Aug. 5, 1963 - Ernie Banks, in the throes of his worst batting slump since joining the Chicago Cubs in 1953, entered Chicago’s Wesley Memorial Hospital today to begin what Dr. Jacob Suker termed “probably the most comprehensive physical examination he has ever had.” “We’ll look for everything and hope we find nothing,” said Dr. Suker, one of the Cubs’ physicians. “He will have a comprehensive examination and quite possibly will be in the hospital three days.” This will keep Banks out of action for the first two games of a key series against the Dodgers starting tomorrow. Banks’s last hit was a week ago Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals. He has been at bat 10 times since, and his season average has skidded to .229, 59 points below his career average. He has 17 homers and 54 runs batted in. Dr. Suker declined to speculate on what he thought Banks’ trouble is, saying only that “he has complained of general fatigue.”
