Kent State grad John Van BenSchoten started his first game of the season monday for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Van BenSchoten gave up six earned runs in four plus innings of action. He was them promptly sent back to Triple A Indianapolis after the game.

The eighth overall pick of the 2001 draft was 0-2 with an 9.39 ERA in four appearances this season. Three of them were in relief. Van BenSchoten began the season at Indianapolis 4-0 with a 1.88 ERA, all in relief, before being called up.

Although Van Benschoten hasn't pitched particularly well at the major league level it is my opinion that the Pirates may have mismanaged a little bit. Van BenSchoten has pitched in relief the entire season, and pitched well in the minors doing so. He relieved in his first three appearances with the Pirates. So then the Pirates decide to start him out of nowhere?

Starting and relieving takes two completely different mindsets and it showed in Van BenSchoten's performance. Van Benschoten struck out two batters in the first inning and worked a perfect second inning. He gave up an RBI single in the third inning to Yunel Escobar and then struck out Chipper Jones.

In the fourth inning Greg Norton reached first base on an error by THIRD BASEMAN Doug Mientkiewicz, wasn't he a Gold Glove first basemen? Why is he across the diamond? When did he move across the diamond? That play opened the gates for a Mark Kotsay two-run double. it was all downhill from there.

Is it a surprise a reliever pitched well for three innings then struggled afterward? No, that is his job to pitch well in brevity. While I agree the Van BenSchoten didn't throw the best in his brief stint in the majors I also feel the Pirates didn't put him in any type of situation to do so. But then again it’s the Pirates. There is a reason they never win anymore and I feel it shows in this situation.

I realize this is a Kent State blog so obviously it is biased, but tell me what you guys think in the comments section.

Update…

Perhaps I was too hasty in chastising the Pirates on the move. According to Dejan Kovacevic, of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Pirates are very much interested in recalling Van BenSchoten soon. Matter of fact, they like what he has to offer, but want to "stretch" his arm out more in the minors.

"He has major league stuff," General manager Neal Huntington told Dejan Kovacevic. "It's just getting his location and command consistent."

For that entire story click here

I know this is a Kent State blog, but I can't help it if my slight obsession with major league baseball shines through. After all, I am at least discussing Kent State guys right? That is enough to justify it.

A few weeks back I posted a blog about Tampa Bay Rays pitcher and Andy Sonnanstine throwing a three-hit shutout against the White Sox. That isn't all the Wadsworth and Kent State grad has accomplished this month.

Sonnanstine has become the only pitcher in Ray's history to win four games in the month of April. He is now 4-1 on the year with a 4.42 ERA and riding a three-game winning streak that started with that shut out of the White Sox.

For the first time in forever the Rays, or Devil Rays, or American League East forgottens (however you know them as), have a surplus of pitching. It is one of the major reasons the Rays are contending this year.

Ace Scott Kazmir is supposed to retun this week from the disabled list, which means one of the Rays pitchers could be sent down.

Sonnanstine made a case to stay last night with eight strong innings, writes Carter Gaddis of The Tampa Tribune. Sonnanstine allowed just one run in eight innings against the Orioles. The Rays won 8-1.

Other Notes…

– Yesterday's blog post about John Van Benschoten possibly picking up a bat and returning to the field got me thinking a little and I decided to e-mail Pittsburgh Tribune Review beat writer Rob Biertempfel with the question.

"I talked to JVB about that during spring training," Biertempfel said in an e-mail. "The Pirates have no plans on trying him as a position player, and JVB seems to be down with that decision."

It doesn't mean that decision couldn't happen, but Van Benschoten is 28 years old now. The Arizona DiamondBacks drafted pitcher Micah Owings with the intent to use his bat as well. Rick Ankiel was still a pup when he lost his mind on the pitching mound and converted back to a hitter. It is not impossible, but the more I think about it, it does seem unlikely.

– The San Francisco Giants are a sinking ship, but they are finally letting the kids come up and play, which benefits two former Kent State players. I wrote a few weeks back about Emmanuel Burriss seeing his fist Major League action.

While I can't really say he is setting the world on fire with his .200 average (4-20), he is tearing up the base paths. Burriss has reached base five times this season (three singles, a double, and a walk) and has already swiped three bags. Perhaps more impressive is the fact that Burriss has only struck out once in those 20 at bats. It will be interesting to see how Burriss is used, if at all, when Omar Vizquel returns from the disabled list.

The other former Flash that could possibly benefit as the Giants turn away from employing senior citizens is third base prospect Andrew Davis. Davis was a 12th round pick by the Giants in 2007 and currently plays for the Augusta GreenJackets of the Class A South Atlantic League. His numbers are pedestrian so far, but the Giants organization lacks a solid third base prospect at this time.

Currently, Baseball America projects the Giants No.1 rated Prospect Angel Villalona as the future third basemen, but Villalona has been playing first base for the GreenJackets. If Villalona makes the switch across the diamond, like it appears he has, Davis could get an opportunity down the line at the Giants third base position. That decision remains in the future though.

it has been a long and winding road for former Kent State standout baseball player John Van Benschoten. The No. 8 pick in the 2001 draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates saw a quick ascension to the major league roster in 2004. Injuries have crippled him ever since.

Van Benschoten missed the entire 2005 season with surgery to both shoulders. It wasn't until last season when he rejoined the Pirates, to less than stellar numbers.

He was once again recalled on Sunday and saw his first action of the season in Tuesday night's extra-inning loss to the Mets 5-4 at Shea Stadium. Van Benschoten was saddled with the loss after giving up two hits, two walks, a run, and balking in just 1/3 of an inning.

The poor performance could be looked at as more of a glitch than a full blown malfunction. Pittsburgh Tribune Review beat writer Rob Biertempfel says that Van Benschoten is finally regaining the velocity he once possessed.

Van Benschoten looks at pitching out of the bullpen not as a final chance, but as a building block he told Biertempfel. You can read that story here.

With the recent success of Rick Ankiel as a outfielder one has to begin to wonder if John Vanbenschoten could undergo the same conversion if injuries continue to plague his pitching ability.

Van Benschoten holds the single season home run record for both the Mid-American Conference and Kent State after he belted 31 home runs his senior season (2001). He then played out field and first base for the Flashes. He was inducted in the the Varsity K Hall of Fame in February.

If injuries continue to mount should the Pirates consider the change?

Former Kent State shortstop Emmanuel Burriss, currently of the San Francisco Giants, didn't take much time at all reaching the Major Leagues. The 33rd pick in the 2006 draft took just two years to make his major league debut in Sunday's 8-2 win at St. Louis. He was a late inning replacement for starting shortstop Brian Bocock.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said that Burriss could get the start Monday night. MLB.com has a really nice story on Burriss debut and call up, which you can read here.

The San Francisco Chronicle also has a nice write up Burriss's family making the trip to the game. You can read that here.

According to Baseball America, Either Bocock or Burriss is expected to claim the shortstop position in San Francisco by 2010.

Burriss is known for his speed and defensive ability. As a switch hitter, Burriss is a considered a contact hitter with virtually no real power. He can be a terror on the base paths.

Burriss hit .360 for the Flashes in 2006 with a .446 OBP and 42 stolen bases. For his complete minor statistics check it out here.

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Andy Sonnanstine, a Wadsworth High School and Kent State graduate, shut down the Chicago White Sox Saturday night earning his first career complete game and shut out. Sonnanstine allowed just three hits in the win andis 2-1 on the season.

Sonnanstine has seen mixed results in his short pro career. In four years of minor league baseball Sonnanstine struck out 463 hitters, walking only 75. His minor league ERA sat at 2.58. Yet in his major league debut last year his ERA jumped to 5.85 in 22 starts.

Tonight's start Sonnanstine was able to rely on his fastball and let his other pitches work off of that. Check out the AP story here.