Al Benton from the Chronology

Aug 10, 1952 - The Red Sox cut the Yankee lead in the A.L. to 1 1/2 games with a 3-1 victory at Yankee Stadium. Dick Gernert and Dom Dimaggio hit 10th inning homers off reliever Johnny Sain‚ and 41-year-old Al Benton picks up the win with 1 2/3 innings of relief. Benton comes in Mel Parnell with one out in the 9th and the sacks full and stops the threat. Mantle‚ leading off the 10th‚ is retired on drag bunt attempt by Benton‚ who is the only hurler to pitch to both Mantle and Babe Ruth.

Aug 27, 1950 - The Indians Ray Boone and Clyde Vollmer of the Red Sox match grand slams today. Boone's comes in the 7-run 3rd to give Bob Feller a 7-0 cushion. Vollmer's pinch slam against Al Benton in the Sox 6-run 7th helps Boston to an 11-9 win. It is the Red Sox 9th slam of the season.

Aug 31, 1949 - In the opener of a day-nite split with the A's‚ the Indians win 7-6‚ in 14 innings. Tribe 2B Joe Gordon participates in 6 double plays‚ while WP Al Benton gives up just 4 hits in the last 8 1/3 innings. Lou Brissie wins his 13th‚ 2-1‚ in the nitecap.

Aug 26, 1949 - The Indians down the visiting Yankees‚ 5-3 behind Al Benton. Vic Raschi strikes out 8 but loses his 5th game in his last 8 starts.

May 24, 1945 - The Tigers lose Al Benton‚ who has 5 wins and 3 shutouts‚ when he is hit on ankle in the 4th frame by a line drive off the bat of Estralla. The A's score 4 in the 5th to win‚ 7-2.

May 13, 1945 - Rookie phenom Boo Ferriss reaches 22 shutout innings before allowing a run versus the Tigers in an 8-2 Red Sox win. This sets an AL record for scoreless innings at the start of a ML career. Ferriss strikes out 1B Rudy York 4 times‚ all on called 3rd strikes. Detroit earns a split with a 2-0 win in game 2‚ behind Al Benton's pitching. Benton has now allowed one earned run in his last 45 innings.

May 6, 1945 - Tiger pitchers Hal Newhouser and Al Benton shut out the Browns in a doubleheader. Prince Hal wins 3-0 and Benton follows with a 1-0 victory. Roy Cullenbine hits a 9th inning HR in game 2 off Tex Shirley for the win. He did it also last year while with the Indians.

Jan 25, 1945 - Training rosters list 260 players who are classified 4F for military service‚ and quality of big-league play will decline even more from l944 and l943. But the flow of players will begin to turn around. Rosters will include Al Benton‚ Tigers; Jim Wallace and Tom Earley‚ Braves; and Van Mungo of the Giants as players returning from the military.

Aug 6, 1941 - In the 3rd inning against the Indians‚ Detroit P Al Benton collects 2 sacrifices bunts‚ a ML record‚ as the Tigers send 17 men to the plate. Detroit scores a ML record-tying (for the inning) 11 runs on 6 hits‚ 7 walks‚ and 2 errors. That's all the scoring needed‚ as Detroit rolls‚ 11-2‚ for a Benton victory.

Sep 4, 1940 - In Detroit‚ the Tigers get two 3-run HRs‚ from Campbell and Gehringer‚ to again top the slumping Tribe‚ 11-3. Tommy Bridges and Al Benton combine for the win.

Jul 17, 1940 - Going for his 14th straight win‚ Detroit's Bobo Newsom breaks his right thumb in the 4th inning against Boston‚ and the Sox pound relievers to win the opener‚ 8-3. Al Benton takes the loss as Bobo leaves with a 3-2 lead. Detroit loses the nitecap‚ 8-5‚ and drops into a 2nd place tie with the Red Sox. Bobo's injury occurs in the 4th when he is covers 1st and takes a throw from Rudy York. The doctor predicts Newsom will be out 4 weeks but Bobo says 10 days.