Ben Hendrickson
Encyclopedia
Benjamin John Hendrickson (born February 4, 1981, St. Cloud, Minnesota
) is a free-agent baseball pitcher
.
Hendrickson originally signed with the Milwaukee Brewers
in the tenth round of the 1999
First-Year Player Draft. He made his major league
debut with the Brewers in , going only 1-8 with a 6.22 earned run average
the same season he was named the International League
's Most Valuable Player
after going 11-3 with a 2.02 ERA and 93 strike out
s in 21 starts for the Indianapolis Indians
.
Hendrickson spent all of with the Brewers' triple A affiliate, the Nashville Sounds
, but was once again a major leaguer for . He struggled in his major league starts in early 2006, twice struggling to get out of the first inning. He was reassigned to Triple-A Nashville on May 21, 2006, after a dismal start against the Twins in which he allowed six runs on five hits and a walk without recording an out. He was the 14th pitcher in Brewers history to fail to record an out in a start and the first since Jamie McAndrew
on August 28, . He went 9-8 with Nashville, and was named a Pacific Coast League
All-Star
. He has a career major league ERA
of 6.48 and has played in 13 games in his career, 10 in and 3 in . Hendrickson also has 58 innings
pitched.
During Spring training
, Hendrickson was waived in order for Milwaukee to remove him from their 40-man roster. After clearing waivers, he was again assigned to Nashville, at which point he requested the team trade him. On March 27, Hendrickson was traded to the Kansas City Royals
in exchange for catcher
Max St. Pierre
. After being released by the Royals during Spring training, Hendrickson signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays
and became a free agent at the end of the season. In February , he signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins. On June 23, 2009 Hendrickson Was Released By The Minnesota Twins
.
St. Cloud, Minnesota
St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 65,842 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stearns County...
) is a free-agent baseball pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
.
Hendrickson originally signed with the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
in the tenth round of the 1999
1999 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1999 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 2 and 3, 1999...
First-Year Player Draft. He made his major league
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
debut with the Brewers in , going only 1-8 with a 6.22 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
the same season he was named the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
's Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
after going 11-3 with a 2.02 ERA and 93 strike out
Strike Out
Strike Out, , North American Harness racing championStrike Out was born in 1969 at Castleton Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, and is by Bret Hanover out of the mare Golden Miss....
s in 21 starts for the Indianapolis Indians
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
.
Hendrickson spent all of with the Brewers' triple A affiliate, the Nashville Sounds
Nashville Sounds
The Nashville Sounds are a minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League , and the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the city's association with the music industry...
, but was once again a major leaguer for . He struggled in his major league starts in early 2006, twice struggling to get out of the first inning. He was reassigned to Triple-A Nashville on May 21, 2006, after a dismal start against the Twins in which he allowed six runs on five hits and a walk without recording an out. He was the 14th pitcher in Brewers history to fail to record an out in a start and the first since Jamie McAndrew
Jamie McAndrew
James Brian "Jamie" McAndrew is a former American college and professional baseball player who was a pitcher for parts of two Major League Baseball seasons...
on August 28, . He went 9-8 with Nashville, and was named a Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
All-Star
All-star
All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
. He has a career major league ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
of 6.48 and has played in 13 games in his career, 10 in and 3 in . Hendrickson also has 58 innings
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
pitched.
During Spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
, Hendrickson was waived in order for Milwaukee to remove him from their 40-man roster. After clearing waivers, he was again assigned to Nashville, at which point he requested the team trade him. On March 27, Hendrickson was traded to the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
in exchange for catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
Max St. Pierre
Max St. Pierre
Maxim Joseph St. Pierre is a Canadian professional baseball catcher.Prior to being called up to the Tigers, St. Pierre spent 14 seasons in the minor leagues. He played in the Tigers minor league system from 1997 to 2010, with the exception of 2007, which was spent in the Milwaukee Brewers system...
. After being released by the Royals during Spring training, Hendrickson signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
and became a free agent at the end of the season. In February , he signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins. On June 23, 2009 Hendrickson Was Released By The Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
.