Pelicans to host Ernie Banks Tribute with "Let's Play Two" Uniforms
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (JUNE 4, 2015) - The Myrtle Beach Pelicans, Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, are honored to announce that the club will wear "Let's Play Two" Ernie Banks tribute jerseys during Pelicans doubleheaders, beginning with the doubleheader scheduled for June 5 against the Carolina Mudcats in an Ernie Banks Tribute Night. The Pelicans are proud to join the Chicago Cubs and many others in honoring "Mr. Cub" following his passing this past January. The uniforms will be auctioned online and in-park during the course of the season.
The uniforms (click to view) feature the Chicago Cubs Blue text, trimmed in Chicago Cubs Red, reading "Let's Play" curved across the front from left-to-right and "Two" below it on the lower-right. The uniform base is a Chicago Cubs-inspired pinstripe uniform. A black circular "EB" patch is featured on the right sleeve. Like the text on the front, numbers on the back are in royal blue with a red trim.
"Ernie Banks represents the Cubs and the 'Cubs Way'," said Pelicans President and General Manager Andy Milovich. "We are honored to be a part of the celebration of his life and his message, encapsulated in his famous words, 'Let's Play Two,' with our celebration of doubleheaders all season long."
Before game one of the twin-bill and between the two contests, the Pelicans will play the Ernie Banks tribute video from Opening Night at Wrigley Field this year on the left-field video board. The club will also give away 100 copies of the commemorative Ernie Banks edition of Vine Line Magazine during the game.
The Pelicans official website, www.MyrtleBeachPelicans.com, will have an Ernie Banks "takeover" for 24 hours, beginning at midnight the night of Thursday, June 4.
Two "Let's Play Two" uniforms, one team signed, are available for bidding online. The auctions for both uniforms will close at 5:00 p.m. on June 12. The remainder of the uniforms will be auctioned off at the end of the season. Proceeds from the jersey auction will benefit two charities with close ties to the Ernie Banks family, Child's Play Touring Theater and the Women with Drive Foundation.
Those who wish to bid on jerseys will be able to do so online. Fans at the game will be able to bid on the online platform at the Guest Services booth.
The game-worn jerseys will be autographed by the corresponding player or coach at the end of the season.
Ernie Banks played 19 Major League seasons, primarily at shortstop and first base, all with the Chicago Cubs. After a couple of seasons with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues and a two-year stint serving in the US military, Banks became the first black player in Chicago Cubs history when he debuted on September 17, 1953. The 11-time National League All-Star won back-to-back NL Most Valuable Player awards in 1958 and 1959 and a Gold Glove in 1960. He hit 40-plus home runs five times in his career and led the NL twice in both homers and RBI. He finished with 512 Major League home runs, tied for 22nd all-time.
In a 1969 Chicago Sun-Times fan poll, Banks was voted the "Greatest Cub Ever." The Dallas, Texas, native was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977, his first year of eligibility, by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. He was one of just three shortstops named to Major League Baseball's All-Century Team, joining Honus Wagner and Cal Ripken, Jr.
The 2015 season marks the 17th season for the Pelicans franchise and first as the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. For information on tickets to see the Pelicans in 2015, please call (843) 918-6000, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.MyrtleBeachPelicans.com.