Ernie Banks retired in 1971, and the fortunes of the Chicago Cubs sunk to dismal lows for over a decade shortly afterward. Sure, we’ve seen players who have assumed the mantle of fan favorite, even MVP – but no one has ever been able to touch that hallowed title of ‘Mr. Cub’.
And it’s no wonder. Banks has a truly historic resume. He won back-to-back MVP awards in 1958 and 1959, earned 14 Gold Gloves over the course of his career and, to this day, remains the team’s all-time leader in games played, total bases and extra-base hits.