Ernie Banks
The eternally optimistic shortstop whose infectious love for the game and prodigious power made him the beloved heart of the Chicago Cubs.
1931–2015 (age 84)·American baseball player·Birthday: January 31·The Silent Generation
Biography
Ernie Banks didn't just play baseball; he was its most persuasive evangelist. Joining the Chicago Cubs in 1953, he shattered the stereotype of the light-hitting shortstop by launching home runs with a smile so bright it earned him the nickname 'Mr. Sunshine.' In 1958 and 1959, he won back-to-back National League MVP awards—a first for a shortstop—while playing for perennially losing teams. His famous refrain, 'Let's play two,' encapsulated an unparalleled joy for the daily grind. Banks spent his entire 19-year career with the Cubs, never reaching the postseason, yet his loyalty and consistent excellence—512 home runs as a middle infielder—made him a civic saint in Chicago. He was less a player than a permanent, uplifting condition of the atmosphere at Wrigley Field.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Ernie was born in 1931, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ernie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1931
#1 Movie
Frankenstein
Best Picture
Cimarron
Ernie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1931Born
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1936Started school
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1944Became a teenager
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1947Could drive
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1949Could vote
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Turned 21
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1961Turned 30
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 40
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 50
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 60
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 70
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 80
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2015Died at 84
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
Key Achievements
- Won the National League Most Valuable Player award in consecutive seasons (1958 and 1959) while playing shortstop for the Cubs.
- Hit 512 career home runs, a record for a primary shortstop at the time of his retirement.
- Was the first Chicago Cub to have his uniform number (14) retired by the franchise.
- Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977, his first year of eligibility.
Did You Know?
He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War before beginning his major league career.
He was originally signed by the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League.
Despite his power, he never led the league in home runs in any single season.
He was the first Cub player to win the MVP award since its inception.
A statue of him stands outside Wrigley Field, capturing his famous swing.
“It's a beautiful day for a ballgame... Let's play two!”
