He played in four late-season games for the 1982 Cubs. I was in my senior year of college in 1982 and was paying very little attention to a very bad 1982 team. Benton's short time with the team completely escaped my attention.
It turns out that he was the Mets #1 selection in the June, 1975 draft. He had a cup of coffee with them in both 1978 and 1980, but didn't make any lasting impressions. After the 1980 season he was traded to the Cubs.
He spent both the 1981 and 1982 seasons in AAA ball. His bat woke up in 1982 when he hit .330 for Iowa. That's why the Cubs gave him a September call-up. Unimpressed, the Cubs traded him to the Expos over the winter.
Four September games don't warrant a card in the Topps set. In fact, he never had a major league card. Not wanting him to feel left out, I created a 1982 Topps card for Butch.
Great card (and you know my love for backup catchers).
ReplyDeleteNice custom! I remember Butch Benton as a "Future Met" whose future never came to any significant degree. He also played in the Senior Professional Baseball Association, and had cards in those sets.
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