Chicago Jerseys Retired: Number 14, Ernie Banks

And he loved to play baseball. From the first game that he played for the guys in the Chicago jerseys in 1953, through the day he broke his hand in 1956, he played 424 games. This is the longest streak of unmissed games from the start of a career in the National League. After he came back from his injury, Banks went another 716 games from 1956 until injured again in 1961.
His 2,528 games qualify him for two records. First, that is the most games played by any Chicago Cubs player. And second, that is the most games played by any baseball player who never played in the post-season. He also holds Cubs records with 9,421 at-bats, 4,706 total bases and 1,009 extra-base hits.
He demonstrated his power with his home run record. He is number 21 on the all-time list with 512 career home runs. He was only the third guy in a Chicago hat to hit more than 40 home runs in a season. And once he did it, he made it a habit, hitting more than 40 each year between 1955 and 1960.
And he drove runs in, too. In 1955, he hit five grand slams, which was an MLB record for more than 30 years. His 1,636 RBI's place him 26th on the all-time list.
Although players who play for winning teams usually have an edge in MVP balloting, Banks, the favorite of the "Lovable Losers" won the National League Most Valuable Player Award twice, in 1958 and 1959.
He won in 1958 because, even though his team didn't dominate, Banks did. He led the league in home runs, RBI's, total bases and extra base hits. And led the league in RBI's again in 1959 with 143, 18 more than any other player in the major leagues, which was his career high. And he continued his power hitting into 1960, leading the major leagues in home runs at 41. Also that year, he broke the team record by hitting his 232nd career home.
In the early 1960's, knee injuries started to slow him down and his statistics started to taper off. It was about then that he was moved from shortstop to first base. At shortstop he was noted for his range, although early in his career he did make a lot of errors. At first base, he honed his skills and became an excellent defensive player there. He played 1,259 games at first, more than the 1,125 games he played at shortstop. But because he played the best years of his career at short, he is remembered for his play at that position.

Ernie Banks made civil rights history. He integrated the Chicago Cubs when he joined the team in 1953. He joined them from the Kansas City Monarchs, the best team of the Negro League.

Banks played his entire MLB career, 1953 through 1971, in a Chicago hat. During those 19 seasons, he earned two affectionate nicknames, "Mr. Cub" and "Mr. Sunshine." And he expressed his enthusiasm for the game in his famous quote, "It's a beautiful day for a ball game. Let's play two."
The Chicago Cubs retired his jersey in 1982. He was the first player so honored. And on Opening Day, 2008, his achievements were further recognized with a statue outside of Wrigley Field. The statue shows him in his batting stance standing on a pedestal bearing the inscription "Let's play two."

At the age of 77, in September, 2008, Banks and his wife, Liz, adopted a baby girl, Alyna Olivia Banks. Alyna is the little sister of Banks' three grown children.