Snyder's a 'Bench' warmer after all
By Christian Schmidt
The Daily Cougar
It's official. Chris Snyder really is one of the nation's best catchers.
All Cougar fans knew this, and now the rest of the nation is aware.
Friday, Snyder was named a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award, given
to the nation's top collegiate catcher.
Brian Viney/The Daily Cougar
Junior catcher Chris Snyder was named one of just three
finalists for the 2002 Johnny Bench Award, which goes to the nation's best
catcher.
Alabama senior Jeremy Brown was named a finalist for the second straight
year. Brown was taken in the first round of the Major
League Baseball draft by the Oakland A's. Also named a finalist was
Southern California junior Alberto Concepcion, a 21st round
draft pick of the Boston Red Sox. The Arizona Diamondbacks selected
Snyder in the second round.
Snyder, junior, was perhaps the best field player for Houston this season,
leading the team in batting at .343 and RBIs with 71, a
school single-season record. Snyder had 13 doubles and scored 59 runs.
Snyder was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association
Third Team All-America. He ranked in the top 10 in C-USA
in all three triple crown categories, and was named to the All-C-USA
first team.
"The Johnny Bench Award has been embraced by the collegiate baseball
community and we are very excited about the support we
have received from around the country," Bob Hansen, President and CEO
of the Greater Wichita Sports Commission, said. "It is our
privilege to honor the young men that devote themselves to the most
grueling position in the game of baseball."
This is the third year the award will be given. Louisiana State's Brad
Cresse won the inaugural award in 2000, while Baylor's Kelly
Shoppach was the 2001 winner.
The award will be presented June 25 in Wichita by Johnny Bench. Bench
played 17 seasons for the Cincinnati Reds, compiling 2,048
hits and 389 home runs. He is widely considered to be one of the great
catchers of all time.
Bench never played in college.
