“Before they were BoSox” gives fans a glimpse at the lives of players before they came to Boston to become members of the Red Sox.
Boston Red Sox players are cast in a spotlight that reveals their lives as an open book. Fans want to know everything there is to know about their favorite players, so they follow their careers with a passion that borders on obsession.
As fans, we can rattle off a player’s statistics, list every significant award they’ve earned and fondly recall their greatest moments on the field. We know everything these players have accomplished in a Red Sox uniform, but what about before they came to Boston?
“Before they were BoSox” aims to provide fans with insight into where these players came from by exploring their baseball lives before they joined the Red Sox organization.
After a short stint in Boston, Andrew Benintendi has lofty expectations as he will take over duties in Left Field this year, and hopefully for a very long time.
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Andrew Benintendi is from Madiera, Ohio, only 12 miles away from Cincinnati. He enjoyed an excellent athletic career at Madiera High School, not only on the diamond but on the hardwood as well.
Benintendi played four years of varsity basketballa at Madiera High, proving himself as a very skilled scorer. As a senior, he averaged 25.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.6 steals, earning the Division III Co-Player of the year from the Cincinnati Enquirer. For his career he averaged 19.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.2 APG, and 1.9 SPG in 91 games.
Benintendi really shined on the baseball field, as we may all assume at this point. Like his basketball career, he played four years of varsity baseball.
As a senior, Benintendi hit .564 with 12 homers, 57 RBIs and 30 steals. These astounding numbers were good enough to award him Rawlings High School Baseball Player of the Year, and Ohio Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year.
Benintendi’s name is in the Ohio high school baseball record books 10 times! You can check out those stats here. His most notable stat of them all is 1st all time in career runs scored with 199.
Benintendi had recognition from MLB scouts in high school, enough for his hometown Cincinnati Reds to take him in the 31st round. However, he declined and chose to attend the University of Arkansas.
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Benintendi stepped into a big role right away for the Razorbacks. The highly touted freshman came in and started 60 out of 61 games for the Arkansas baseball team. He hit .276 with 1 home run, 27 RBIs, 45 runs scored and 8 doubles. He also led the team in stolen bases with 17. These numbers were good enough to earn Andrew a spot on the SEC All-Freshman team.
Just about any freshman would be satisfied and pleased with that type of performance in their freshman year. Leading the team in steals and being considered among the elite in your class in best conference in college baseball. Benintendi was not satisfied though. He took advantage of the offseason to take his game to a new level.
Benintendi put together the most prolific season in Arkansas Razorbacks history. He improved in every major statistical catgeory. He slashed .376/.488/717 with 20 homers, and 57 RBIs. Additionally he had 85 hits, scored 62 runs and stole 24 bags. Those numbers were good for way more than just All-SEC First Team
He took home four national player of the year awards: the Golden Spikes Award – given to the best amateur baseball player in America, the Dick Howser Trophy – given to the best college baseball player, and the Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Year. On top of that, he took home SEC Player of the Year, and SEC Male Athlete of the Year.
The Red Sox were enamored by his quick bat, strong hands, elite instincts, and great glove in the outfield and decided to take him with the 7th overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft.
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Benintendi has not disappointed since then. He is currently the No. 1 prospect in baseball and is in consideration to bat at the top of the order in 2017. There is no ceiling for Benintendi’s potential and every Red Sox fan is so excited to see what he can do in 162 games.