| 2 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 3 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
|---|
| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The life of one of professional baseball's legendary |
|---|
| 6 | 7 | | players drew to a close with the passing of Ernie Banks on January |
|---|
| 7 | 8 | | 23, 2015, at the age of 83; and |
|---|
| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Born in Dallas on January 31, 1931, to Eddie and |
|---|
| 9 | 10 | | Essie Banks, Ernie Banks grew up on Fairmount Street with his 11 |
|---|
| 10 | 11 | | brothers and sisters; he attended Booker T. Washington High School |
|---|
| 11 | 12 | | and spent his summers playing for a semipro baseball team based out |
|---|
| 12 | 13 | | of Amarillo before his graduation in 1950; he subsequently began |
|---|
| 13 | 14 | | his professional career with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro |
|---|
| 14 | 15 | | National League, playing one season with the team before serving |
|---|
| 15 | 16 | | his country for two years as a member of the U.S. Army; he rejoined |
|---|
| 16 | 17 | | the Monarchs after completing his military service, and in 1953 he |
|---|
| 17 | 18 | | made his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs, becoming the |
|---|
| 18 | 19 | | first African American player to take the field for the franchise; |
|---|
| 19 | 20 | | and |
|---|
| 20 | 21 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Banks quickly proved himself an athlete of rare |
|---|
| 21 | 22 | | ability, becoming the Cubs' everyday shortstop in his second year |
|---|
| 22 | 23 | | with the team and setting major-league records for grand slams in a |
|---|
| 23 | 24 | | season and home runs by a shortstop in 1955; he enjoyed his most |
|---|
| 24 | 25 | | impressive campaign in 1958, compiling a .313 batting average, 47 |
|---|
| 25 | 26 | | home runs, and a league-leading 129 runs batted in to win the |
|---|
| 26 | 27 | | National League Most Valuable Player award; the following year, he |
|---|
| 27 | 28 | | became the first National League player in history to capture |
|---|
| 28 | 29 | | consecutive MVP awards, hitting 45 homers and once again leading |
|---|
| 29 | 30 | | the league in RBIs with 143; acknowledged for his defensive skills |
|---|
| 30 | 31 | | as well, he led the league in fielding percentage on three occasions |
|---|
| 31 | 32 | | from his spot at shortstop and was named a Gold Glove Award winner |
|---|
| 32 | 33 | | in 1960; he switched to first base in 1962, logging nine successful |
|---|
| 33 | 34 | | seasons at that position before his retirement in 1971 after 19 |
|---|
| 34 | 35 | | years with the Cubs; and |
|---|
| 35 | 36 | | WHEREAS, Over the course of his career, Mr. Banks tallied a |
|---|
| 36 | 37 | | lifetime batting average of .274 to go along with 2,583 hits and |
|---|
| 37 | 38 | | 1,636 runs batted in; he was the first shortstop to join the |
|---|
| 38 | 39 | | 500-home run club, and he retired with 512 career home runs; his |
|---|
| 39 | 40 | | myriad achievements also included 11 trips to the All-Star Game and |
|---|
| 40 | 41 | | a selection to Major League Baseball's prestigious All-Century Team |
|---|
| 41 | 42 | | in 1999; moreover, he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of |
|---|
| 42 | 43 | | Fame in 1977 in his first year of eligibility, and he was awarded |
|---|
| 43 | 44 | | the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of |
|---|
| 44 | 45 | | Freedom, in 2013; and |
|---|
| 45 | 46 | | WHEREAS, Forever known as "Mr. Cub," this esteemed |
|---|
| 46 | 47 | | ballplayer was popular for his positive personality and his passion |
|---|
| 47 | 48 | | for the game; in addition, his favorite saying, "It's a beautiful |
|---|
| 48 | 49 | | day for a ballgame--let's play two!" remains one of the game's most |
|---|
| 49 | 50 | | popular quotes; and |
|---|
| 50 | 51 | | WHEREAS, During his two decades in Major League Baseball, |
|---|
| 51 | 52 | | Ernie Banks captured the imagination of Cubs fans as well as |
|---|
| 52 | 53 | | baseball enthusiasts across the nation, and his achievements will |
|---|
| 53 | 54 | | be remembered and celebrated long into the future; now, therefore, |
|---|
| 54 | 55 | | be it |
|---|
| 55 | 56 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
|---|
| 56 | 57 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Ernie Banks and |
|---|
| 57 | 58 | | extend sincere condolences to the members of his family; and, be it |
|---|
| 58 | 59 | | further |
|---|
| 59 | 60 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|---|
| 60 | 61 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
|---|
| 61 | 62 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it so in memory of Ernie Banks. |
|---|