Does Andy Benes have anything left?
After developing second thoughts about retirement, Benes set out to get his arthritic legs in shape and regain some semblance of his once-reliable form. We figured he'd head out to Memphis and not be heard from again until September, when the annual roster expansion allows all the wayward employees to return home.
And then tragedy struck. Darryl Kile's death created a massive hole in the rotation. If Benes had anything left, anything at all, then perhaps he could help. It was at least something to consider, since the club was still paying him $6 million and all.
Then, when staff leader Woody Williams suffered another ribcage injury, top prospect Jimmy Journell developed a stiff shoulder and Smith ran out of gas before the All-Star break, Andy's comeback became mandatory.
There was nobody else left. Benes HAD to return to the rotation and give it a shot. Against all odds, Benes is getting one final opportunity to be a difference-maker.
Can he help? Can he at least eat some innings, getting the Cards into the sixth or seventh inning with a chance to win games he starts? Can he at least get some games into the hands of the Cards' deep and capable bullpen?
Cardinal Nation is understandably skeptical.
When last we saw Benes, he combined subpar velocity with poor command to get shelled. He was helpless on the mound. He could do nothing to stop the pounding.
(Instead of just letting the kids come on the field to run the bases after games, The Home Team could have invited them onto the field to slam homers off Benes. He couldn't fool or overpower anybody anymore. ANYBODY could thrash him, or so it seemed.)
Benes, both frustrated and embarrassed, was ready to pack up and go home.
He told teammates he was through and the Cards quickly got his retirement papers together. But then he calmed down and let his pride drive him back to work.
So now what? This afternoon ...we'll find out. He'll need to have some of his old velocity back. He'll have to work both sides of the plate, like Jason Simontacchi does. It would be great to see some sink on his pitches, too, but now we're asking for the moon.
It would be a terrific story if Benes could come back and lend a hand when the team needs him most. Andy is a good guy and an appreciative citizen of Cardinal Nation. It would be a more fitting finish to his second career here, much better than the horror show we witnessed back in April.
Nobody outside of the immediate Benes family actually expects him to do well, but hey, that's why you play the games.
Weirder things have happened. Just ask Simontacchi.
After developing second thoughts about retirement, Benes set out to get his arthritic legs in shape and regain some semblance of his once-reliable form. We figured he'd head out to Memphis and not be heard from again until September, when the annual roster expansion allows all the wayward employees to return home.
And then tragedy struck. Darryl Kile's death created a massive hole in the rotation. If Benes had anything left, anything at all, then perhaps he could help. It was at least something to consider, since the club was still paying him $6 million and all.
Then, when staff leader Woody Williams suffered another ribcage injury, top prospect Jimmy Journell developed a stiff shoulder and Smith ran out of gas before the All-Star break, Andy's comeback became mandatory.
There was nobody else left. Benes HAD to return to the rotation and give it a shot. Against all odds, Benes is getting one final opportunity to be a difference-maker.
Can he help? Can he at least eat some innings, getting the Cards into the sixth or seventh inning with a chance to win games he starts? Can he at least get some games into the hands of the Cards' deep and capable bullpen?
Cardinal Nation is understandably skeptical.
When last we saw Benes, he combined subpar velocity with poor command to get shelled. He was helpless on the mound. He could do nothing to stop the pounding.
(Instead of just letting the kids come on the field to run the bases after games, The Home Team could have invited them onto the field to slam homers off Benes. He couldn't fool or overpower anybody anymore. ANYBODY could thrash him, or so it seemed.)
Benes, both frustrated and embarrassed, was ready to pack up and go home.
He told teammates he was through and the Cards quickly got his retirement papers together. But then he calmed down and let his pride drive him back to work.
So now what? This afternoon ...we'll find out. He'll need to have some of his old velocity back. He'll have to work both sides of the plate, like Jason Simontacchi does. It would be great to see some sink on his pitches, too, but now we're asking for the moon.
It would be a terrific story if Benes could come back and lend a hand when the team needs him most. Andy is a good guy and an appreciative citizen of Cardinal Nation. It would be a more fitting finish to his second career here, much better than the horror show we witnessed back in April.
Nobody outside of the immediate Benes family actually expects him to do well, but hey, that's why you play the games.
Weirder things have happened. Just ask Simontacchi.
