Ernie Banks entered the UL in 1953 as part of perhaps the greatest rookie and free agent draft double-dip in the league's history. That year the Colts made Banks the #1 rookie pick and also grabbed UL Hall Of Fame pitcher Whitey Ford, who was returning to baseball after his service time in Korea. Ernie spent the first couple seasons of his career as a back up in an effort to improve his skills before taking over as Chicago’s regular shortstop in 1955. It was that year that Ernie added the first piece of hardware to his trophy case as he was named to the All-UL Team as the league’s best shortstop.

It was the next season, however, that Ernie began perhaps the most impressive offensive output of any player in UL history. For 1956 through 1965 Banks banged out 30+ homers, 30+ doubles, and 100+ RBIs in 10 back-to-back campaigns, all while playing one of the most, if not the most, important defensive positions in the game. During that 10-season span Ernie also scored 100+ runs six times, was twice named league MVP, was elected to the All-UL Team an additional seven times (including six consecutive from 1960-1965), won three Gold Glove awards, and tied the single season home run record of 50 dingers.  Those 50 homers came in 1965, Ernie’s most impressive (and last great) offensive year, but it was a single homer that year that means the most to him and to his beloved Colts. On October 10th,1965, in the top of the eighth inning of the seventh game of an incredibly tightly contested World Series, Banks delivered a 445-foot bomb off Cleveland Barons reliever Pete Richert to give Chicago its first UL championship. It was the hit that no Colts fan will ever forget.

Ernie followed his monster ’65 season with a solid but unspectacular ’66 campaign.  Despite dwindling skills in the field and a nose dive in production at the plate, the Colts extended Ernie’s contract not once but twice after 1966, in no small part because of GM Lance Mueller’s desire to see Banks play every game of his UL career in a Colts uniform. Mueller got his wish, as after his release from the team Ernie spend the last three seasons of his baseball career at AA Birmingham. Despite spending three of the 20 years of his career in the minors, and having five UL seasons where he hit 21 homeruns and drove in 129 collectively, Ernie still ranks in the top 10 of nine UL career batting categories -- #10 in hits, #9 in triples, #8 homeruns and RBIs, #7 in runs and total bases, #6 OPS, #5 in doubles, and #4 in slugging percentage.

Despite the gaudy numbers, Ernie Banks always played the game with grace and class. Along the way he helped redefine the shortstop position as one where a team could look for power and production. He also became the face of Chicago Colts franchise and a player loved and respected around the league. And now, Mr. Colt, I think it is time you take that grace and class to the Hall.  (Lance Mueller)

AWARDS & ACCOLADES
All-Decade Team (1961-1970)
Most Valuable Player (1963, 1965)
All-UL Team (1955, 1956, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965) (8-tied for most all-time)
Gold Glove Award (1959, 1960, 1961)
Home Run Champion (1965)
OPS Champion (1963, 1965)
10-time Batter of the Month (#2 all-time), 10-time Player of the Week

Year/Team	Age	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	R	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	RC
1953 Chicago	22	71	156	39	7	0	1	9	20	6	30	2	5	.250	.278	.314	.592	12.4
1954 Chicago	23	83	227	65	13	1	3	22	30	8	43	6	1	.286	.311	.392	.703	28.3
1955 Chicago	24	137	513	144	28	5	19	80	60	21	70	11	10	.281	.309	.466	.775	71.1
1956 Chicago	25	143	545	181	44	8	37	111	99	31	83	10	5	.332	.368	.646	1.014	128.5
1957 Chicago	26	138	511	157	32	3	31	102	86	40	47	7	2	.307	.358	.564	.921	103.3
1958 Chicago	27	147	527	159	31	4	33	110	85	38	35	7	5	.302	.349	.564	.912	102.2
1959 Chicago	28	148	540	168	34	6	30	109	101	47	35	14	9	.311	.361	.563	.924	109.4
1960 Chicago	29	152	567	185	41	6	37	117	110	47	46	11	1	.326	.372	.616	.987	133.6
1961 Chicago	30	148	542	159	38	6	31	108	103	65	46	11	2	.293	.368	.557	.925	112.7
1962 Chicago	31	155	566	183	41	6	31	113	93	67	52	7	5	.323	.391	.581	.972	128.8
1963 Chicago	32	154	589	194	36	4	41	115	117	74	46	4	6	.329	.402	.613	1.015	143.5
1964 Chicago	33	151	607	181	34	3	44	113	110	68	34	4	2	.298	.366	.582	.947	130.0
1965 Chicago	34	144	578	183	30	4	50	138	112	83	35	2	1	.317	.399	.642	1.041	149.2
1966 Chicago	35	141	530	133	18	4	19	88	67	52	77	0	2	.251	.316	.408	.723	67.9
1967 Chicago	36	100	258	63	15	1	5	34	33	37	44	0	2	.244	.341	.368	.709	31.6
1968 Chicago	37	92	282	74	21	1	8	43	32	30	46	1	0	.262	.332	.429	.761	17.6
1969 Chicago	38	74	190	36	10	0	4	21	16	31	37	0	0	.189	.303	.305	.608	40.5
Total UL		2178	7728	2304	473	62	424	1433	1274	745	806	97	58	.298	.358	.540	.898	1510.5