They played baseball together as kids. Now they’re on the same MLB team.
The words Douglas used to describe the 7-and-under team that first brought Benson and Curry together were “the kids that nobody wanted.” The group of castoffs became a tightknit powerhouse; while the Red Sox were a rec league team that primarily played against other teams in Sandtown, they enjoyed a good deal of success on the travel-ball circuit over the next six years. For a few of those summers, the Red Sox’s infield featured a defensive wizard named Justin Fields.
“Will loved to play around, so I put him on the bench for one game when he was 8,” Douglas said. “I was happy because it bothered him to the point where he woke up. He came back to the next practice focused, and then he never looked back. That one time was all it took.” Cleveland selected Benson with the 14th overall pick in the 2016 MLB draft after a standout high school career. Curry played three seasons at Georgia Tech before the Guardians selected him in the seventh round in 2019.
Douglas, who spoke to Curry a day before his major league debut and texted him after Monday’s start, is planning a trip to a Guardians game in Cleveland with a few other former Sandtown coaches before the season is over. “At Sandtown Park, we all played a part in so many kids that have gone on to be successful, whether it be in sports or something else,” Douglas said. “Will and Zay, they’ll always be kids. I don’t think they even realize they’re in the pros. They think they’re playing Little League baseball.”
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