#348 George Banks

I bet George Banks had to get up pretty early in the morning to give his hair that perfect squared-off look. I still think it looks better than the currently fashionable "faux-hawk", however.

Fun facts about George Banks:

-George was born in Pacolet Mills, SC, and signed with the Yankees at age 18 in 1957.

-He showed prodigious power in the minors, belting 89 home runs in his first four full seasons as a pro. At Class A Binghamton in 1961, he batted .296 with 110 runs scored, 30 home runs, and 108 RBI, and had an on-base percentage of .414.

-The Twins must have been thrilled to claim him in November 1961's Rule 5 draft. He made his major league debut on April 15, 1962, popping out to second base as a pinch hitter.

-Banks appeared in 63 games with Minnesota as a rookie, batting .252 in 103 at-bats with 4 home runs and 15 RBI. He drew 21 walks, boosting his on-base percentage to .372.

-A terrible 3-for-31 start (.097) caused him to spend much of the 1963 season back in the minors. A scant improvement in a September callback brought his final stats to .155 with a .259 on-base percentage, 3 home runs, and 8 RBI.

-George totaled only 18 MLB games for the rest of his career: 10 with the Twins and Indians in 1964, and 4 games each for the Tribe in 1965 and 1966.

-His final home runs in the majors came on September 22, 1964. It was the only run allowed by Hall of Famer Whitey Ford in an 8-1 Yankee victory.

-In parts of 5 big league seasons he hit .219 (.340 OBP) with 9 home runs and 27 RBI.

-He remained active in the minors until 1968, totaling 223 homers in parts of 11 seasons. His peak was 35, for the 1965 Portland Beavers.

-Unfortunately, Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS) took George's life at age 46 in 1985. He was buried near his birthplace in South Carolina.