Kris Benson
Encyclopedia
Kristin James Benson (born November 7, 1974) is a former Major League Baseball
starting pitcher
. Benson pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates
from to , New York Mets
from to , Baltimore Orioles
in to , Texas Rangers
in , and Arizona Diamondbacks
in .
. The future All-American pitcher was born to baseball fan parents who chose names for each of their children that began names with "K," a nod to the letter used as the scorecard designation for a strikeout
. Benson attended Sprayberry High School
in Marietta, Georgia
with future MLB All-Star
Marlon Byrd
. Benson was not drafted out of high school.
from 1993 to 1996. His teammates included fellow future major-leaguers Billy Koch
and Matthew LeCroy
both of whom played with him in the 1996 Summer Olympics
in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. (Koch reported fellow teammates referred to Benson as "The Messiah
".) Benson went undefeated during the regular season of his junior year (14–0 with a 1.40 ERA) with 178 strikeouts in 142 innings pitched.
Following this strong regular season, Benson led the Tigers to the NCAA postseason. Though he pitched only one game in the Atlantic regional playoffs, the Tigers' ace earned all-tournament recognition with an outing in which he allowed only one hit, struck out eight, and walked but one batter. The victorious Tigers, starring Benson, Koch, outfielder and Regional MVP Jerome Robinson, and all-tournament outfielder Gary Burnham, entered the 1996 College World Series
on a three year streak of number-one regional seeds. The presence of Benson, the expected number one selection in the 1996 MLB amateur draft (held that year on the same week as the CWS) helped draw additional attention to the spring series, transforming it into what one then-Clemson sports information official remembered as the "Media World Series." (Benson was, in fact, drafted by the Pirates during the team's trip to Omaha.) Despite his stellar regular season, Benson subsequently dropped two postseason decisions as the Tigers stumbled to a 2-2 CWS record. Nonetheless, the team's two victories ended an eight game CWS losing streak for Clemson and included a win over top-ranked Alabama.
Subsequently, Benson was named College Baseball's Player of the Year, only the second (after fellow future major leaguer and Olympian Ben McDonald
) to be so honored on the strength of his pitching alone. As a Tiger, he won the Baseball America Player of the Year, and ACC Player of the Year. The pitcher also became only the second baseball player and first Clemson athlete in any sport to be named the ACC Male Athlete of the Year
. Other awards for his collegiate career include the Rotary Smith Award
and ABCA Player of the Year, and recognition as unanimous consensus first-team All-American. He was also the recipient of the Dick Howser Trophy
for his "performance, character, leadership, and courage". He has also been inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame in 2005 and the South Carolina Amateur Hall of Fame. In 2003 he was named to the ACC's 50-Year Anniversary baseball team. A marketing student, Benson left Clemson prior to receiving his degree.
. Benson beat Nicaragua to open up the games and then Japan, but it was his single loss (11–2 to eventual silver medalist Japan
) which proved costly. Benson lasted only four innings and surrendered five runs, and the bullpen gave up another six, en route to an 11–2 bludgeoning that kept the Americans from advancing to the gold medal
game. (Ultimately, the U.S. settled for a bronze medal
in the sport it had invented, though this represented an improvement over the squad's failure to medal in 1992.) Altogether, Benson, in the unusual position of competing in his home state of Georgia yet on a world stage, "was one of the staff's less effective arms".
. After being signed for what was believed to be a then-record signing bonus, he spent two years in the minor leagues with the Lynchburg Hillcats and Carolina Mudcats in 1997, and the Nashville Sounds in 1998. Benson made his first major league start on April 9, 1999. He became just the second number one overall pick to win his big league debut. His first strikeout was Sammy Sosa. Benson came in fourth place in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. He came up just shy of breaking the record for most strikeouts in team history by a rookie hurler. His best season came in with Pittsburgh when he posted career-highs in earned run average
, strikeout
s, innings pitched
, and games pitched
as well as his only double-digit strikeout games and his career-best three-hit complete game
despite the fact that he is a groundball pitcher. That year, Benson broke the record for most strikeouts in Pirates history for a right-handed pitcher. After 2000, he needed Tommy John surgery
and missed the entire season. He started the last game at Three Rivers Stadium and the first game ever at Great American Ballpark. Against the Mets, he broke the record for most sacrifice bunts in a game by a pitcher in MLB history with four.
The New York Mets acquired him near the trading deadline of the 2004 season. During that period, Benson put together a string of 70 consecutive innings without surrendering a home run. He was awarded the Mets Best Pitcher during the month of September that year with a 2.25 ERA. He beat Randy Johnson twice in the interleague Subway Series, throwing 12 innings of shutout baseball against the Yankees.
On January 21, 2006, Benson was traded to the Baltimore Orioles
for pitchers Jorge Julio
and John Maine
. Some speculated that the pitcher had been ushered out of town partly as an excuse for the Mets to part ways with his wife, outspoken model Anna Benson
, who had "perturbed team officials with her risqué wardrobe and provocative comments." Kris Benson also felt that the Mets had traded him because of his wife, a position disputed by Mets management. The newly minted Oriole beat the Mets that season in interleague play. During the game, he hit his first professional home run
off All-Star and Cy Young Award
-winner Pedro Martinez
.
Benson missed the entire season with a torn rotator cuff
. Steve Trachsel
replaced Benson in their starting rotation before being traded to the Chicago Cubs
for minor league players. On November 1, 2007, the Orioles declined to pick up his $7.5 million option and instead paid a $500,000 buyout.
On February 13, , the Philadelphia Phillies
signed Benson to a minor league deal. On June 29, 2008, after two years away from competitive baseball, Benson made his Triple-A debut for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs
, throwing 73 pitches. He played 11 games for the IronPigs, but was 1–4 with a 5.52 ERA. However, after two rough initial outings, he went 1–2 with a 3.80 ERA over his remaining 9 starts. He was released on August 30, 2008.
On February 21, , Benson signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training
with the Texas Rangers
. Benson made the Opening Day 25 man roster as one of the Rangers' starting pitchers, but after a short stint on the disabled list, he was relegated to the bullpen in long relief. Benson had made over 200 consecutive starts before the move to the bullpen. After proving ineffective as a sporadic reliever upon his return, he was outrighted to the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate, the Oklahoma City RedHawks, on June 9, 2009.
On March 15, , Benson signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks
. On April 15, it was announced that Benson would be the fifth starter for Arizona. He had two effective starts when he first got called up, but injured his shoulder again during his third start against the Colorado Rockies. He also pitched for the Diamondbacks Triple-A affiliate in Reno, Nevada, the Reno Aces.
Benson retired on Jan 10th, 2011. He finished his 10-year career with a 70–75 record in 200 starts (206 appearances) and 61 no-decisions.
in the minor leagues, he met his future wife, Anna Benson
while she was working as a dancer in a local strip club
. The Bensons were married in October 1999 (her second marriage, his first), the same year he reached the major leagues. The pitcher and model became a well-known baseball couple during Benson's time in the major leagues. After Anna reported that the couple had had sex in the parking lot of Three Rivers Stadium
, an experience they wished to replicate at every major league park, concern developed within the Pirates organization that the "wild-eyed brunette was getting in the way of her husband's fastball...." Her husband dismissed the Pirates treatment of his wife as "a lot of jealousy and a lot of pettiness...."' Anna filed for divorce
on March 31, 2006, citing an "irretrievably broken" marriage., but later withdrew the petition. They have had three children together (daughter Haylee, and sons P.J. and Devin James) and are also parenting Anna Benson's daughter from her her first marriage (Alyssa Warren).
Benson, who earned over $38,000,000 during his playing career, has supported several charities since beginning his professional career. (In an interview on The Howard Stern Show Anna Benson explained that at least one of her husband's contracts had been structured with charitable contributions so that this income could not be taxed.) In 2001, after 9/11, the couple founded the non-profit organization
Benson's Battalion, whose work then-Rep. Melissa Hart praised in a citation to the Congressional Record
in 2004. The Battalion raised funds for emergency services in the wake of 9/11. They also made considerable contributions to the Red Cross and United Way for 9/11 relief. In 2005, Benson assisted in a new charity, while with the New York Mets, called Tuesday's Children. The charity helped children who lost a parent during the Twin Tower collapses. In recognition of various community service and charity efforts, Benson has been honored with the Pittsburgh Pirates team Roberto Clemente Award, the Thurman Munson Award, the Joan Payson Award, and the New Jersey Sports Writers Humanitarian of the Year Award.
For years, Benson and his wife Anna were leaders for St. Barnabas and their annual Presents For Patients drive. While in Baltimore, Kris and Benson's Battalion, were recognized by the Baltimore Police Department. There are many more charitable causes that have been impacted by Benson and his family over the years, including a Certificate of Appreciation from the U.S. Army Forces Central Command in Saudi Arabia. Overall, during his career, he and his family have donated roughly three quarters of a million dollars to various charitable causes.
The son of a school teacher and college dean, Benson has been described as studious and methodical in his approach to pitching, personally reserved, and, in comparison to his wife, strait-laced and stoic.
Benson currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia
.
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...
starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
. Benson pitched for 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...
from to , New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
from to , Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
in to , Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
in , and 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...
in .
High school
Benson was born in Superior, WisconsinSuperior, Wisconsin
Superior is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 26,960 at the 2010 census. Located at the junction of U.S. Highways 2 and 53, it is north of and adjacent to both the Village of Superior and the Town of Superior.Superior is at the western...
. The future All-American pitcher was born to baseball fan parents who chose names for each of their children that began names with "K," a nod to the letter used as the scorecard designation for a strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
. Benson attended Sprayberry High School
Sprayberry High School
Sprayberry High School is a public high school located in eastern Cobb County in Georgia. Middle schools feeding upcoming students into Sprayberry are McCleskey, Daniell, and Simpson Middle School...
in Marietta, Georgia
Marietta, Georgia
Marietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat.As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs...
with future MLB 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...
Marlon Byrd
Marlon Byrd
Marlon Jerrard Byrd , popularly known as The Position or The Possish or Sish, is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs...
. Benson was not drafted out of high school.
College
Benson attended Clemson UniversityClemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
from 1993 to 1996. His teammates included fellow future major-leaguers Billy Koch
Billy Koch
William Koch is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He entered the majors with the Toronto Blue Jays and most recently pitched for the Florida Marlins in 2004.- Baseball career :...
and Matthew LeCroy
Matthew LeCroy
Matthew Hanks LeCroy is a former Major League Baseball catcher, first baseman, and designated hitter...
both of whom played with him in the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. (Koch reported fellow teammates referred to Benson as "The Messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
".) Benson went undefeated during the regular season of his junior year (14–0 with a 1.40 ERA) with 178 strikeouts in 142 innings pitched.
Following this strong regular season, Benson led the Tigers to the NCAA postseason. Though he pitched only one game in the Atlantic regional playoffs, the Tigers' ace earned all-tournament recognition with an outing in which he allowed only one hit, struck out eight, and walked but one batter. The victorious Tigers, starring Benson, Koch, outfielder and Regional MVP Jerome Robinson, and all-tournament outfielder Gary Burnham, entered the 1996 College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
on a three year streak of number-one regional seeds. The presence of Benson, the expected number one selection in the 1996 MLB amateur draft (held that year on the same week as the CWS) helped draw additional attention to the spring series, transforming it into what one then-Clemson sports information official remembered as the "Media World Series." (Benson was, in fact, drafted by the Pirates during the team's trip to Omaha.) Despite his stellar regular season, Benson subsequently dropped two postseason decisions as the Tigers stumbled to a 2-2 CWS record. Nonetheless, the team's two victories ended an eight game CWS losing streak for Clemson and included a win over top-ranked Alabama.
Subsequently, Benson was named College Baseball's Player of the Year, only the second (after fellow future major leaguer and Olympian Ben McDonald
Ben McDonald
Larry Benard McDonald is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.-High school:McDonald prepped at Denham Springs High School, which is about 10 minutes east of Baton Rouge, and was both a basketball and baseball standout.-College:A collegiate star at Louisiana State University in both basketball...
) to be so honored on the strength of his pitching alone. As a Tiger, he won the Baseball America Player of the Year, and ACC Player of the Year. The pitcher also became only the second baseball player and first Clemson athlete in any sport to be named the ACC Male Athlete of the Year
ACC Athlete of the Year
The Atlantic Coast Conference Athlete of the Year award is given to the male and female athlete who show extraordinary talent throughout the entire season. The award is decided by members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association....
. Other awards for his collegiate career include the Rotary Smith Award
Rotary Smith Award
The Rotary Smith Award was created in 1988 to honor the most outstanding college baseball player of the year. The award was founded by the Greater Houston Sports Association. In 1996, the Rotary Club of Houston joined the award committee...
and ABCA Player of the Year, and recognition as unanimous consensus first-team All-American. He was also the recipient of the Dick Howser Trophy
Dick Howser Trophy
The Dick Howser Trophy, considered to be the Heisman Trophy of college baseball, is an award presented annually to the national college baseball player of the year, presented by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association ....
for his "performance, character, leadership, and courage". He has also been inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame in 2005 and the South Carolina Amateur Hall of Fame. In 2003 he was named to the ACC's 50-Year Anniversary baseball team. A marketing student, Benson left Clemson prior to receiving his degree.
Olympics
In the 1996 Olympics, Benson had 17 strikeouts in as many innings and a 2–1 record, but with a 5.82 ERAEarned 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...
. Benson beat Nicaragua to open up the games and then Japan, but it was his single loss (11–2 to eventual silver medalist Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
) which proved costly. Benson lasted only four innings and surrendered five runs, and the bullpen gave up another six, en route to an 11–2 bludgeoning that kept the Americans from advancing to the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
game. (Ultimately, the U.S. settled for a bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
in the sport it had invented, though this represented an improvement over the squad's failure to medal in 1992.) Altogether, Benson, in the unusual position of competing in his home state of Georgia yet on a world stage, "was one of the staff's less effective arms".
Professional baseball
Benson was the first pick of the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft1996 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1996 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 4 and 5, 1996...
. After being signed for what was believed to be a then-record signing bonus, he spent two years in the minor leagues with the Lynchburg Hillcats and Carolina Mudcats in 1997, and the Nashville Sounds in 1998. Benson made his first major league start on April 9, 1999. He became just the second number one overall pick to win his big league debut. His first strikeout was Sammy Sosa. Benson came in fourth place in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. He came up just shy of breaking the record for most strikeouts in team history by a rookie hurler. His best season came in with Pittsburgh when he posted career-highs in 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...
, strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s, innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
, and games pitched
Games pitched
In baseball statistics, games pitched is the number of games in which a player appears as a pitcher; a player who is announced as the pitcher must face at least one batter, although exceptions are made if the pitcher announced in the starting lineup is injured before facing a batter, perhaps while...
as well as his only double-digit strikeout games and his career-best three-hit complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
despite the fact that he is a groundball pitcher. That year, Benson broke the record for most strikeouts in Pirates history for a right-handed pitcher. After 2000, he needed Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery, known in medical practice as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body...
and missed the entire season. He started the last game at Three Rivers Stadium and the first game ever at Great American Ballpark. Against the Mets, he broke the record for most sacrifice bunts in a game by a pitcher in MLB history with four.
The New York Mets acquired him near the trading deadline of the 2004 season. During that period, Benson put together a string of 70 consecutive innings without surrendering a home run. He was awarded the Mets Best Pitcher during the month of September that year with a 2.25 ERA. He beat Randy Johnson twice in the interleague Subway Series, throwing 12 innings of shutout baseball against the Yankees.
On January 21, 2006, Benson was traded to the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
for pitchers Jorge Julio
Jorge Julio
Jorge Dandys Julio Tapia is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who is currently pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He previously played for the Baltimore Orioles from 2001–2005, New York Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks in 2006, and the Florida Marlins in 2007 before being traded...
and John Maine
John Maine
John Kevin Maine is an American professional baseball pitcher. He has played for the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets. He bats and throws right-handed.-Early life and college:Maine was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia...
. Some speculated that the pitcher had been ushered out of town partly as an excuse for the Mets to part ways with his wife, outspoken model Anna Benson
Anna Benson
Anna Benson is an American model, and wife of former Major League Baseball pitcher Kris Benson. Benson is known for her outspoken personality and for being a "baseball wife."-Personal life:...
, who had "perturbed team officials with her risqué wardrobe and provocative comments." Kris Benson also felt that the Mets had traded him because of his wife, a position disputed by Mets management. The newly minted Oriole beat the Mets that season in interleague play. During the game, he hit his first professional 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...
off All-Star and Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
-winner Pedro Martinez
Pedro Martínez
Pedro Jaime Martínez is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He is an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2004 World Series champion...
.
Benson missed the entire season with a torn 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...
. Steve Trachsel
Steve Trachsel
Stephen Christopher Trachsel , nicknamed "The Human Rain Delay", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is known for the long amount of time he takes to deliver the ball to home plate in between pitches. Games in which he pitches are known to be considerably longer than most games, leading...
replaced Benson in their starting rotation before being traded to the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
for minor league players. On November 1, 2007, the Orioles declined to pick up his $7.5 million option and instead paid a $500,000 buyout.
On February 13, , the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
signed Benson to a minor league deal. On June 29, 2008, after two years away from competitive baseball, Benson made his Triple-A debut for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs
Lehigh Valley IronPigs
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a minor league baseball team that plays in the International League. The IronPigs are the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. The team plays their home games at Coca-Cola Park, which is located in Allentown, Pennsylvania...
, throwing 73 pitches. He played 11 games for the IronPigs, but was 1–4 with a 5.52 ERA. However, after two rough initial outings, he went 1–2 with a 3.80 ERA over his remaining 9 starts. He was released on August 30, 2008.
On February 21, , Benson signed a minor league contract with an invitation to 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...
with the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
. Benson made the Opening Day 25 man roster as one of the Rangers' starting pitchers, but after a short stint on the disabled list, he was relegated to the bullpen in long relief. Benson had made over 200 consecutive starts before the move to the bullpen. After proving ineffective as a sporadic reliever upon his return, he was outrighted to the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate, the Oklahoma City RedHawks, on June 9, 2009.
On March 15, , Benson signed a minor league contract with 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...
. On April 15, it was announced that Benson would be the fifth starter for Arizona. He had two effective starts when he first got called up, but injured his shoulder again during his third start against the Colorado Rockies. He also pitched for the Diamondbacks Triple-A affiliate in Reno, Nevada, the Reno Aces.
Benson retired on Jan 10th, 2011. He finished his 10-year career with a 70–75 record in 200 starts (206 appearances) and 61 no-decisions.
Personal life
Benson lived in Superior, WI until age 6, before he moved with his family to Milledgeville, GA. In 1988, Benson then moved to Kennesaw, GA. He has two younger sisters and one younger brother. In 1998, while playing for the Nashville SoundsNashville 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...
in the minor leagues, he met his future wife, Anna Benson
Anna Benson
Anna Benson is an American model, and wife of former Major League Baseball pitcher Kris Benson. Benson is known for her outspoken personality and for being a "baseball wife."-Personal life:...
while she was working as a dancer in a local strip club
Strip club
A strip club is an adult entertainment venue in which striptease or other erotic or exotic dance is regularly performed. Strip clubs typically adopt a nightclub or bar style, but can also adopt a theatre or cabaret-style....
. The Bensons were married in October 1999 (her second marriage, his first), the same year he reached the major leagues. The pitcher and model became a well-known baseball couple during Benson's time in the major leagues. After Anna reported that the couple had had sex in the parking lot of Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...
, an experience they wished to replicate at every major league park, concern developed within the Pirates organization that the "wild-eyed brunette was getting in the way of her husband's fastball...." Her husband dismissed the Pirates treatment of his wife as "a lot of jealousy and a lot of pettiness...."' Anna filed for divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
on March 31, 2006, citing an "irretrievably broken" marriage., but later withdrew the petition. They have had three children together (daughter Haylee, and sons P.J. and Devin James) and are also parenting Anna Benson's daughter from her her first marriage (Alyssa Warren).
Benson, who earned over $38,000,000 during his playing career, has supported several charities since beginning his professional career. (In an interview on The Howard Stern Show Anna Benson explained that at least one of her husband's contracts had been structured with charitable contributions so that this income could not be taxed.) In 2001, after 9/11, the couple founded the non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
Benson's Battalion, whose work then-Rep. Melissa Hart praised in a citation to the Congressional Record
Congressional Record
The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published by the United States Government Printing Office, and is issued daily when the United States Congress is in session. Indexes are issued approximately every two weeks...
in 2004. The Battalion raised funds for emergency services in the wake of 9/11. They also made considerable contributions to the Red Cross and United Way for 9/11 relief. In 2005, Benson assisted in a new charity, while with the New York Mets, called Tuesday's Children. The charity helped children who lost a parent during the Twin Tower collapses. In recognition of various community service and charity efforts, Benson has been honored with the Pittsburgh Pirates team Roberto Clemente Award, the Thurman Munson Award, the Joan Payson Award, and the New Jersey Sports Writers Humanitarian of the Year Award.
For years, Benson and his wife Anna were leaders for St. Barnabas and their annual Presents For Patients drive. While in Baltimore, Kris and Benson's Battalion, were recognized by the Baltimore Police Department. There are many more charitable causes that have been impacted by Benson and his family over the years, including a Certificate of Appreciation from the U.S. Army Forces Central Command in Saudi Arabia. Overall, during his career, he and his family have donated roughly three quarters of a million dollars to various charitable causes.
The son of a school teacher and college dean, Benson has been described as studious and methodical in his approach to pitching, personally reserved, and, in comparison to his wife, strait-laced and stoic.
Benson currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
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