John Van Benschoten

Infobox MLB player
name=John Van Benschoten

---

position=Starting Pitcher
team=Pittsburgh Pirates
number=47
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1980|4|14
debutdate=August 18
debutyear=2004
debutteam=Pittsburgh Pirates
statyear=2007
stat1label=Win-Loss
stat1value=2-12
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=53
stat2label=Earned Run Average
stat2value=9.04
teams=
*Pittsburgh Pirates (by|2004, by|2007-present)

John Wesley Van Benschoten (Born April 14, 1980 in San Diego, California) is a Major League Baseball player. Currently he is a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Grew up playing baseball at Milford High School in Milford, Ohio. John has two sisters, Caroline and Lyndsay.

Early career

Van Benschoten was a power-hitting star at Kent State University, leading all of Division I in home runs 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. [ [http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/050120twoway.html Two For One Deal] ] They made him the eighth overall selection of the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft, and announced that he would be a pitcher.

Van Benschoten performed well as a prospect. He pitched a scoreless inning in the 2003 All-Star Futures Game while a member of the Altoona Curve [ [http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/minors/03futuresgamerecap.html Sizemore confirms he made right choice] ] , and Baseball America named him the top prospect in the Pirates system in both 2003 and 2004. [ [http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/features/05top10s/pirates.html Top Ten Prospects: Pittsburgh Pirates] ]

Major leagues

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 [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=1862536 Pirates recall RHP Van Benschoten in time to make big league debut] ] , 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 of 2005. There, he began experiencing a pinching sensation in the shoulder of his right arm. [ [http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05026/448157.stm Van Benschoten may miss season] ] He ultimately had surgery to repair a tear to the labrum of his right shoulder as well, and missed the entire 2005 season. [ [http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06012/636672.stm Pirates Minicamp: Burnett, Van Benschoten on target] ]

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 16th 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 27th 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. [ [http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/s_576278.html Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Osoria to begin rehab] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/v/vanbejo01.shtml Van Benschoten's major league statistics at Baseball-Reference.com] .
* [http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/V/john-vanbenschoten.shtml Van Benschoten's minor league and college statistics at The Baseball Cube] .