Ernie Banks’ 1st pro contract with KC Monarchs & Hall of Fame Ring are up for auction
A collection of mementos from Major League Baseball Hall of Fame shortstop Ernie Banks is up for auction.
Heritage Auctions, a Dallas-based auction house, is offering a trove of Mr. Cub’s collectibles during Heritage’s Aug. 19-20 Summer Platinum Night Sports Auction. The collection includes Banks’ first professional contract signed for the Kansas City Monarchs in 1950 and his Hall of Fame Induction Ring.
In total, 36 items from Banks’ personal life and sports career will be up for grabs.
“It’s a good opportunity if you are a big fan of the Cubs or Ernie Banks and you want to own something he owned or something that was a part of his life,” Heritage sports operations supervisor Mike Provenzale said. “There’s some high-end items that are six figures, like his Hall of Fame ring, and you know, his first professional contract, but then there’s some really good items that are (priced at) a lower level any collector could afford.”
Regina Rice, Banks’ longtime friend and executor of his estate, emphasized the rarity of Mr. Cub’s first pro contract, considering how great a player he was — an 11-time All-Star and two-time National League MVP — and the challenges he faced throughout his career on and off the field. Banks was the first Black player to play in the Chicago Cubs organization.
Provenzale was shocked that the Dallas native was only a teenager (age 19) when he signed the contract with the Monarchs. Additionally, the contract lists Banks’ home address as 1717 Fairmount Street, which is notable because it contradicts the location listed in several stories and biographies written of the baseball legend.
Initially, Rice couldn’t find the four pages to Banks’ contract, only the front and back. Rice said the Plexiglas-protected document was so flat and thin that she couldn’t imagine all four pages fit inside it. After a few days, though, Rice tried her luck, unscrewing it from the casing and found all four pages.
Rice added that Banks was hesitant to play pro ball because he didn’t want to leave Texas. But he did, thanks to an assist from Buck O’Neil, and the rest was history.
After getting to know Banks personally and his love for Cubs fans, her favorite piece of the collection became the contract.
“It holds cultural and social significance. It just reminds us of the struggles that we went through and what we can achieve,” Rice said. “It’s such a tangible piece of history, especially at a time when racial segregation was very prevalent.”
Banks’ collection provides a full-circle journey of his professional career. The collection includes his first contract and his 1977 Hall of Fame ring. Rice said Banks wore the ring up until 2013 or 2014 — he died in 2015.
On top of being a fan favorite, the league’s two-time Most Valuable Player still holds many Cubs records, such as games played, plate appearances and extra-base hits. When Banks did fan signings, Rice said he would be the last person there because he’d have a conversation with each person in line.
Given Banks’ legacy, Provenzale projects the Hall of Fame ring to sell for $100,000.
“With a player of Banks’ caliber and popularity, you know, the sky’s the limit for some of these,” Provenzale said. “Given how passionate Cubs fans are, especially that, in the last few days we’re going to see the prices go up and exceed their estimates.”
Although the auctions on both Saturday, Aug. 19, and Sunday, Aug. 20, close at 10 p.m. Central, every item has a 30-minute countdown that starts right after called extended bidding. Each memento will stay open until the clock runs out or another bid is made. If a bid is made, the clock will reset to 30 minutes.
Other collectibles up for auction include Banks’ passport, golf clubs, his trademark ‘PLAYTWO’ license plates and more.
Rice said it will be hard to let go of these items, but she hopes they are placed in the right hands and never lost.
“Having anything from his estate or anything he owned is going to be a forever treasure,” Rice said. “I don’t care if it’s a $2 piece or $2 million piece, I want them to cherish it, I want them to share it and leave it where the world could always see it.”
