Willie Banks (baseball) facts for kids

Willie Anthony Banks was a talented American pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was born on February 27, 1969. Willie played for several well-known teams during his career. These teams included the Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins, New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Boston Red Sox.

Early Life and High School Baseball

Willie Banks grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey. He showed great baseball skills from a young age. While attending St. Anthony's High School, he was an amazing pitcher. In two different games, he managed to strike out 19 batters. This was in a seven-inning game, which is a very impressive achievement for a high school player.

Major League Career Highlights

Willie Banks made his debut in Major League Baseball on July 31, 1991. He started his professional journey with the Minnesota Twins.

Winning the World Series

One of the biggest moments in Willie's career was in 1991. He was part of the Minnesota Twins team that won the 1991 World Series. This is a huge championship in baseball. Being on a World Series-winning team is a dream for many players.

Playing for Division Champions

Later in his career, Willie also played for another successful team. In 1995, he was with the Los Angeles Dodgers. That year, the Dodgers won the National League Western Division championship.

Dealing with Injuries

Like many athletes, Willie faced challenges with injuries. He had to miss the entire 1996 baseball season. This was because he needed shoulder surgery. The surgery was necessary due to a nerve condition. He worked hard to recover and return to the game.

Willie Banks' Baseball Stats

Willie Banks played for nine seasons in Major League Baseball. During his career, he played in 181 games. He started 84 of those games as a pitcher.

• Win-Loss Record: He had a record of 33 wins and 39 losses.
• Earned Run Average (ERA): His ERA was 4.75. ERA measures how many earned runs a pitcher gives up per nine innings. A lower ERA is better.
• Strikeouts: Willie recorded 428 strikeouts during his time in the MLB. A strikeout is when a pitcher gets three strikes on a batter, and the batter is out.

After his time in Major League Baseball, Willie also played in Japan. He played for the Orix BlueWave in 1999.

Where to Learn More

If you want to find out more about Willie Banks' baseball career, you can check out these links:

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Nippon Professional Baseball stats
• Retrosheet