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