Tuesday, March 11, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
Teenage shortstop Chad Hermansen, who hit .417 this spring, and Kris Benson, the top pick in last summer's draft, were among five players sent to the minors by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Hermansen, 19, went 5-for-12 with two home runs and seven RBIs in seven games. The Henderson resident and Green Valley High School graduate split last season between the Pirates' two full-season Class A teams, Augusta and Lynchburg, hitting a combined .264 with 24 homers and 87 RBIs in 128 games.
"I knew I had no chance of making the club this spring but it was a good confidence builder," Hermansen said Monday. "I had some success. Any time you have success against better competition, it only makes you a more confident player."
Benson, 22, received a draft-record signing bonus of $2 million last year after starring with Clemson and the U.S. Olympic team. He appeared in two exhibition games as a reliever this spring, going 0-0 with a 2.70 ERA.
"It was a great time, a really great experience," Benson said. "I had a lot of fun and I think I learned a lot. Everyone treated me great and it meant a lot to me when all the guys in the clubhouse came up to me after I got cut and wished me good luck."
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