Bruce Benedict

{{short description|American baseball player (born 1955)}} {{Use American English|date=March 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=Bruce Benedict |image=Bruce Benedict Atlanta Braves.jpg |caption=Benedict in 1984 |position=Catcher |bats=Right |throws=Right |birth_date={{Birth date and age|1955|8|18}} |birth_place=Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=August 18 |debutyear=1978 |debutteam=Atlanta Braves |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=September 11 |finalyear=1989 |finalteam=Atlanta Braves |statleague = MLB |stat1label=Batting average |stat1value=.242 |stat2label=Home runs |stat2value=18 |stat3label=Runs batted in |stat3value=260 |teams= *Atlanta Braves ({{mlby|1978}}–{{mlby|1989}}) |highlights= * 2× All-Star (1981, 1983) }} '''Bruce Edwin Benedict''' (born August 18, 1955) is an American former professional baseball player, coach and scout.<ref name="Bruce Benedict at Baseball Reference">{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/benedbr01.shtml |title=Bruce Benedict |publisher=Baseball Reference |accessdate=18 October 2010 }}</ref> He played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Atlanta Braves from {{By|1978}} to {{By|1989}}.<ref name="Bruce Benedict at Baseball Reference"/>

==Major League career==

Benedict attended Millard High School, now Millard South High School, then went on to college at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 5th round of the 1976 Major League Baseball draft.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thebaseballcube.com/draft/1976/June-Reg/5.shtml |title=1976 Major League Baseball Draft |publisher=thebaseballcube.com |accessdate=18 October 2010 }}</ref> He made his major league debut on August 18, 1978, his 23rd birthday.<ref name="Bruce Benedict at Baseball Reference"/>

Benedict led National League catchers in 1981 with 73 assists and 48 baserunners caught stealing.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1981-fielding-leaders.shtml |title=1981 National League Fielding Leaders |publisher=Baseball Reference |accessdate=18 October 2010 }}</ref> His defensive skills earned him a spot as a reserve on the {{By|1981}} National League All-Star team.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ALS/ALS198108090.shtml |title=1981 All-Star Game |publisher=Baseball Reference |accessdate=18 October 2010 }}</ref>

In 1982, Benedict led National League catchers with a .993 fielding percentage, as the Braves won the National League Western Division title.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1982-fielding-leaders.shtml |title=1982 National League Fielding Leaders |publisher=Baseball Reference |accessdate=18 October 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1982-fielding-leaders.shtml |title=1982 National League Team Statistics and Standings |publisher=Baseball Reference |accessdate=18 October 2010 }}</ref> The highlight of Benedict's season came in a regular season game when he set an MLB record by throwing out 3 baserunners in one inning. In the only post-season appearance of his career, the Braves lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1982 National League Championship Series.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1982_NLCS.shtml |title=1982 National League Championship Series |publisher=Baseball Reference |accessdate=18 October 2010 }}</ref>

In 1983, Benedict had a batting average well over .300 in the middle of June, to earn a place as a reserve player for the National League in the 1983 All-Star Game.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.cgi?n1=benedbr01&t=b&year=1983 |title=1983 Bruce Benedict Batting Log |publisher=Baseball Reference |accessdate=23 October 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ALS/ALS198307060.shtml |title=1983 All-Star Game |publisher=Baseball Reference |accessdate=18 October 2010 }}</ref> He ended the season with a career-high batting average of .298 with two home runs, 43 runs batted in and a .992 fielding percentage, second only to Gary Carter among National League catchers.<ref name="Bruce Benedict at Baseball Reference"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1983-fielding-leaders.shtml |title=1983 National League Fielding Leaders |publisher=Baseball Reference |accessdate=18 October 2010 }}</ref>

Benedict's batting average fell to .223 with only 25 RBIs in 1984 and he was replaced by Rick Cerone in 1985, as the Braves sought more offense from the catcher's position.<ref name="Bruce Benedict at Baseball Reference"/> He continued to work as a backup catcher to Ozzie Virgil from 1986 to 1988 and then to Jody Davis in 1989.<ref name="Bruce Benedict at Baseball Reference"/> He retired after the {{By|1989}} season having spent his entire career with the Braves.<ref name="Bruce Benedict at Baseball Reference"/>

==Career statistics==

In a twelve-year major league career, Benedict played in 982 games, accumulating 696 hits in 2,878 at bats for a .242 career batting average along with 18 home runs and 260 runs batted in.<ref name="Bruce Benedict at Baseball Reference"/> While he was a light-hitting player, he had good defensive abilities, ending his career with a .990 fielding percentage.<ref name="Bruce Benedict at Baseball Reference"/> A two-time All-Star, Benedict's value to the Braves was as a defensive catcher; his development enabled the Braves to find another position for Dale Murphy, who would have his greatest seasons as an outfielder and, subsequently, the Braves became National League contenders. He never played a position other than catcher during his entire major league career.<ref name="Bruce Benedict at Baseball Reference"/> The Fulton County Stadium crowd would commonly chant "BRUUUCE" whenever Benedict came up to bat at home, perhaps giving the impression that he was being booed.{{Citation needed|date=February 2009}} Benedict's nickname is "Eggs", as in Eggs Benedict.

==Coaching and scouting career==

Since retiring as a player, Benedict has served several positions in the New York Mets organization. He managed in the Mets minor-league system, then became an advance scout for the major-league team.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=benedi001bru#standard_managing |title=Bruce Benedict Minor league manager record |publisher=Baseball Reference |accessdate=18 October 2010 }}</ref> He resigned his position in {{By|2006}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060416&content_id=1403199&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym|title=Mets Notes|author=Noble, Marty|date=2006-04-16|accessdate=2008-10-21|work=mlb.com}}</ref> He then scouted for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Benedict also serves as a college basketball official in the NCAA's Division I<ref>{{cite web|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE6DE153BF934A35751C0A96F958260|title=Mets Coach Moonlights By Changing His Stripes|author=Diamos, Jason|date=1999-02-07|accessdate=2008-10-21|work=The New York Times}}</ref> and Division II. He is currently an Atlanta-based scout for the Chicago White Sox and operates the Bruce Benedict Baseball Academy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brucebenedictbaseball.com/ |title=The Bruce Benedict Baseball Academy |publisher=Mainebytes.net |accessdate=18 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208061126/http://brucebenedictbaseball.com/ |archive-date=2011-02-08 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Personal life== His son, Griffin, played collegiate baseball for the Georgia Southern Eagles and was drafted in 2009. He played in the minor leagues for the San Diego Padres for two seasons. He then accepted a role as the bullpen catcher for the major league team in 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://m.padres.mlb.com/news/article/18496306/ |title=Benedict proving valuable in bullpen role |publisher=padres.mlb.com |accessdate=30 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215030515/http://m.padres.mlb.com/news/article/18496306/ |archive-date=2015-02-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{baseballstats |br=b/benedbr01 |brm=benedi001bru}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110208061126/http://brucebenedictbaseball.com/ The Bruce Benedict Baseball Academy]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benedict, Bruce}} Category:1955 births Category:Living people Category:Atlanta Braves players Category:Baseball players from Birmingham, Alabama Category:Chicago White Sox scouts Category:Greenwood Braves players Category:Kingsport Braves players Category:Major League Baseball catchers Category:National League All-Stars Category:Omaha Mavericks baseball players Category:New York Mets coaches Category:New York Mets scouts Category:Norfolk Tides managers Category:Richmond Braves players Category:St. Louis Cardinals scouts Category:Savannah Braves players Category:Baseball coaches from Alabama Category:Baseball players from Omaha, Nebraska Category:Humboldt Crabs players Category:20th-century American sportsmen