 on his first ballot. His No. 14 was retired by the Cubs in 1982.
And famously, he coined the catchphrase, “It’s a beautiful day for a ballgame… let’s play two.”
Banks was the first black player in Cubs history, joining the team in September of 1953 after a stint with the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro League and two years of military service. Two years later he was in his first All-Star game.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanual released a statement of his own on Banks’ passing.
“Ernie Banks was more than a baseball player,” Emanuel said. “He was one of Chicago’s greatest ambassadors. He loved this city as much as he loved — and lived for — the game of baseball. This year, during every Cubs game, you can bet that No.14 will be watching over his team. And if we’re lucky, it’ll be a beautiful day for not just one ballgame, but two. My deepest sympathy to his wife, Liz, family, and friends.”
Outside of Wrigley Field next to the entrance and the will-call ticket booth,the bronze statue of Ernie Banks stands, bat ready, forever anticipating that next hit. Maybe that 513th home run. It’s a place of honor for a humble man who never thought he belonged in the spotlight.
“I always felt bad about attention coming my way, for some reason,” Banks told Inskeep. “Something happened to me, I do something pretty exciting, and I didn’t want the spotlight on me. I got an award the other day, at the Library of Congress, and I said, gosh, I’m getting an award for doing nothing. I haven’t done anything yet. Nothing.”
Inskeep disagreed, saying, “Well, I think the record book would dispute you there.”
The record book, sure, but the lives and people Banks touched, not only as a player but as a person in the Chicago community and worldwide Cubs fanbase also should count. Banks once said that his goal when he was 15-years-old was to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Well, he never got it. But he still did OK.
