He pitched so well that spring 21 years ago that his one bad regular-season outing prompted one observer to suggest a call to Ripley’s Believe it or Not. Another correspondent, Josh Peter of The State, equated that unexpected performance to Sir Laurence Olivier’s blowing his lines, to Fred Astaire’s stepping on Ginger Rogers’ toes or to Pavarotti’s missing a note.
Yes, Kris Benson pitched so well in 1996 for the Clemson Tigers that one bad day stunned college baseball.
He earned all the national and conference awards, represented the United States in the Olympic Games and had his named called first in Major League Baseball’s amateur draft.