Monday, January 26, 2015

Ernie Banks 1931-2015

Late Friday Night we got the news that Ernie Banks passed away a week shy of his 84th birthday.

2008 07 13 - Ernie Banks

I never got a chance to see Ernie Banks play, He retired when I was four, but I did get to see him at the 2008 Futures Game in New York.

It isn't the same as seeing the man play but there is something cool about seeing a legend take the field honored by an ovation and waving his cap. That is what Ernie Banks did that day, he was the honorary captain for the National League. This pix was taken before I really started using the zoom a lot and working on camera angles. That didn't stop me from putting Banks on a Phungo Card

1959 NL MVP
1975 Topps #197 1959 MVPs Fox & Banks

In 1959 Ernie Banks won his 2nd consecutive MVP award. The season was honored as part of the 1975 Topps MVP subset. The flip of the 1975T card snapshots sums up a few Banks accomplishments in the 1959 season. 


1975 Topps #197 (b-side edit)

Modern analytics agree with the MVP votes of 1959 voters. Banks had a 10.2 WAR in 1959, it was the highest of his career and led the National League.

The 1975T Selfie is of a card originally from 1959

1959 Topps #350 Ernie Banks

This is a nice base card of Banks, most of the 1959T cards are straight up head shots. I like seeing the glove in the shot and it appears that Mr Cub was captured at his playing home, Wrigley Field. Once again we flip the card and see that Banks 1959 card summarizes the accomplishments that earned hims the 1958 MVP.


1959 Topps #350 Ernie Banks (b-side)

Ernie Banks Tributes
 Dick Allen
Wrigley Wax (397 Banks Cards!)

Waiting til Next Year (tribute including Wrigley Field Sign)
The Phillies Room (2008 Topps Heritage Then Now w/ Ryan Howard)
Night Owl Cards (1971 Topps)
20th Century Topps (1971T,  1960T,  1955T)
The Five Tool Collector (1959 Topps 3 Cards - includes 1959T #350 above)
Drews Cards (Banks Personal Appearance)
Chronicles of Fuji (various autos)
The Lost Collector (Hillshire Farms Auto)
Card Buzz (1954T reprint TTM auto)
Cardboard Connection (several modern retro cards)
Heartbreaking Cards of Staggering Genius (2009 Sighting)
Cardboard Icons (1954 Topps RC)
bdj610 (2011 Topps Variation)
Cardboard Connection (14 Cards showing Banks love of the game)
Rectangle Men (1998 Cubs Convention)
Mint Condition (1954T Reprint)
Life and Baseball Cards (Sketch Card Originals)
Cards that Never Were (Fleer custom)
Lifetime Topps Project (Topps Archives 1972T)
Starting Nine (various retros)
My life in the Sports Card Hobby (photos)


Other Voices - Cards from this post that are examined at other sites

1959 Topps one f/g card at a time
1975 Topps (Night Owl Cards)

Sources and Links
Phungo Ernie Banks Hall of Fame Index
Baseball-ref

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a thousand words

a thousand words
2008 World Champions