Will Benson wins Most Outstanding Player in Reds' series win over former squad

New York Times

a day ago

CLEVELAND — With his tongue firmly in his cheek, Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona refers to the Ohio Cup as 'America's Cup,' to play up the meaninglessness of the trophy given to the annual series between the Reds and their in-state rival Cleveland Guardians. Francona has twice raised the Commissioner's Trophy, the award given to the winners of the World Series, so his six Ohio Cup victories may not make it to his plaque that will one day hang in Cooperstown, N.Y.
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After the Reds clinched the Cup for the first time since 2014 on Monday, Francona joked that it was 'bigger' than the Stanley Cup. While the Guardians and Reds aren't exactly fierce rivals, it is a fun diversion during the season, a nice thing to have, but it's not like it means anything after the season.
'I think you try to make everything — not try — not that you want to be silly, but I think guys play better when they're enjoying what they're doing,' Francona said before Wednesday afternoon's Ohio Cup finale. 'There's a difference between just showing up and being silly and having fun or trying to enjoy seeing how good you can be. That, to me, I get a kick out of that. Then, if you can lower the temperature sometimes, I think that helps.'
The Reds hadn't won the Ohio Cup outright since 2014, when Francona was in his second season managing Cleveland. The Reds won five of their six meetings against the Guardians, falling 11-2 in Wednesday's series finale.
The cup, which was at the center of the Reds' clubhouse following Monday's game, isn't the only trophy awarded in the matchup of the two teams. Also handed out is the Frank Robinson Most Outstanding Player Award, renamed after the Hall of Famer who started his career in Cincinnati and finished his playing career (and then began his managerial career) in Cleveland.
Once the Reds won their fourth game in the series on Monday, it seemed safe to send the plaque to the engravers and get Will Benson's name etched on it, even if the actual plaque given to the MOP doesn't have the winner's name on it. In the first four games of the series against his old team, Benson was 8 for 15 with four home runs and eight RBIs. In the Reds' sweep of Cleveland at Great American Ball Park, he had a home run in each of the three games, including two in the finale. Monday, he was 2 for 3 with an RBI.
And then Tuesday, Andrew Abbott threw the Reds' first nine-inning shutout since former MOP Wade Miley's no-hitter against Cleveland in 2021.
On May 18 in Cincinnati, Abbott threw five shutout innings, allowing four hits and three walks with five strikeouts. With Tuesday's performance, Abbott went 2-0 with 14 scoreless innings, seven hits allowed, four walks and 11 strikeouts against the Guardians in two starts. Suddenly, there's a debate for the MOP.
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The debate started among media members Wednesday morning (and would be settled by media members from Cleveland and Cincinnati on Wednesday afternoon by vote): Who was more outstanding in the series, Abbott or Benson?
Player A threw 14 scoreless innings, helping the Reds win two games. Player B not only had four homers and went 9 for 19, but also drove in all three runs in a 3-1 victory in Player A's first start, and then scored the only run in Player A's 1-0 win Tuesday night. Benson scored in all five games he played against the Guardians. Neither Benson nor Abbott appeared in Wednesday's Guardians victory.
Before the game, several players were asked which player deserved the MOP.
'Hitter,' Steer said before asking, 'who is it?'
Steer added, 'Hitting is harder.'
In the next locker, second baseman Matt McLain nodded in agreement.
'Abbott did win us a game single-handedly yesterday,' Steer noted.
Around the room, most of the pitchers said they'd go with Abbott, as did catcher Jose Trevino and Nick Krall, the team's president of baseball operations. Tyler Stephenson, who caught Abbott's shutout on Tuesday, was conflicted.
When Francona was polled, he said, 'Can you split it?'
Reds starter Wade Miley, who owns a MOP plaque, asked the same thing.
'The biased part of me wants to say give that (award) to Abbott,' said Miley, who earned the win Monday. 'But (Benson), I was watching, and he was on a tear. I don't know, that's your decision to make. I don't think you can go wrong, I don't think anyone's feelings will be hurt.'
Abbott, for his part, chose Benson, noting that if he'd gone at least six innings in the first start, he'd feel better about himself.
'You know what, I'm going to leave it to y'all to decide,' Benson said. 'There's no wrong answer there. Does the winner get something?'
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A plaque, he was told.
As Benson was being interviewed, Abbott walked by him and was told Abbott voted for him, so he said he'd throw his vote to Abbott.
'I want that playoff trophy,' Benson said. 'If it's a tradeoff, I'll give this one to Abbott, and then I'll take the (World Series) MVP trophy. If you guys vote on it… just let me know.'
The media did vote, and Benson was the winner. Since the trophy was first awarded in 2008, Benson became the fifth recipient to have played for both teams, joining Shin-Soo Choo, Asdrúbal Cabrera, Trevor Bauer and Tyler Naquin. All five played for Cleveland first, and Benson and Naquin are the only ones to win it as Reds. Benson, who was traded to Cincinnati before the 2023 season, said he has no animosity toward Cleveland and is more grateful than anything that they sent him somewhere where he could play and continue to grow as a player.
'I've got some old friends, friends that I'll have long after this game is done,' Benson said after Wednesday's loss and official announcement. 'It's a blessing and honor to share the field with them and to put on a series like I did is just icing on the cake.'