Ben Zobrist, a Chicago Cubs baseball star, has called it quits with his wife after nearly 14 years of marriage. Here’s everything you need to know about the MLB star that’s been making headlines amid his divorce.

Ben Zobrist, 37, a professional baseball player for the Chicago Cubs, is headed for divorce with his Christian pop singer wife, Julianna Zobrist. It was Julianna is who listed as the plaintiff, and cited “irreconcilable differences” as the grounds for the divorce which she filed on May 13. The news of a divorce arrived after Ben requested a full week off from his MLB career for “personal” reasons. However,  Ben has since accused his wife of “inappropriate marital conduct” in a complaint for legal separation filed in Tennessee this week. Here’s everything to know about Ben in the midst of the couple’s surprising split.

1. He’s an Illinois native.

Ben was born in Eureka, Illinois and grew up loving the game of baseball. Young Ben probably never expected that he would grow up and not only help the Chicago Cubs win the World Series but also be named MVP.

2. Ben was a bit of a poet in high school.

Twenty years before he became the first Cubs player to become a World Series MVP, he wrote a poem in Eureka High School about the emotion of winning the big game, according to the St. Louis Dispatch. 

“The ball is going farther than ever / Much to my surprise! / The ball lands way beyond the fence. / I round the bases without shame. / The fans, they cheer and shout and scream! / For our team has won the game!” That may not be as accurate as the Parks & Rec episode that predicted the World Series win, but it’s close enough.

3. He’s a World Series champ. 

In 2008, after college, the Houston Astros drafted him before trading Ben to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He would go to the World Series in his rookie year, but the Rays fell to the Philadelphia Phillies. He stayed in Florida until 2015, when he was traded to the Oakland Athletics. In the middle of the 2015 season, the A’s traded Ben to the Kansas City Royals. That was probably the best move of his career, as Kansas City would go on to win the World Series! In 2016, he led the Cubs to victory at the World Series.

4. Ben and his wife began their relationship over Instant Messenger

Ben’s wife is a successful Christian music singer. Back before people were sliding into DM, these two began dating during the early 2000’s, striking up a romance online over IM, according to Heavy.com. After years of dating, they were married in 2005. They have three kids: son Zion Benjamin and daughters Kruse Allegra and Blaise Royal.

5. He is a published author.

Ben and Julianna wrote Double Play: Faith and Family First in 2014, detailing to Ben’s anxiety with baseball to Juliana’s personal struggles with being sexually molested as a young girl. The book was meant to show how being open with a partner can help build a strong foundation for a lasting relationship. It seems to have worked, as Julianna was there to celebrate the biggest night in Ben’s professional career.

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