Ernie Banks, baseball player, 512 home runs, 1953-1971

Ernie Banks

⭐ Hall of Fame 1977

Born: 1/31/1931 in Dallas, TX, USA

Died: 1/23/2015 in Chicago, IL, USA

MLB Debut: 1953-09-17 | Final Game: 1971-09-26

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: Ernest Banks

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Biography

Ernie Banks, born in 1931, was a legendary professional baseball player who captivated fans during his career from 1953 to 1971. Primarily recognized as a position player, Banks played a remarkable 2,528 games, amassing 2,583 hits and 512 home runs, which established him as one of the premier sluggers of his era. He also contributed significantly with 1,636 RBIs and maintained a solid batting average of .274 throughout his career. Known for his enthusiasm and love for the game, Banks was a charismatic figure in Major League Baseball, earning 14 All-Star selections that highlighted his consistent performance and popularity among fans. Playing during a transformative period in baseball, Banks was a key figure for the Chicago Cubs and became known as "Mr. Cub." His contributions went beyond numbers; he played a pivotal role in popularizing baseball in Chicago and was a symbol of hope for a franchise that struggled for decades. Despite the challenges of his era, including the pressures of race and the evolving dynamics of the game, Banks' legacy endured as he inspired countless players and fans alike. His indomitable spirit and commitment to the sport left an indelible mark on baseball history, ensuring his place among the all-time greats.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
4.0 4.0 0 0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1953 4.0 4.0 0 0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
2528 9421 1305 2583 407 90 512 1636 50 763 1236 0.274 0.330 0.500 0.830 30620.8

Career AVG .274 vs. league average .252 across their career seasons — +8.7% above league average.

Career OBP .330 vs. league average .320 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .500 vs. league average .380 across their career seasons — +31.4% above league average.

Career OPS 0.830 vs. league average 0.700 across their career seasons — +18.5% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1953 CHC NL 10 35 3 11 1 1 2 6 0 4 5 0.314 — — — — 0.0
1954 CHC NL 154 593 70 163 19 7 19 79 6 40 50 0.275 .261 (+5%) .333 (-2%) .390 (+9%) .723 (+4%) 380.2
1955 CHC NL 154 596 98 176 29 9 44 117 9 45 72 0.295 .258 (+14%) .332 (+4%) .393 (+51%) .726 (+30%) 3291.6
1956 CHC NL 139 538 82 160 25 8 28 85 6 52 62 0.297 .258 (+15%) .331 (+8%) .397 (+33%) .728 (+22%) 2227.8
1957 CHC NL 156 594 113 169 34 6 43 102 8 70 85 0.285 .257 (+10%) .323 (+11%) .391 (+48%) .715 (+31%) 3662.1
1958 CHC NL 154 617 119 193 23 11 47 129 4 52 87 0.313 .257 (+21%) .324 (+13%) .394 (+56%) .719 (+36%) 4295.3
1959 CHC NL 155 589 97 179 25 6 45 143 2 64 72 0.304 .256 (+18%) .323 (+15%) .392 (+52%) .715 (+35%) 4137.9
1960 CHC NL 156 597 94 162 32 7 41 117 1 71 69 0.271 .255 (+6%) .323 (+8%) .387 (+43%) .711 (+27%) 3124.5
1961 CHC NL 138 511 75 142 22 4 29 80 1 54 75 0.278 .258 (+8%) .328 (+5%) .399 (+27%) .727 (+17%) 1657.4
1962 CHC NL 154 610 87 164 20 6 37 104 5 30 71 0.269 .257 (+4%) .326 (-6%) .393 (+28%) .719 (+12%) 1177.2
1963 CHC NL 130 432 41 98 20 1 18 64 0 39 73 0.227 .246 (-8%) .308 (-6%) .371 (+8%) .680 (+2%) 57.4
1964 CHC NL 157 591 67 156 29 6 23 95 1 36 84 0.264 .250 (+5%) .312 (-2%) .377 (+19%) .690 (+10%) 871.7
1965 CHC NL 163 612 79 162 25 3 28 106 3 55 64 0.265 .245 (+8%) .310 (+5%) .371 (+22%) .682 (+14%) 1635.5
1966 CHC NL 141 511 52 139 23 7 15 75 0 29 59 0.272 .248 (+9%) .309 (+2%) .376 (+15%) .685 (+9%) 715.1
1967 CHC NL 151 573 68 158 26 4 23 95 2 27 93 0.276 .242 (+14%) .306 (+1%) .357 (+27%) .663 (+15%) 1385.9
1968 CHC NL 150 552 71 136 27 0 32 83 2 27 67 0.246 .236 (+4%) .298 (-4%) .340 (+38%) .638 (+18%) 1545.9
1969 CHC NL 155 565 60 143 19 2 23 106 0 42 101 0.253 .248 (+2%) .320 (-3%) .369 (+13%) .689 (+5%) 416.5
1970 CHC NL 72 222 25 56 6 2 12 44 0 20 33 0.252 .253 (-1%) .325 (-4%) .385 (+19%) .711 (+9%) 267.6
1971 CHC NL 39 83 4 16 2 0 3 6 0 6 14 0.193 .249 (-23%) .316 (-22%) .365 (-11%) .682 (-16%) -228.8

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 1259 1226 12005 809 80 1005
3B 69 65 82 99 6 13
OF 23 23 32 6 1 0
SS 1125 1111 2087 3441 174 724

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1953 CHN SS 10 0 19 33 1 9
1954 CHN SS 154 154 312 475 34 105
1955 CHN SS 154 154 290 482 22 102
1956 CHN SS 139 139 279 357 25 92
1957 CHN 3B 58 58 73 87 3 12
1957 CHN SS 100 98 168 261 11 59
1958 CHN SS 154 154 292 468 32 100
1959 CHN SS 154 154 271 519 12 95
1960 CHN SS 156 156 283 488 18 94
1961 CHN 1B 7 7 68 6 1 8
1961 CHN OF 23 23 32 6 1 0
1961 CHN SS 104 102 173 358 19 68
1962 CHN 1B 149 148 1458 106 11 134
1962 CHN 3B 3 2 4 1 0 1
1963 CHN 1B 125 117 1178 78 9 97
1964 CHN 1B 157 153 1565 132 10 122
1965 CHN 1B 162 161 1682 93 15 143
1966 CHN 1B 130 127 1178 81 10 88
1966 CHN 3B 8 5 5 11 3 0
1967 CHN 1B 147 146 1383 91 10 111
1968 CHN 1B 147 145 1379 88 6 118
1969 CHN 1B 153 147 1419 87 4 116
1970 CHN 1B 62 57 528 35 4 53
1971 CHN 1B 20 18 167 12 0 15

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 1258
Third Base 69
Shortstop 1125
Left Field 23

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1967 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award
1960 Gold Glove SS
1960 TSN All-Star SS
1959 Most Valuable Player
1959 TSN All-Star SS
1959 TSN Player of the Year
1958 Most Valuable Player
1958 TSN All-Star SS
1958 TSN Player of the Year
1955 TSN All-Star SS

Featured In Rankings

#5
Top 20 Shortstops in MLB Baseball History
Ranked 5 of 20
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Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1969 Most Valuable Player NL 12th 15.0 336 0
1968 Most Valuable Player NL 13th 14.0 280 0
1967 Most Valuable Player NL 14th 22.0 280 0
1962 Most Valuable Player NL 18th 5.0 280 0
1960 Most Valuable Player NL 4th 100.0 336 0
1959 Most Valuable Player NL 1st 232.0 336 10
1958 Most Valuable Player NL 1st 283.0 336 16
1957 Most Valuable Player NL 6th 60.0 336 0
1956 Most Valuable Player NL 28th 2.0 336 0
1955 Most Valuable Player NL 3rd 195.0 336 6
1954 Most Valuable Player NL 16th 14.0 336 0
1954 Rookie of the Year NL 2nd 4.0 24 4