Wednesday, July 04, 2001
Milford grad gets record bonus from Pirates
By Joe Kay
AP Sports Writer
VanBenschoten
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Milford High grad John VanBenschoten signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday for a $2.4 million bonus — the biggest in team history.
The 6-foot-4 first baseman, who hit 30 homers as a junior for Kent State, will report to Class A Williamsport in the New York-Penn League this weekend — as a starting pitcher. He'll also be a designated hitter a few times a week.
“It'll keep me active,” said VanBenschoten, the Pirates' first-round draft pick, who worked out at Cinergy Field after signing his contract Tuesday. “I just can't play once a week. I don't feel like playing one game and watching four or five. I just need to get out there and play.”
VanBenschoten, the eighth overall pick in the draft, was the Mid-American Conference's Player of the Year. He hit .443 with 79 RBIs and 22 stolen bases, and went 2-2 as a pitcher with a 2.77 ERA.
His signing bonus tops the $2.25 million that right-hander Bobby Bradley got as the team's top draft pick — also the eighth overall — in 1999. Sean Burnett, a left-hander out of high school, got a $1.65 million bonus as the Pirates' top pick in 2000.
The contract doesn't guarantee VanBenschoten a spot on the 40-man roster by any set date.
With pitching such a scarce commodity in the majors, the Pirates have decided to try VanBenschoten on the mound first. He's not sure how long the club will go before deciding what to do with him.
Although he'd prefer playing everyday, he said he'd welcome a role as a starter. The Pirates were the only team that looked at him as a pitcher in the draft.
“I don't care,” he said. “A lot of people find that hard to believe, but I truly don't. I think they're going to weed it out pretty soon here. Within a year or two, they'll pretty much know.”
VanBenschoten attended a predraft tryout camp at Cinergy Field in 1998, when he was getting ready to head to college.
“I wasn't looking to get drafted very high (in 1998). I told them all I was going to college,” he said.
Since his college season ended, VanBenschoten has stayed in Kent, working out with his coaches and helping out with youth baseball camps. He intends to visit Kent on Thursday to say goodbye to his friends before heading for Williamsport.
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Milford grad gets record bonus from Pirates
