Ernie Banks

He married Mollye Ector in 1953. The marriage did not last long and the two filed for a divorce after a couple of years.

Following this, he eloped with Eloyce Johnson. The two were blessed with twins - both sons. Four years later, they were blessed with a daughter.

In 1981, he separated from Eloyce as well. Later in 1984, he married Marjorie. Not much is known about their marital life except for the fact that in 1997, he married Liz Ellzey. In 2008, the couple adopted an infant daughter.

Ernie Banks was second child of the twelve children born to Eddie and Essie Banks in Dallas, Texas. His father was a construction worker and a warehouse loader. He even played baseball for black semi-pro-team.

Banks was athletic as a child but loved playing basketball and football more than baseball. He was also an avid swimmer. While his father bribed him to make a career in baseball, his mother wanted him to follow the footstep of his grandfather and become a minister.

Academically, he completed his formal education from Booker T. Washington High School in 1950. While at school, he excelled in basketball, football and track. Since the school did not have baseball team, he played softball for a church

In 1951, he was called for military duties and served the U. S. Army in Germany and Korea. After two years of service, he was relieved off his duties.

He caught the attention of Bill Blair who scouted for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League. He was called to play for the Monarchs which he eventually did, finishing the season with a batting average of .347.

In 1953, he left Monarchs to sign with the Chicago Cubs, where he made a major league debut in Wrigley Field playing ten games. He was one of the few players who played with MLB team without playing minor league.

The following year, he partnered along with Gene Baker and eventually became the first all-black double-play combination in major league history. He ended up with 19 runs and a second spot at the Rookie of the Year voting

Year 1955 was a good one in terms of performance as he totalled 44 home runs, with 117 RBIs batting at an average of .295. He played the first of the 14 All-Star Games. The same year, he set a thirty year record of five single-season grand slam home runs. As for Cubs performance, the team finished with 72:81 win loss record.

In August 1977, he was inducted into the National baseball hall of Fame.

In 1982, he became the first player to have his number retired by a team, as the Cubs retired his uniform number 14.

Ever since his retirement, he served as a team ambassador. In 1984, he was named an honorary member.

In 1999, he was named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. The same year, the Society for American Baseball Research listed him 27th on a list of the 100 greatest baseball players.

In 2013, he was conferred with the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom.