Benji Simonton

Benji Kendue Simonton

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 225 lb.
• School Diablo Valley College
• High School Pittsburg High School

• Born May 12, 1972 in Walnut Creek, CA USA

BR Minors page

Biographical information

Benji Simonton is a former minor league baseball player who played from 1992 to 1999 in the San Francisco Giants and Anaheim Angels farm systems. He is the cousin of Cy Leon Simonton who played in the Seattle Mariners organization, and the brother of Ken Simonton, who is a professional football running back. His father, Kenneth Simonton, played in 27 games for the Winter Haven Red Sox in 1975.

Simonton was originally drafted by the Giants 75th overall in the 1992 amateur draft. He began his professional career with the Everett Giants that year, hitting .244 with six home runs, nine stolen bases and 34 RBI in 225 at-bats.

The following year, playing for the Clinton Giants, Simonton appeared in 100 games, hitting .255 with 12 home runs, eight stolen bases and 49 RBI. A free-swinger, he struck out 112 times in only 310 at-bats.

Splitting time between Clinton and the San Jose Giants in 1994, Simonton had a career year, hitting 28 home runs, stealing 10 bases, and driving 108 runs in in 135 games combined. In 496 at-bats, he walked 84 times but struck out 159 times as well. He was the Giants' Minor League Player of the Year that year. After the season, the Boston Red Sox selected Simonton in the 1994 Rule V Draft, but he was returned to the Giants.

He had another solid year in 1995 while splitting time between San Jose and the Shreveport Captains. In 99 games, he hit .294 with 12 home runs and 67 RBI. In 333 at-bats, he struck out 110 times.

In 1996, Simonton played the majority of his season with Shreveport and a single game with the Phoenix Firebirds. In 138 total games, he collected 120 hits in 473 at-bats for a .254 batting average. Despite the fairly low average, he hit 24 home runs, drove 78 runs in all the while striking out 144 times. In the only AAA game of his career, Simonton was 3-4 with a walk a home run and 2 RBI.

Simonton spent all of 1997 with the Captains. In 116 games with them, he hit 20 home runs and drove 79 runs in.

1998 would end up being Simonton's final year in the Giants organization. Average-wise, it was his best year up to that point. He appeared in 134 games for San Jose and Shreveport, collecting 141 hits in 461 at-bats for a .306 batting average. He hit a career high 35 doubles, along with 21 home runs and 88 RBI.

Despite his solid year, he wound up in the Angels organization in an unknown transaction for the 1999 season. Splitting time between the Lake Elsinore Storm and Erie SeaWolves, Simonton collected 112 hits in 366 at-bats for a .306 batting average. He hit eight home runs and drove 67 runs in. Nevertheless, 1999 was Simonton's final year in professional baseball.

Benji Simonton played in 901 minor league games, collecting 845 hits in 3051 at-bats for a .277 batting average. He hit 132 home runs, drove 570 runs in and scored 63 bases.

Simonton was then a coach for the Shreveport Captains in 2000 and San Jose Giants in 2001.