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Colorado Rockies honor Cubs great Ernie Banks Friday

By Will Osgood

Mar 5, 2015; Mesa, AZ, USA; Detailed view of the number 14 on a Chicago Cubs hat as a tribute to the memory of Ernie Banks during their game against the Oakland Athletics during a spring training baseball game at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 5, 2015; Mesa, AZ, USA; Detailed view of the number 14 on a Chicago Cubs hat as a tribute to the memory of Ernie Banks during their game against the Oakland Athletics during a spring training baseball game at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Colorado Rockies honored fallen Cubs great Ernie Banks ahead of their home opener on Friday afternoon. 

Ernie Banks was famous for  saying, “Let’s play two!” The phrase could be changed around to say, “That makes two!”, as in two series openers, two pre-game ceremonies to honor Mr. Cub.

The Colorado Rockies, ahead of their home opener Friday afternoon against the Cubs, held a moment of silence and tribute on the video board to Banks, who passed away at the age of 83 in January.

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Banks played all 19 seasons of his big league career for the Chicago Cubs. He is Mr. Cub because he represented everything good about baseball throughout his career. No reports have ever surfaced that Banks even had a frown on his face.

He was always smiling, always in a good mood–in short always happy to be playing baseball. He never won a World Series, but he won an MVP in consecutive seasons–first 1958 when the Cubs finished in sixth place in the National League, and again in 1959.

Banks was a slugger, despite playing shortstop early in his career. He had multiple 40-plus home run seasons, at a time when only a few guys had that sort of power (imagine what he might have done playing 81 games at Coors Field every year).

He finished his career with 512 home runs and remains the leader in most offensive categories in Cubs history.

The Cubs of course held a moment of silence prior to the nationally televised season opener against the Cardinals on Sunday night, also maintaining that moment of silence for the Cardinals fallen teammate Oscar Taveras.

Wrigley Field currently holds tarps with images of Banks and his indelible smile in the outfield where the bleachers are being reconstructed after an offseason renovation at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs are also wearing a “14” patch on their jerseys this season to honor Banks.

Banks made a remarkable 14 National League All-Star teams in his 19 seasons and was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977 on the first ballot.

Banks was the first African American to play for the Cubs in 1953 after the team bought his contract from his Negro League team, the Kansas City Monarchs.

In 2013, Banks was given the Presidential medal of honor by President Barack Obama. And Banks’ No. 14 was the first the club retired. It hangs on a flag on the left field foul pole blowing back and forth as the Windy City air sees fit.

It’s probably Banks himself saying, “Let’s play two!”

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