Ernie Banks, the Chicago Cubs' famed slugger and eventual Hall of Famer, died on Friday night. He was 83 years old, The Associated Press reports.
Banks, who began his career in the Negro Leagues playing for the Kansas City Monarchs, made his MLB debut in 1953 and played 19 seasons, racking up 512 home runs and twice landing the league's MVP award. Despite his personal accomplishments, Banks played for a string of Cubs teams that finished below .500, and he never reached the postseason.
Still, Banks was known for his sunny outlook; his catchphrase — "It's a great day for baseball. Let's play two." — is written on his statue outside Wrigley Field.
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Revisit Banks' career highlights in a lovely 2014 retrospective from the Chicago Tribune's video department, below. —Sarah Eberspacher
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