For the first time in his life, Joliet Catholic Academy baseball coach and diehard Cubs fan Jared Voss actually watched an entire White Sox game.
That’s because 2006 JCA graduate Joe Benson batted leadoff and played center field in his major-league debut with the Minnesota Twins. Even though the Sox won 3-0, Benson walked in his first at-bat.
The Twins’ minor-league Player of the Year in 2010, Benson batted .285 with 14 stolen bases, 28 doubles, 4 triples, 16 homers and 67 RBIs for New Britain, the Twins’ Double-A team.
A second-round pick out of JCA, Benson is the No. 5-ranked prospect for the Twins by mlb.com.
“We’ve had seven guys in the past get a chance to play in the majors,” Voss said. “From my standpoint, the eighth is the first player I had the opportunity to coach, so I feel great pride and excitement.
“It’s the same Joe, too. Watching him break up the double play, making a diving attempt in center for a catch, taking a swing on a 3-1 count … he still plays with his hair on fire. It was great to see.”
And about the White Sox?
“Yesterday was one of my best days as a coach,” Voss said, smiling. “And it’s the first time I’ve ever watched a Sox game from start to finish.”
Did you know that Joe Benson is the eighth former Joliet Catholic Academy baseball player to reach the major leagues?
That list, according to JCA baseball coach Jared Voss, features the following:
n Jack Perconte, Class of 1972.
n Bill Gullickson, Class of 1977.
n Mark Grant, Class of 1981.
n Mike Grace, Class of 1988.
n Sean Bergman, Class of 1988.
n Chris Michalak, Class of 1989.
n Kevin Cameron, Class of 1998.
n Joe Benson, Class of 2006.
“It has to be a record somewhere for high schools,” said Voss, who added Benson, a Plainfield native, is the first position player since Perconte to reach the big leagues. Gullickson, Grant, Grace, Bergman, Michalak and Cameron are all pitchers.
