1996 Topps All-Star Rookie Right Handed Pitcher Alan Benes

Move over Dizzy and Daffy, the 1996 Cardinals have a new Sibling-fueled 1-2 punch against National League hitters. Big brother Andy was the Ace of the Cardinals' rotation in '96, but Alan matched him with 3 complete games and both authored shutouts during the season. Benes the younger was named the National League's Rookie Pitcher of the Year, which is a solid foundation to be named to the Topps All-Star Rookie squad as well.

Alan's 13-10 record and 32 starts ranked 3rd on the Saint Louis staff. He struck out 131 batters and his 6.2 K/9 rate was second only to his big bro for the Cards. Benes proved that he was ready for a bigger challenge, getting a start in the 1996 NLCS against Atlanta legend Greg Maddux. While he took the loss, he showed poise and polish allowing a pair of runs over 5 tough innings.

The Cardinals made Benes their 1st round pick in 1993 out of Creighton University. He was a standout for the Bluejays, the same school that Bob Gibson excelled at in the 1950s. Benes helped Creighton make an appearance at the 1991 College World Series, and was named the Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the year in 1992. You can see Benes in this clip rocking a rally cap (uniform #29, about 32 seconds in) during "the throw" in the '91 CWS.
Benes would rise through the ranks in the Cardinals system quickly. In his second pro season he jumped from Single A to AAA, Ranking #14 by Baseball America. The following year he was the #5 Prospect in all of baseball and by the end of 1995, his third pro season, he was making his MLB debut.
In his cup of coffee in 1995, Benes struck out 20 batters in 16 innings.

In 1997, his second full season, Benes was establishing himself as one of the best pitchers in the game. By July he ranked 3rd in the league in Strikeouts, and his 2.89 ERA had him in 6th place in the NL. A shoulder injury ended his season, and nearly finished his career. His ERA+ for the shortened 1997 season was a robust 144, 44% better than the average NL pitcher. Benes would miss all of the 1998 season and made just 2 appearances in 1999.

Benes would adjust to a role in the bullpen with the Cardinals in 2000, but his strikeout stuff had left him following the shoulder issues. He would move on to the Cubs in 2002 and 2003, appearing in 10 games, then on to Texas to conclude his MLB career with an attempt to return to an MLB starting rotation. He made 4 starts for the Rangers, allowing 20 runs in 15 innings pitched. Benes would go on to be a scout and instructor in the Cardinals organization.

Benes is another one of those Topps All-Star Rookies who showed tremendous talent, only to have that potential undone by the misfortune of injury. Alan's best season was also his brother Andy's best year - the two combined for 31 victories in 1996 en route to a division championship, and took the NLCS to 7 games.

Benes was inducted into the Creighton University Hall of Fame in 2011.

Do you have any Alan Benes stories? I'd love to read them in the comments below. Thanks for reading!