Benes Hopes To Learn From His Brother

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Andy Benes says he’s found the perfect role model this season - his younger brother Alan.

Andy Benes, 28, signed a two-year free-agent deal with St. Louis after helping Seattle win a division championship last fall. He has seen Alan pitch only once, as an aggressive Creighton freshman working in a 1990 College World Series game.

“He’s a bulldog out there,” Andy Benes said. “That’s something that’s important to me, to have that nasty demeanor out there. That’s the way Alan pitches and that’s the way I plan on being.”

Alan Benes, a 24-year-old rookie, made his major-league debut with the Cardinals late last season. He was 1-2 with an 8.44 ERA.

This spring, he figures to earn a spot in the rotation alongside his brother, who pitched seven seasons in San Diego before being traded to the Mariners last July 31. Andy Benes was 4-7 with a 4.17 ERA with San Diego and 7-2 with a with a 5.86 ERA with Seattle.

“I’m not a guy who has a job by any means,” Alan Benes said. “Most likely, if I come in and do a good job, I’ll have a spot.”

The brothers can hardly wait for April 30, when the Cardinals make their first appearance of the season in Chicago - a short drive from the Benes home in Lake Forest, Ill. “It’s great for the family, not just Andy and I, playing together,” he said.