Dave Benham

David Demarest Benham

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 187 lb.
• School Liberty University
• High School Garland Christian Academy

• Born October 12, 1975 in Orlando, FL USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Catcher Dave Denham was drafted twice out of Liberty University, the first time in the 41st round of the 1997 amateur draft by the New York Mets, and the second in the 12th round of the 1998 amateur draft by the Boston Red Sox. His twin brother, infielder Jason Benham, also attended Liberty and was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 37th round in 1998, going on to play three seasons in the minors.

After signing with Boston, Dave began his professional career in 1998 with the GCL Red Sox and earned a promotion to the Lowell Spinners of the New York-Penn League after just 6 games. In 47 games between the two teams, he batted .288/.343/.444 for a promising start. In 1999, he started the season on the injured list, then played 3 games with the Augusta GreenJackets of the South Atlantic League before joining the Sarasota Red Sox of the Florida State League. There, he batted .238 in 33 games and on August 24th was included in a major league trade with the St. Louis Cardinals as the Red Sox sent him and P Mike Matthews to the Redbirds in return for P Kent Mercker. He finished the year by playing 9 games for the Potomac Cannons of the Carolina League, hitting .154.

2000 was another abbreviated season for Dave as he appeared in just 46 games, 28 for Potomanc and 18 for the Arkansas Travelers of the AA Texas League. The lack of regular action was reflected in his batting line as he hit a combined .204/.305/.317, with 1 homer and 13 RBIs. In 2001, the Cardinals dropped their long-time AA affiliate in Arkansas, replacing them with the New Haven Ravens of the Eastern League. This was where Dave spent his final season as a pro, hitting .242/.273/.303 in 46 games. Only 6 of his hits went for extra bases - 5 doubles and 1 homer - and he drove in 15 runs.

He and his brother began working in real estate in Charlotte, NC after graduating from college and eventually created a company, the Benham Real Estate Group that focussed on preparing homes which had been foreclosed by banks for resale and another one focussed on more traditional home sales. Their businesses were so successful that there were plans for the HGTV Network to film a show entitled Flip It Forward based on their work. However, these plans unraveled in 2015 when allegations surfaced of their being right-wing Christian extremists promoting an anti-gay agenda. Their conservative views are apparent on their podcasts and in their missionary work in the Philippines. In 2020, David was arrested for refusing to leave a protest in front of an abortion clinic and for violating COVID-19 restrictions on mass gatherings in effect at the time. The two brothers have published a number of books concerning their views about business and religion and have received acting credits in a number of Christian-themed films.