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Andy Benes

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Andy Benes
Pitcher
Born:(1967-08-20)August 20, 1967(age 57)
Evansville, Indiana,U.S.
Batted:Right
Threw:Right
MLB debut
August 11, 1989, for the San Diego Padres
Last MLB appearance
September 29, 2002, for the St. Louis Cardinals
MLB statistics
Win–loss record155–139
Earned run average3.97
Strikeouts2,000
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Baseball
RepresentingUnited States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1988 Seoul Team
Baseball World Cup
Silver medal – second place 1988 Rome Team

Andrew Charles Benes(born August 20, 1967) is an American formerprofessional baseballpitcherwho played 14 seasons inMajor League Baseball(MLB), most prominently as a member of theSan Diego Padres,who selected Benes as thefirst overall pickin the1988 MLB draft.With the Padres, he was named to theNational League(NL)All-Starteam in1993and led the league in strikeouts in 1994. He also played for theSeattle Mariners,St. Louis Cardinals,andArizona Diamondbacks.

Career

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Benes was born inEvansville, Indiana,where he attendedEvansville Lutheran SchoolandEvansville Central High School,as did his brotherAlan Benes.

He playedcollege baseballin his hometown for theUniversity of Evansville Purple Aces.[1]He also played college football and basketball at Evanston before focusing solely on baseball in 1987. In 1988, he was namedPlayer of the YearbyCollegiate Baseball Newspaperand an All-American byBaseball Americaand theABCA.[2]He had a 16–3recordwith 188strikeouts,including 21 strikeouts in a game againstUNC-Wilmington.[3]

He was thefirst player selectedin the1988 Major League Baseball draftby the Padres. Before signing with the Padres, Benes pitched for theUnited Statesin the1988 Summer Olympics.He pitched6+2⁄3innings,allowed two runs and struck out andwalkedfour batters in a 12–2 win over Australia that clinched the Americans' advance to the medal round.[4]The Americans eventually won their first baseball Olympic gold medal. He also played in the1988 Baseball World Cup,where the U.S. lost to Cuba in the title game.[3]

Benes signed a contract with the Padres that included a $230,000 signing bonus.[3]He made 21 starts inMinor League Baseball(MiLB), 16 for theDouble-AWichita Wranglersand five with theLas Vegas Stars,[5]before making his MLB debut on August 11. After losing his first two games, he earned his firstwinover the Philadelphia Phillies on August 23. He finished the season with a 6–3 record.[6][3]He was namedThe Sporting NewsNational League Rookie Pitcher of the Year.[1]

Benes was anAll-Starin1993[1]during a 15–15 season with the Padres and led MLB with 189 strikeouts and 14 losses the next season.

On July 31, 1995, Benes was traded with aplayer to be named later(Greg Keagle) to the Mariners forMarc NewfieldandRon Villone.[7]He went 7–2 with the Mariners, albeit with a high 5.82 ERA. Both he and the franchise made their first appearance in theMLB postseasonin 1995.[8]Benes pitched poorly in the playoffs, going 0–1 and allowing 13 runs in 14 innings.[9]After the season, Benes became afree agent.[3]

Benes signed with the Cardinals before the1996 season.He finished third in theCy Young Awardballoting in1996,after an 18–10, 3.83earned run averageseason.[10]Benes was primarily a starting pitcher but on May 29, 1996, he picked up his only major league save. He recorded the final out of a 6–5 Cardinals victory over theColorado Rockiesto close out the game for the Cardinals.[11]

After the 1997 season, Benes agreed to a five-year, $30 million contract to return to the Cardinals. Unfortunately, the contract was signed 90 minutes after a deadline to re-sign players.[12][13]

Instead, Benes became one of the first players in Diamondbacks history when he signed a three-year, $18 million contract prior to the team's inaugural1998season.[12][14]He threw the first pitch, a ball,[15]and earned the first loss in Diamondbacks history, as the team fell onOpening Dayto the Rockies.[1][16]He led the team with 14 wins, 34 starts, and 164 strikeouts in its first season.[17]

Benes returned to the Cardinals in 2000. He ended his career with 2,000 strikeouts, which is in the top 100 in MLB history.[18]His final regular season MLB pitch struck outRyan Christensonon September 29, 2002.[19]He ended his career in theNL Championship Series,earning a loss in Game 4 to theSan Francisco Giants.[9]

Relief pitcherTodd Joneswrote inThe Sporting Newsin 2004 that Benes had a habit of gritting his teeth when preparing to throw aslider,atellthat hitters could exploit.[20]

Honors

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Benes was inducted into the Purple Aces Hall of Fame in 1994,[21]the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2020,[22]and theMissouri Valley ConferenceHall of Fame in 2023.[23]The University of Evansville retired his number in 2010.[3][21]He received theSouthern Indiana Athletic ConferenceLifetime Achievement Award in 2016.[24]

He received the PadresClyde McCulloughPitcher of the Year Award in 1991 and 1993 and was named theNL Player of the Weekfor the week of August 1, 1993.[25]

Personal Life

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Benes and his younger brotherAlan Beneswere teammates on the Cardinals in 1996–97 and 2000–01. Another younger brother Adam Benes was drafted by the Cardinals in1995and pitched in the minors until 2000.[3][26]

Benes and his wife Jennifer married in 1987. They have seven children and live nearSt. Louis.[22]Their first child Drew Benes was drafted by the Cardinals in2010and pitched in the Cardinals organization from 2010 to 2012.[27]Their fourth child Shane Benes played for theState College Spikesin the Cardinals system in 2019.[28]Benes is a Christian.[29][23][14]

See also

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References

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  1. ^abcdDavid Pietrusza (2000).Baseball: the biographical encyclopedia.Kingston, New York: Total/Sports Illustrated. p.80.ISBN1-892129-34-5.
  2. ^"Andy Benes (2023) - Hall of Fame".mvc-sports.com.RetrievedAugust 16,2024.
  3. ^abcdefgCohen, Alan (May 1, 2019)."Andy Benes – Society for American Baseball Research".Society for American Baseball Research.RetrievedAugust 16,2024.
  4. ^Higgins, Ron (September 21, 1988)."Andy Benes - Sept. 21, 1988".The York Dispatch.Scripps Howard News Service.p. 36.RetrievedAugust 16,2024.
  5. ^"Andy Benes Minor Leagues Statistics".Baseball-Reference.com.RetrievedAugust 16,2024.
  6. ^"Andy Benes 1989 Pitching Game Logs".Baseball-Reference.com.RetrievedAugust 16,2024.
  7. ^"Andy Benes Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More".Baseball-Reference.com.RetrievedAugust 13,2024.
  8. ^"1995 Seattle Mariners Statistics".Baseball-Reference.com.RetrievedAugust 13,2024.
  9. ^ab"Andy Benes Postseason Pitching Game Logs".Baseball-Reference.com.RetrievedAugust 16,2024.
  10. ^"1996 Awards Voting".Baseball-Reference.com.RetrievedAugust 13,2024.
  11. ^"Colorado Rockies at St. Louis Cardinals Box Score, May 29, 1996".
  12. ^ab"PLUS: BASEBALL -- ARIZONA; Benes Agrees To 3-Year Contract".The New York Times.February 4, 1998.
  13. ^"Diamondbacks Land Benes for Three Years, $18 Million".Los Angeles Times.February 4, 1998.RetrievedAugust 16,2024.
  14. ^ab"Benes Renews His Feud With Cardinal Coach -- Marks His Return To St. Louis With Heated Verbal Exchange".The Seattle Times.Seattle Times News Services. April 16, 1998.RetrievedAugust 16,2024.
  15. ^"D-backs' first game | 03/31/1998".MLB.com.RetrievedAugust 16,2024.
  16. ^"Colorado Rockies vs Arizona Diamondbacks Box Score: March 31, 1998".Baseball-Reference.com.RetrievedAugust 13,2024.
  17. ^"1998 Arizona Diamondbacks Pitching Statistics".Baseball-Reference.com.RetrievedAugust 13,2024.
  18. ^"Career Leaders & Records for Strikeouts".Baseball-Reference.com.RetrievedAugust 16,2024.
  19. ^"Milwaukee Brewers vs St. Louis Cardinals Box Score: September 29, 2002".Baseball-Reference.com.RetrievedAugust 16,2024.
  20. ^Jones, Todd (August 23, 2004)."No spying in baseball? Then you aren't paying attention".web.archive.org.Archived fromthe originalon July 18, 2006.RetrievedAugust 16,2024.
  21. ^ab"Andy Benes | Purple Aces Hall of Fame".RetrievedAugust 16,2024.
  22. ^ab"Andy Benes – Missouri Sports Hall of Fame".RetrievedAugust 16,2024.
  23. ^ab"Andy Benes named to MVC Hall of Fame Class of 2023".University of Evansville Athletics.June 28, 2024.RetrievedAugust 16,2024.
  24. ^Engelhardt, Gordon (July 30, 2016)."Benes humbled by SIAC Lifetime Achievement Award".The Courier and Press.RetrievedAugust 16,2024.
  25. ^"Andy Benes Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News".MLB.com.RetrievedAugust 16,2024.
  26. ^"Adam Benes Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News".MiLB.com.RetrievedAugust 16,2024.
  27. ^"Drew Benes Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News".MiLB.com.RetrievedAugust 16,2024.
  28. ^"Shane Benes Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News".MiLB.com.RetrievedAugust 16,2024.
  29. ^Zurcher, Jeff (April 1, 2012)."Intentional Walk: A renewed heavenly focus altered Andy Bene's earthly relationships".Inside Pitch Magazine.American Baseball Coaches Association.
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