Biography - Ben Zobrist

Who is Ben Zobrist?

Ben Zobrist is a baseball player by profession and American by nationality. He currently is the second baseman and outfielder for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). Previously, he had played for Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, Oakland Athletics, and Kansas City Royals. 

Ben Zobrist – Age, Parents, Siblings

Ben Zobrist’s birth occurred on May 26, 1981, in Eureka, Illinois, USA. He was born Benjamin Thomas Zobrist to his mother Cynthia "Cindi" Zobrist (née Cali) and father Tom Zobrist, senior pastor of Liberty Bible Church in Eureka.

He is not the only child of his parents and has four siblings- brothers Peter Zobrist, and Noah Zobrist and sisters Serena Zobrist, and Jessica Zobrist.

Education, Ethnicity

Ben Zobrist attended Eureka High School and graduated from the same in 2001. He went on to study at Olivet Nazarene University but transferred to Dallas Baptist University for his senior year.

His ethnicity includes English, German, and Italian-Sicilian.

Ben Zobrist – Girlfriend, Wife, Children, Divorce

Ben Zobrist married his longtime girlfriend Julianna Zobrist, a singer and author on 17 December 2005. 

He and his wife have welcomed three children together. Their son Zion Benjamin Zobrist was born on February 1, 2009, and daughters Blaise Royal Zobrist and Kruse Allegra Zobrist were born on November 6, 2015, and September 19, 2011, respectively.

After almost 15 years of marriage, the couple has separated. In May 2019 it was reported that Ben Zobrist had filed for divorce alleging his wife “has been guilty of inappropriate marital conduct, which rendered further cohabitation impossible.” 

Julianna Zobrist filed for divorce citing “irreconcilable differences” from a separate state. Later it was revealed that she had an affair with former Nashville Byron Yawn who once had counseled them on their marital problems. In August 2021 the divorce trial began and it was also confirmed that Julianna and Yawn are still together.

Also read: Anthony Rendon - Baseball player for Washington National 

Ben Zobrist – Career

College baseball

Zobrist played baseball in his high school years. After graduation, he had plans to attend Calvary Bible College when his high school coach encouraged him to spend $50 to participate in an annual summer event.

He played in the showcase and impressed by his performance was offered to college baseball at Olivet Nazarene University. There he pitched and also played at shortstop and second base.

In 2002, he was named to both the all-CCAC and All-Region VII First Teams and received NAIA Honorable Mention All-America status. The following year, Ben Zobrist was named Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year, first-team All-Region VII, and first-team NAIA All-America.

Also read: Mike Clevinger - Baseball player for Cleveland Indians 

Professional career

In 2003, Ben Zobrist played for Wisconsin Woodchucks and was voted the team MVP. In the 2004 Major League Baseball (MBL) draft, he was selected in the sixth round by Houston Astros. On July 12, 2006, he was traded to Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays.

With the Rays, Zobrist made his MBL debut on August 1, 2006. On April 23, 2010, he signed a contract with Tampa Bay Devil Rays through the 2013 season, with a team option for 2014 and 2015, a deal potentially worth $30 million.

Ben Zobrist played for the team until the 2014 season. On January 10, 2015, he was to the Oakland Athletics. The same year in April, it was revealed that he had torn medial meniscus in his left knee that required surgery and would be out of games for 4–6 weeks.

On July 28, 2015, Ben Zobrist was once again traded, this time to Kansas City Royals. After playing 59 games in the regular season for Kansas City, he signed a four-year, $56 million contract with the Chicago Cubs on December 8, 2015.

Also read: Noah Syndergaard - Baseball player for New York Mets 

Ben Zobrist – Awards, Nominations

Zobrist has been named All-Star in 2009, and 2013. 

In his career, he has played in three World Series winning the last two. The winning made him a two-time World Series champion in consecutive seasons in 2015 with the Royals and in 2016 with the Cubs.

Ben Zobrist – Net Worth, Salary

The net worth and annual salary of Zobrist are estimated to be around $51 million and $10 million respectively.

Ben Zobrist – Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

On social media sites Instagram, and Twitter, Ben Zobrist is followed by over a million followers but is absent from Facebook.

Also read: Cole Hamels - Baseball player