In late July, Andrew Benintendi finally broke out of a prolonged slump, homering in three straight contests and hitting .514 (18-for-35) along with 12 RBI in an eight-game stretch. In the last few nights, he hit a career-high three doubles and blasted a 436-foot angel dazer off the New York Yankees’ Domingo German.
It’s a welcome change of pace. Benintendi struggled with his hitting for a full year, during the 141 games from July 21, 2018, to July 21, 2019. The Red Sox star hit only .267 with a .742 OPS — a steep dip from his earlier production in Boston and his stratospherically successful sophomore season at the University of Arkansas.
“By far this is the worse it’s been for me in my career,” Benintendi said a few weeks ago. “There hasn’t been a hot streak forever. I’m grinding just to do something to help the team. It could be way worse, that’s how I see it. But I feel like I’m hitting .100.”
Well, that hot streak certainly arrived. In large part thanks to a return to the same form Benintendi flashed during his days as a Razorback when he led the SEC in hitting with a .376 average and led the nation with 20 homers.
Mainly, he has stopped kicking his front leg for timing — something he avoided in college but had tried in the major leagues. “Compared to what it was you can see a big difference,” Benintendi said, according to WEIII Sports Radio in Boston. “I feel like the last 1 1/2, two years I’ve had a decent size leg kick and when I’m clicking and I feel good that’s working but obviously right now it’s not so I’m trying to simplify it. These guys throw so hard now they produce all the power so you just have to touch it.”
Perhaps the most “spectacular” homer Bentinendi hit during his recent hot streak was the shortest homer of the season:
Besides batting technique, Benintendi fans will see another kind of college flashback from their favorite outfielder:
Andrew Benintendi the first MLB star to get own Gates Series bobblehead doll
The company FOCO has launched a new collectible bobblehead featuring Andrew Benintendi in his Razorbacks uniform swinging a bat on a thematic base featuring a backdrop all Hog fans can be proud of. The base features a dirt textured top and Baum-Walker Stadium backdrop:
In the world of bobbleheads, this eight-inch tall man cave must-add is a game changer. “To this point, we have had a lot of success with our Gates Series Bobbleheads, that have depicted NFL stars in their college uniforms, and we’ve decided to make Andrew Benintendi the first MLB star to get his own Gates Series bobble,” said Matthew Katz, Senior Licensing Manager at FOCO. “This is an exciting launch that we are confident Boston Red Sox and Arkansas Razorbacks fans alike will enjoy.”
Do your best Benintendi-in-the-2018-ALCS-Game 4 impression, and snag this one-of-a-kind collectible online at www.FOCO.com. The bobblehead is available for pre-order at this link now for $40.00 plus shipping/handling. The projected delivery date to customers is in early September.
Who’s this “FOCO” anyway, you ask?
FOCO is a leading manufacturer of sports and entertainment merchandise celebrating more than 17 years in the industry. The company’s always-growing product lines includes apparel, accessories, toys, collectibles, novelty items, and more. FOCO is licensed with all major sports leagues including the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, MLS and over 100 colleges and universities. It has released collectibles that depict superstars, mascots, memorable plays and iconic moments throughout the world of sports.
Contact Matthew Katz, Senior Licensing Manager, at 848-260-4315 or mkatz@foco.com for more information. To keep up to date on new products and news, get aboard the FOCO social media train here:
