On Ernie Banks Day, the proudest person on the field wasn’t necessarily Ernie Banks. After all, hearing the cheers of 23,000 people on a day named in your honor can be a humbling experience. Relatives, on the other hand, feel no such restrictions. Like Eddie Banks, Ernie’s father, a former catcher for the Dallas Black Giants. Or Jerry and Joel, Ernie’s twin sons, who got to suit up just like dad. Or wife Eloyce, a baseball widow getting her day in the sun. Then again maybe it was Ernie, who went home that day with a new car, a diamond ring and the memory of being the first active Cub to be so honored with both his father and his sons there to see it. Speaking of humbling experiences, the Cubs lost to the Pirates 5-4.
Number of major leaguers whose sons have also played in the majors: 161. Number of major leaguers who have had sons as teammates: 2.
Percentage of fathers who said they spent an hour or more a day with their children in 1924: 60. Percentage in 1999: 83.
Percentage of fathers who get parenting advice from their own dads: 3.
