In celebration of the 65th anniversary of Topps baseball cards, my collection is going to be the subject of this year-long series.
Shortly after starting my obsession in 1971, the goal was to have at least one Topps card from every year.
Although the 1952 set is considered to be the first released by Topps, the company issued two series that was a part of the game a year earlier.
Excitement as a child, but disappointment as an adult. This is the perfect description of my feelings about my 1971 Ernie Banks baseball card.
Many baseball fans probably have a similar experience as they collect baseball cards.
While it’s awesome to have the final card of a National Baseball Hall of Fame player’s career, it’s matched by the emptiness of never getting to watch Banks.
At 8-years old in 1971, my opportunity to watch baseball games was pretty limited. Upon pulling this card from a pack, Banks wasn’t really on my radar. As a fan of the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates, my love of the game was growing through radio broadcasts. At the time, the Chicago Cubs were difficult for me to follow.
Over the next few years, it didn’t take a lot of effort to realize the importance of that card.
The 1971 season wasn’t the best for Banks. He was in 39 games hitting just three homers with six RBI and a .193 batting average. His 512th and final homer was against Jim McGlothlin of the Reds at Wrigley Field on Aug. 24.
Perhaps his top moment of 1971 came in Cincinnati on June 2. With the scored tied 2-2 in the top of the seventh, Billy Williams and Ron Santo both singled off Clay Carroll to set the stage for Banks to blast as three-run homer to put the Cubs on their way to a 6-3 win.
Known for the phrase “Let’s play two,” Banks hit that long ball in the first game of a doubleheader. Although Banks didn’t play in the second contest, the Cubs won 4-1.
The Beginning
Banks was the first African-American to play for the Cubs when he made his major league debut on Sept. 17, 1953. Banks was only in 10 games that season as he hit the first two homers of his career off Gerry Staley in two different contests against the St. Louis Cardinals.
From 1954 to 1961, Banks was a fixture at shortstop for the Cubs. He was named the Most Valuable Player for the National League in 1958 and 1959. He nearly won the triple crown in 1958 as he led the league in homers with 47 and 129 RBI. He was sixth in batting average at .313. The following season, he led the league with 143 RBI as he hit 45 homers. He would top the NL with 41 homers in 1960, while also earning a Gold Glove.
Banks moved to first base in 1962 and remained there for the Cubs until his retirement in 1971. He joined the 500 club in Wrigley Field with a solo blast off Pat Jarvis of the Atlanta Braves on May 12, 1970.
Playing in 14 all-star games, Banks was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977.