banks january january nicknamed sunshine american professional baseball player played major_league_baseball mlb shortstop baseman chicago_cubs inducted named banks regarded greatest players time began playing professional baseball negro leagues served military years played monarchs began major league career september following year banks national_league rookie year runner beginning banks national_league star seasons playing star games held seasons banks cubs main attraction late 1950s cubs winner banks regular baseman cubs mid-1960s cubs manager frustrated banks saying performance said unable remove banks lineup star popularity cubs fans player coach chicago_sun-times fan poll cubs fans voted greatest banks hit career home run field retired playing coach cubs team player uniform number retired banks active chicago community tenure cubs founded charitable organization black dealer united_states unsuccessful bid local political office banks awarded presidential medal freedom contribution sports banks lived los_angeles chicago areas early life banks born dallas texas eddie january second children father worked construction warehouse grocery chain played baseball black semi professional teams texas child banks interested baseball preferring swimming basketball football father bought baseball glove dollars store motivated banks play catch banks mother encouraged follow career minister banks graduated washington high school basketball football track banks school baseball team played church team summer member semi professional baseball team history professor wrote banks talent baseball discovered family friend scouted sources banks noticed monarchs banks drafted served germany korean war served flag bearer 45th anti aircraft artillery battalion fort bliss played harlem time basis discharged army joined monarchs remainder season achieving batting average banks later said playing like school learning world life mlb career early career banks signed chicago_cubs late making major league debut september age playing games field cubs black player negro league players joined mlb teams playing minor leagues wrote type grateful playing baseball living time change world meant people called game cubs banks received visit influenced quiet presence baseball robinson told banks glad listen learn years didn talk learned lot people later banks felt like vocal discussed issue teammate advised remain quiet williams drew analogy fish caught open mouths banks said kept mouth shut tried difference life wanted people better banks double play partner official rookie season cubs second black player banks baker road trips black double play combination major league history played base cubs announcer referred double play combination banks hit home runs finished second moon rookie year voting banks participated trend lighter baseball bats accidentally picked teammate bat liked easy generate bat speed banks hit home runs rbi batted played starting shortstop star games season home run total single season record set thirty year record single season grand slam home runs banks finished league valuable player mvp voting cubs finished win loss record winning road games banks missed games hand infection breaking run consecutive games played finished season home runs rbis batting average star selection reserve player play game banks finished season home runs rbi batting average banks player awarded hit led major league following year hit rbi leader rbi seasons cubs came closest winning season banks arrival finishing record banks hit major league leading rbi led games played sixth time seven years cubs player receive annual gold glove award shortstop eve world series writer associated_press reported prepared pay cash trade pitchers outfielder shortstop baseman exchange banks cubs base banks experienced problems knee injury acquired army consecutive games removed cubs lineup games ending pursuit record playing consecutive games games set cubs announced replace banks shortstop banks left field banks later said duck water shared loneliness left field banks credited center fielder helping learn play left field games banks committed error june moved base learning position baseman cubs coach selected star star games season mlb started having star games season selected reserve player banks pinch hitter second star game cubs began playing system decisions group coaches manager season banks hoped return shortstop determined remain base indefinitely banks hit head fastball cubs pitcher taken field unconscious sustained concussion spent nights hospital sat monday game hit home runs double tuesday banks set single game record baseman caught year finished season home runs rbi batting average despite banks struggles season cubs winning record 1940s banks following doctor orders avoided usual season participation basketball began season weighing seven pounds previous year february cubs second baseman killed airplane crash banks finished season home runs rbi batting average cubs finished eighth place losing banks hit home runs rbi batting average played started base september hit home run cubs finished season baseball operations deficit million largely offset television radio revenue rental field football team cubs hired manager hoping inspire renewed interest team fan base banks hit home runs cubs finished season place win loss record worst season career time arrived chicago frustrated inability trade bench aging banks autobiography says banks great player time unfortunately time wasn time unfortunately thing couldn run couldn field end couldn hit players right thing base paths instinct wrong thing play play man revolution street banks said wish like early career little extra needed win served cubs manager season banks retired memoir published time banks retired banks said racial implications relationship said philosophy race relations man set patterns life don rely opinions look man human don care color people feel black treated fairly voice opinions militant don feel way convince fool man doesn like black fine going let change life cubs appointed banks player coach season banks competed starting position base shortly named banks outright starter base banks hit home runs drove runs went star game year season article said banks thought equal today season received pay increase mvp seasons said mlb players making time final seasons banks won memorial award honor recognizing playing ability personal character year old banks hit home runs rbi finished season batting average came closest helping cubs win national_league pennant cubs fell place holding game lead august banks 11th final season appearance pinch hitter 14th star game appearance season banks hit home run chicago field december banks retired player continued coach cubs instructor minor leagues seasons worked cubs office banks finished career home runs home runs shortstop career record time retirement holds record home runs shortstop banks holds cubs records games played bats extra base hits total bases banks excelled won shortstop led times leader fielding percentage shortstop times baseman banks holds major league record games played postseason appearance memoir citing fondness cubs owner banks said regret signing cubs successful baseball franchises banks popularity positive attitude led nicknames sunshine banks known beautiful day let play expressing wish play day love baseball personal life returning military service germany banks married wife proposed letter germany filed divorce years later couple briefly reconciled early summer agreed divorce settlement pay lieu shortly banks couple twin sons year daughter years filed suit banks failure payments life insurance policy agreed divorce settlement banks lifelong republican stated wanted prompting critics claim soft ran chicago lost election later said people knew baseball player didn think qualified government official matter couldn change image learned going hard baseball life compensate playing days banks worked season enrolled banking correspondence course bought business ventures including gas station playing career paid comparison baseball stars banks taken advice invested earnings later spent time working insurance company banks began building assets worth estimated million time years old banks black owners nelson non white commissioned officer world war operated import car venture appointed board directors trip europe banks visited pope presented medal proud possession banks divorced received valuable items playing career divorce settlement including home run ball sold items long divorce remarried wife group met mlb executives discuss race relations baseball allegations racial surfaced cincinnati_reds owner banks married hank aaron served best man late banks adopted infant daughter banks nephew major league catcher baseman texas_rangers great nephew professional basketball player attended playing national_basketball_association nba later years banks voted year eligibility received votes ballots players selected year banks player elected inducted august year induction speech banks said got setting sunshine fresh air team let play cubs retired banks uniform number player number retired team time ceremony banks employed cubs corporate sales representative team retire numbers years received honor season cubs brooklyn numbers retired organization banks served team ambassador retirement author says team placed banks position authority significant influence shortly sold team cubs briefly severed ties rogers wrote sale banks viewed crazy uncle hung house apparent reason team officials anonymously told press banks fired unreliable cubs reconciled resumed making appearances behalf team cubs won division club named banks honorary team member held field playing days threw ceremonial pitch starting catcher banks named year listed 27th list greatest baseball players june said banks group looking buying chicago_cubs case decided sell club banks established charity assists youth elderly issues including self esteem healthcare banks released charity wine called proceeds donated foundation banks ordained minister presided wedding mlb pitcher march statue banks unveiled field year released song called way banks asked write cubs birthday gift banks named library congress living legend designation recognizes significant contributions america diverse cultural scientific social heritage received presidential medal freedom people including bill_clinton ceremony presented president obama bat belonged banks remained close cubs team frequent appearances spring training grounds stadium arizona author wrote chicago_cubs mascot hardly need face franchise visible inducted awarded order lincoln state highest honor area sports death banks died heart attack chicago hospital january days birthday following public memorial service held fourth presbyterian church known people spoke service including chicago mayor baseball personalities service procession moved downtown chicago field weeks death legal battle arose banks estate disposition body estranged widow elizabeth said amended october knowledge new left banks assets longtime banks diagnosed shortly change chicago funeral home sent elizabeth bill funeral costs bill went unpaid elizabeth challenged legality banks new march chicago_cubs announced pay funeral home costs
Ernie Banks