What else was Ryder Benson’s dad supposed to do when a team of 8-year-olds — signed up to play kid-pitch for the first time — suddenly found itself without a head coach?
Hunter Benson raised his hand because that’s just the kind of guy he is. Then again, the former Arkansas tennis player was no baseball expert. So he did one more thing: call on a San Diego-area neighbor, who just so happened to be his father-in-law, and offer the coveted position of Encinitas Braves assistant.
“And that’s how I became a coach,” said Rick Sutcliffe, the ESPN analyst, Marquee contributor and ex-Cubs Cy Young winner who turns 65 next week.