1991 Score, Mike Benjamin

#345 Mike Benjamin

Here is the second and final card that Mike Benjamin signed for me on my most recent Spring Training trip. Mike was the assistant coach for Arizona State and I was able to get the cards signed before a game against Wichita State. The first card he signed can be seen here.

At the game, I noticed that Arizona State had on some funky uniforms. They had black jerseys and hats with burnt orange lettering. There was no maroon or yellow/gold anywhere to be seen. When Mike came over to sign, I asked him what was up with the orange lettering, he said "C'mon man, it's copper!". He then went on to explain that it was a university-wide rebranding that was going on that many of the alumni were not too thrilled with it. Apparently, even the football team had worn the colors the previous season.

Mike had a thirteen year Major League career with the Giants, Phillies, Red Sox, and Pirates. He was mainly used as a utility player and he played in more than 100 games in three of his last four seasons. Those were the only ones where he reached that plateau. For his career, Mike hit .229 with 24 home runs and 169 RBI. His best season probably came with the Sox in 1998 when he hit for career highs with a .272 average, 39 RBI, and 46 runs.

The Arizona State head coach resigned after this season and was replaced by Tracy Smith, from Indiana. It seems that Mike's services were no longer needed with the team.

It appears that Mike Benjamin does hold a Major League record. He has the most hits ever over a three game span. In 1995, he went 14-18 over three games to set the mark.

I really like the white bordered cards from this set. They are kind of rare as most of them have some sort of color to them. But the white ones just make them look the most normal. As for the most non-normal, just wait for the three cards coming from the Rookie and Traded set.