Wes Benjamin is prepared to do no matter it takes to additional his skilled baseball profession.
The subsequent step on that journey will happen in South Korea.
Benjamin, a St. Charles East graduate, was granted his launch May 17 by the Chicago White Sox and can report subsequent week to KT Wiz, the defending Korean Baseball Organization League champions.
“If you knew what was going on in my head the last week and a half, I was all over the place,” Benjamin mentioned. “I knew it was something I needed to do to better my career in the future.”
Several components got here into consideration when making the choice, together with the results the transfer would have for his spouse Brittany, who’s a instructor.
“It’s not just about me,” Benjamin mentioned. “It’s about my family. If there was ever a time to do it, the stars aligned. She’ll be there for most of the season, if not all of it.”
Benjamin signed a minor-league cope with the White Sox in the course of the Major League Baseball lockout.
The 28-year-old left-hander didn’t make the crew out of spring coaching and reported to Triple-A Charlotte. He made seven begins for the Knights, going 2-0 with a 3.82 ERA.
“That was the toughest part for me, leaving this organization that I fell in love with and starting anew, being the new kid at the lunch table,” Benjamin mentioned. “I’m extraordinarily grateful for the chance the Sox gave me to play.
“That was my goal — help win games and help win a World Series.”
Benjamin, who turns 29 on July 26, made his MLB debut in 2020. Over the previous two seasons, he appeared in 21 video games, accruing simply over a 12 months of service time.
On the final day of the 2021 common season, Benjamin was designated for task by the Texas Rangers. He later declared free company, leaving the one skilled group he had ever recognized.
The KT Wiz confirmed curiosity in Benjamin over the winter. KBO guidelines state that groups can solely have three foreign-born gamers, two of which could be pitchers.
Not surprisingly, after successful the championship final season, the crew retained all three foreign-born gamers.
“I don’t blame them for that,” Benjamin mentioned. “It was close, but it wasn’t the right time. Now, it’s the right time.”
The launch of William Cuevas opened a spot for Benjamin, who spoke to White Sox assistant normal supervisor Chris Getz about his choices.
“He always shoots me straight,” Benjamin mentioned. “What I wanted to avoid was a situation like I had last year in Texas where I would be thrown back and forth, and it looked like it could happen again.”
Last season, Benjamin was shuttled 5 instances between the Rangers and Triple-A Round Rock. The same state of affairs between Chicago and Charlotte may have occurred this season.
“Getz understood that,” Benjamin mentioned. “An alternative like this doesn’t all the time come round. He didn’t nudge me both method. He mentioned life goes on regardless.
“I was grateful to him for his support and for understanding my decision. Who’s to say I won’t come back in the future?”
The first MLB recreation Benjamin ever attended featured the White Sox.
“It was very difficult to separate the nostalgia side from the reality side,” Benjamin mentioned. “It was something cool to think about. Unfortunately, it will have to wait.”
Benjamin mentioned as soon as he arrives in Korea, he’ll make a minor-league begin to shake off the rust after which be a part of the Wiz’s beginning rotation.
“There’s excitement, nerves, anxiety, but at the end of the day I get to go somewhere new and play baseball,” Benjamin mentioned. “I get to encompass myself with a tradition I’m not used to.
“It’s an experience I’ll never forget.”
Paul Johnson is a contract reporter for The Beacon-News.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com