Hold My Log - 51.17 - Jose "F'n" Benevidez!?

[7teen]

Some guys sign a free agent contract in the off-season worth millions upon millions of dollars. Some guys sign a contract to win a title. Some guys sign a contract just because one was offered and they want to stay in the show. And then some guys sit around all spring, hoping for a contract that never comes. And when the phone does ring "Hey, you want to play for our single-A team in Wise this year?", you jump at the opportunity to just play ball.

"At least I know they take Single-A ball serious in Portland" laughed Benevidez thinking back to that May phone call made by assistant GM Kate Fiscus.

Benevidez, who had played over 900 games in the minor leagues, was back in single-A at the age of 30. Again, Single-A is serious in Portland. "I think every guy my age who does this has the thought in the back of their mind that maybe, just maybe, they'll need me in the big leagues. I can bide my time down here, show I can play, and then just perhaps that call will come and I'll be in the show."

It's a tall dream for a guy like Benevidez. He hadn't seen action in "the show" since 2047. After spending most of 7 seasons in the big leagues with Twin Cities and Chicago, Benevidez's career took a downward turn that was filled with minor league free agent contracts and long minor league bus rides. "You get used to it after a while" said Jose. "If you love the game enough I guess you just keep playing it" said the 3B who once hit 22 homeruns in a season with the Black Sox.

But that's where this story takes a dramatic turn. When Portland infielder Roberto Viramontas went down with an injury a few weeks back, the organization needed someone to play infield. That's where the savviness of the Portland organization went to work. "Yeah, some laugh at all the veterans we stockpile in our farm" commented Fiscus, "but you never know when you'll turn to one in a pinch. Sure, question the ethics of 30 year old men playing in Single-A, but hey, they come in handy."

And Benevidez has shown his handiness the last two weeks. Portland went all the way down to Single-A Wise and opted to bring Benevidez up to Portland to fill in for Viramontas. Having not seen a big league pitch in over 4 years, Benevidez was surely nervous.

"Nervous is an understatement. I seriously vomited twice before the game."

Well if he was nervous, he didn't show it. In fact, he hasn't shown it at all. In 13 game started since the call-up, Benevidez has hit .378/.440/.622 with a pair of homeruns and 8 RBI. It's all been good enough for Jose to produce 0.9 WAR in his short stay with the club. The highlight of the stay, and possibly Jose's career, was in a game two Thursday's ago against San Fernando at the Trail in Portland. With his team down 7-5 in the 8th inning to the Bears, Benevidez belted a 2-run homerun in the 8th to tie the game, a game Portland would wind up winning.

"This is just unreal" said Benevidez after the game. "I mean, I'm not even supposed to be here, but here I am. I'm just trying to do what I can to help this team the best I can. I'm going to live the dream as long as I can!"

Clearly Benevidez's stats and hot start are a perfect example of small sample size hotness, which has led Jose to state "hell, my whole career is small sample size!"