Butch Benton
Encyclopedia
Alfred Lee "Butch" Benton (born August 24, 1957 in Tampa, Florida
) was a right-handed catcher
in Major League Baseball
for the New York Mets
, Chicago Cubs
, and Cleveland Indians
from 1978 to 1985.
A highly touted prospect out of Godby High School in Tallahassee, Florida
, Benton was the 6th overall selection in the first round of the 1975 Major League Baseball Draft
. He made the jump from AA to the major leagues at age 21 in when he joined the Mets as a September call-up. He made his major league debut on September 14, pinch-hitting for Roy Lee Jackson
. Facing Dan Schatzeder
, Benton flew out to center field. He wouldn't break the lineup again until September 29, when he was hit by a Mike Krukow
pitch as a pinch-hitter. Benton scored his first major league run as a pinch-runner the next day. Finally on October 1, the last day of the season, Benton got his first chance to play in the field, and also went 2-for-3 at the plate. His first major league hit was an RBI infield single of the Cubs' Lynn McGlothen
. He knocked in a second run in the game with a single in the ninth. Benton was the sixth-youngest player to appear in the National League
in 1978.
Benton spent the entirety of the season with the Mets' AAA affiliate in Tidewater and fared poorly, hitting only .198. However, an improved offensive performance in earned him some time in the majors again. Unfortunately, Benton struggled mightily, managing just one hit in 21 at-bats for a batting average
of .048. Before the season, the Mets traded him to the Cubs for future considerations. He again spent the balance of the season in the minors, hitting just .202 for the Cubs' AAA team in Iowa. Benton showed his resiliency, however, rebounding to hit .330 in . He made his debut for the Cubs after rosters expanded in September and managed one hit in seven at-bats over four games.
Before the season, Benton was on the move again. The Cubs traded him to the Montreal Expos
for Jerry Manuel
. Despite a solid season for Montreal's AAA affiliate, Benton did not get promoted, and he filed for free agency at the end of the season. He spent the season catching for Detroit's AAA team in Evansville, then signed with the Indians organization, where he made the team out of spring training in as their backup catcher. On April 27, about six and a half years after his major league debut, Benton garnered his first extra-base hit, a double off Scott McGregor. However, after going 5-for-44 over his final 17 games to lower his average to .179, Benton was demoted to AAA, where he remained for the duration of the season. The Indians released him in February .
Benton did not reemerge until a comeback attempt in at age 33. With Detroit's AAA team in Toledo, Benton hit just .133 in nine games. He was subsequently released and retired from baseball.
Benton's career consisted of 99 at-bats over an eight-season span. His career batting average was .162. He hit four doubles in his career, but never a home run or triple, and he knocked in a total of ten runs.
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
) was a right-handed 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...
in 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...
for the 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...
, 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...
, and Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
from 1978 to 1985.
A highly touted prospect out of Godby High School in Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
, Benton was the 6th overall selection in the first round of the 1975 Major League Baseball Draft
1975 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1975 Major League Baseball draft..Many baseball draft experts consider the 1975 draft to be the weakest in MLB history.- External links :*- References :...
. He made the jump from AA to the major leagues at age 21 in when he joined the Mets as a September call-up. He made his major league debut on September 14, pinch-hitting for Roy Lee Jackson
Roy Lee Jackson
Roy Lee Jackson was a Pitcher for the New York Mets , Toronto Blue Jays , San Diego Padres and Minnesota Twins ....
. Facing Dan Schatzeder
Dan Schatzeder
Daniel Ernest Schatzeder is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the major leagues from - for nine different teams. Schatzeder played college baseball at the University of Denver...
, Benton flew out to center field. He wouldn't break the lineup again until September 29, when he was hit by a Mike Krukow
Mike Krukow
Michael Edward "Mike" Krukow is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently a television color commentator for the San Francisco Giants.-Early life:...
pitch as a pinch-hitter. Benton scored his first major league run as a pinch-runner the next day. Finally on October 1, the last day of the season, Benton got his first chance to play in the field, and also went 2-for-3 at the plate. His first major league hit was an RBI infield single of the Cubs' Lynn McGlothen
Lynn McGlothen
Lynn Everett McGlothen was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1972 through 1981, McGlothen played for the Boston Red Sox , St. Louis Cardinals , San Francisco Giants , Chicago Cubs , Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees...
. He knocked in a second run in the game with a single in the ninth. Benton was the sixth-youngest player to appear in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
in 1978.
Benton spent the entirety of the season with the Mets' AAA affiliate in Tidewater and fared poorly, hitting only .198. However, an improved offensive performance in earned him some time in the majors again. Unfortunately, Benton struggled mightily, managing just one hit in 21 at-bats for a batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of .048. Before the season, the Mets traded him to the Cubs for future considerations. He again spent the balance of the season in the minors, hitting just .202 for the Cubs' AAA team in Iowa. Benton showed his resiliency, however, rebounding to hit .330 in . He made his debut for the Cubs after rosters expanded in September and managed one hit in seven at-bats over four games.
Before the season, Benton was on the move again. The Cubs traded him to the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
for Jerry Manuel
Jerry Manuel
Jerry Manuel , nicknamed "The Sage" is a former major league manager. He previously managed the Chicago White Sox from 1998 to 2003 and the New York Mets from the middle of 2008 to 2010 and played in the majors for parts of five seasons in the 1970s and early 1980s.-Playing career:Manuel played...
. Despite a solid season for Montreal's AAA affiliate, Benton did not get promoted, and he filed for free agency at the end of the season. He spent the season catching for Detroit's AAA team in Evansville, then signed with the Indians organization, where he made the team out of spring training in as their backup catcher. On April 27, about six and a half years after his major league debut, Benton garnered his first extra-base hit, a double off Scott McGregor. However, after going 5-for-44 over his final 17 games to lower his average to .179, Benton was demoted to AAA, where he remained for the duration of the season. The Indians released him in February .
Benton did not reemerge until a comeback attempt in at age 33. With Detroit's AAA team in Toledo, Benton hit just .133 in nine games. He was subsequently released and retired from baseball.
Benton's career consisted of 99 at-bats over an eight-season span. His career batting average was .162. He hit four doubles in his career, but never a home run or triple, and he knocked in a total of ten runs.