John Van Benschoten
Encyclopedia
John Wesley Van Benschoten (born April 14, 1980 in San Diego, California
) is an American
professional baseball
pitcher
for the San Diego Padres
of Major League Baseball
.
, a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio
, where he was a two-sport athlete at Milford High School
. He has an older sister, Caroline, and a younger sister, Lyndsay.
, leading all of Division I in home run
s his junior year with 31. He also worked as the team's closer
, however, and the Pittsburgh Pirates
thought that he had more potential as a pitcher than as a hitter. They made him the eighth overall selection of the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft
, and announced that he would be a pitcher.
while a member of the Altoona Curve
, and Baseball America
named him the top prospect in the Pirates system in both 2003 and 2004.
Van Benschoten made his major league debut on August 18, 2004, in a 6-3 loss against the Arizona Diamondbacks
. Scheduled starter Kip Wells
had complained of elbow pain before the game, so the Pirates called up Van Benschoten to take his place, designating reliever Willis Roberts
for assignment to create roster space. Van Benschoten went on to pitch in six games for the Pirates, five of them starts. He compiled a 6.91 ERA in 28 2/3 innings pitched, winning one game and losing three. He also hit his first major league home run, against Casey Fossum
.
The Pirates benched Van Benschoten for medical reasons on September 18, 2004, citing "shoulder fatigue" in his right arm. He did not pitch again that year, and in November, he had surgery to repair tears to the glenoid labrum and rotator cuff
of his left arm. Those injuries did not affect his pitching, presenting a problem only as a batter, and Van Benschoten participated in the team's minicamp in January 2005. There, he began experiencing a pinching sensation in the shoulder of his right arm. He ultimately had surgery to repair a tear to the labrum of his right shoulder as well, and missed the entire 2005 season.
Van Benschoten returned to play in August 2006, but made only 5 starts (split between the Bradenton Pirates
, Altoona Curve
, and Indianapolis Indians
) before a further arm injury ended his season.
Van Benschoten started the 2007 season at Indianapolis. He made his first start with the Pirates in the 2007 season
on June 16 as a starter against the White Sox. Van Benschoten would go back to Indianapolis and be recalled later during the season only to finish the season with no wins and seven losses.
Van Benschoten would likewise start the 2008 season with the Indianapolis Indians
and remain on the inactive roster for the Pirates. After posting a 4-0 record and a 1.88 ERA with the Indians, he was called up by the Pirates on April 27 to be on the active roster. He currently holds the all-time major league record for highest career ERA with at least 75 innings pitched. He became a free agent at the end of the season and signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox, who assigned him to the Triple-A Charlotte Knights
.
. He pitched for the Double-A Trenton Thunder
and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.
on July 20.
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
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...
for the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
of Major League Baseball
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...
.
Personal
He grew up in Milford, OhioMilford, Ohio
Milford is a city in Clermont and Hamilton counties in the U.S. state of Ohio, along the Little Miami River in the southwestern part of the state. It is a part of Greater Cincinnati. Milford, an abbreviated form of mill ford, was so named because it was the first safe ford across the Little Miami...
, a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, where he was a two-sport athlete at Milford High School
Milford High School (Ohio)
Milford High School is a public high school in Milford, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Milford Exempted Village School District and the largest of the district's 8 school buildings.-Band Program:...
. He has an older sister, Caroline, and a younger sister, Lyndsay.
College
Van Benschoten was a power-hitting star at Kent State UniversityKent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
, leading all of Division I in home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s his junior year with 31. He also worked as the team's closer
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
, however, and the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
thought that he had more potential as a pitcher than as a hitter. They made him the eighth overall selection of the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft
2001 Major League Baseball Draft
-First Round Selections:-Supplemental First Round Selections:-Background:The Minnesota Twins selected St. Paul, MN native Joe Mauer with the number one pick in the 2001 draft. The 18-year-old Mauer, a catcher from Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, became the seventh Minnesotan to be...
, and announced that he would be a pitcher.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Van Benschoten performed well as a prospect. He pitched a scoreless inning in the 2003 All-Star Futures GameAll-Star Futures Game
The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game between a team of top minor league prospects from the United States and a team of prospects from other parts of the World...
while a member of the Altoona Curve
Altoona Curve
The Altoona Curve are a minor league baseball team based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, named after nearby Horseshoe Curve . The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club...
, and Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
named him the top prospect in the Pirates system in both 2003 and 2004.
Van Benschoten made his major league debut on August 18, 2004, in a 6-3 loss against the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
. Scheduled starter Kip Wells
Kip Wells
Robert "Kip" Wells is a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization.-High school career:...
had complained of elbow pain before the game, so the Pirates called up Van Benschoten to take his place, designating reliever Willis Roberts
Willis Roberts
Willis Augusto Roberts is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball, born in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic. He batted and threw right-handed. Roberts was signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent in 1992. He remained with the Tigers organization from 1992 to 1999...
for assignment to create roster space. Van Benschoten went on to pitch in six games for the Pirates, five of them starts. He compiled a 6.91 ERA in 28 2/3 innings pitched, winning one game and losing three. He also hit his first major league home run, against Casey Fossum
Casey Fossum
Casey Paul Fossum is an American baseball pitcher in the New York Mets organization. He played for the Boston Red Sox , Arizona Diamondbacks , Tampa Bay Devil Rays , Detroit Tigers , and New York Mets of Major League Baseball, and the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball...
.
The Pirates benched Van Benschoten for medical reasons on September 18, 2004, citing "shoulder fatigue" in his right arm. He did not pitch again that year, and in November, he had surgery to repair tears to the glenoid labrum and rotator cuff
Rotator cuff
In anatomy, the rotator cuff is the group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the shoulder. The four muscles of the rotator cuff, along with the teres major muscle, the coracobrachialis muscle and the deltoid, make up the seven scapulohumeral muscles of the human body.-Function:The...
of his left arm. Those injuries did not affect his pitching, presenting a problem only as a batter, and Van Benschoten participated in the team's minicamp in January 2005. There, he began experiencing a pinching sensation in the shoulder of his right arm. He ultimately had surgery to repair a tear to the labrum of his right shoulder as well, and missed the entire 2005 season.
Van Benschoten returned to play in August 2006, but made only 5 starts (split between the Bradenton Pirates
Bradenton Pirates
The Gulf Coast Pirates or GCL Pirates are the Rookie Level minor league affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The team plays in Bradenton, Florida, at Pirate City Stadium...
, Altoona Curve
Altoona Curve
The Altoona Curve are a minor league baseball team based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, named after nearby Horseshoe Curve . The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club...
, and 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...
) before a further arm injury ended his season.
Van Benschoten started the 2007 season at Indianapolis. He made his first start with the Pirates in the 2007 season
2007 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The Pittsburgh Pirates' 2007 season marked the 126th season of baseball in Pittsburgh.- Overview :The Pirates began 2007 with a new majority owner, Robert Nutting, and the dreary fact that they could surpass the Philadelphia Phillies as owners of the longest consecutive losing seasons record in...
on June 16 as a starter against the White Sox. Van Benschoten would go back to Indianapolis and be recalled later during the season only to finish the season with no wins and seven losses.
Van Benschoten would likewise start the 2008 season with 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...
and remain on the inactive roster for the Pirates. After posting a 4-0 record and a 1.88 ERA with the Indians, he was called up by the Pirates on April 27 to be on the active roster. He currently holds the all-time major league record for highest career ERA with at least 75 innings pitched. He became a free agent at the end of the season and signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox, who assigned him to the Triple-A Charlotte Knights
Charlotte Knights
The Charlotte Knights are a minor league baseball team representing Charlotte, North Carolina. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox of the American League...
.
New York Yankees
Prior to the 2010 season, Van Benschoten signed a minor league contract with the New York YankeesNew York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. He pitched for the Double-A Trenton Thunder
Trenton Thunder
The Trenton Thunder are an American Minor League Baseball team and are the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. The Thunder play in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League, and are the two-time defending league champions...
and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.
San Diego Padres
After beginning the season playing independent baseball, Van Benschoten signed a minor league contact with the San Diego PadresSan Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
on July 20.