The baseball players behind “Baseball Wives”

Posted on December 8, 2011

New York Mets pitcher Kris Benson throws against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland, California on June 16, 2005. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Winter time can be a bummer. It gets dark at 5pm. The weather is cold. There are no baseball games on television. I need something else to watch on TV to pass the time after I put in a hard day in the office working on my blog and playing with my cats. Lucky for me VH1 has cranked out an awesome new reality show that is causing much excitement around the Mangin household. That’s right sports fans, I am glued to my 50″ Panasonic every Wednesday night catching every minute of “Baseball Wives.” There have only been two episodes so far, but I am hooked!

Don’t get me wrong, I know the show is trashy as Hell. Situated in the baseball mecca of Scottsdale, Arizona, this show follows the formula of other “wives” reality shows by orchestrating plot lines that put together bitchy women who have one common thread running through them. In this show that thread is that they have had a relationship with a big league ballplayer at one time or another. Some of them are even STILL married to real ballplayers!

Put these women together in a Hummer limo, Scottsdale nightclub, or fancy house for a cocktail party and sparks are bound to fly. Cliques have been formed and hatred abounds. As I watched last night’s show I really started to wonder, who are the baseball players behind the “Baseball Wives?” I can’t believe that these guys are very happy about seeing their wives, former wives, or former girlfriends telling tales out of school about them.

Lets take a look at the guys behind the gals. There is only one place to start, and that is the man behind the villain of the show, Anna Benson:

Kris Benson

New York Mets pitcher Kris Benson throws against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland, California on June 16, 2005. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Kris Benson is still married to Anna, his wife who became more famous than him during his days of toiling for the Pirates, Mets, Orioles, and other squads. in 2004 Anna, the former stripper, posed for the cover and a spread in FHM magazine and was named “baseball’s hottest wife.” In an interview with Howard Stern later that year, she vowed that if her husband ever cheated on her she would take revenge by sleeping with the entire Mets organization. Awesome! Needless to say Anna’s husband must be used to being married to his controversial wife, but I wonder what he thinks about the show?

Matt Williams

Matt Williams of the San Francisco Giants smiles while taking batting practice before a spring training game at Scottsdale Stadium in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1994. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Matt Williams is on third wife, and her name is Erika Monroe Williams. The good news for him is he has an insanely awesome 20,000 square foot house in the Scottsdale area and a nice job coaching with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The bad news? His wife is looking pretty ridiculous on “Baseball Wives.”

Portrait of Matt Williams of the San Francisco Giants in the dugout during a game at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California in 1993. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

I covered Matt for his entire career and he was always a classy guy who will forever be beloved in San Francisco. He has been through a few troubled marriages, and I can’t see how this show will help his current one. Erika got off to a rocky start in the premier episode while hosting a cocktail party for the other “wives.” How cool it would have been to see Matt wander through the kitchen looking for a beer. No dice. What we got was the beginning of a verbal cat fight that spilled into episode two.

Matt Williams of the Arizona Diamondbacks in action during a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, Arizona on April 7, 2001. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

For Matt’s sake I hope that things slow down for Erika on the show and that Anna stops beating up on her. For the show’s sake it would be great if she keeps causing trouble!

Jason Kendall

Jason Kendall of the Pittsburgh Pirates bats during a game against the San Francisco Giants at Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco, California in 2002. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Jason Kendall, the recently retired catcher’s ex-wife Chantel Kendall has a checkered past and is a very polarizing character on “Wives.” Jason always seemed kinda goofy when I photographed him. He was a real hard-ass with the A’s and helped them to their great season in 2006. I never saw Chantel at any of the family softball games at the Oakland Coliseum. I can’t imagine how entertaining that would have been!

Jason Kendall of the Oakland Athletics wipes his face with a towell while sitting in the dugout during a game against the Texas Rangers in Oakland, California on September 24, 2005. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

After two shows it seems that Chantel hates pretty much every other “Wife” with the exception of a surprise guest we will learn about down below. Also- her skinny arms and tattoos scare me.

Mark Grace

Mark Grace of the Chicago Cubs flips his bat after striking out against the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California in 1998. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

First of all I was surprised to hear that Mark Grace was ever married. He was always a great interview on the Jim Rome show during his playing days talking about “slump busters” and strip clubs. I learned that he USED to be married in the first episode of “Wives.” Tanya Grace is Mark’s ex-wife and one of the more outgoing stars of the show. The avid golfer met Mark when she was a golf cart girl.

Mark Grace of the Arizona Diamondbacks bats during a game against the San Francisco Giants at Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco, California in 2001. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Mark seems to have a good sense of humor and is a local TV broadcaster for the Diamondbacks. I wonder what he thinks of seeing Tanya on “Wives.” I bet he kinda gets a kick out of it!

Ron Villone

Ron Villone of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches during the game against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California on April 13, 2008. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Ron Villone’s current wife Brooke Villone has come out of the first two episodes pretty unscathed. Brooke is a model with a really long neck and seems to stay out of everyone’s business as she hangs out with some of the looser women on the show.

Nyjer Morgan

Nyjer Morgan #1 of the Washington Nationals gets ready in the dugout before the game against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on May 27, 2010 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

The nutty Nyjer Morgan has the unfortunate task of being the former boyfriend of the youngest star of “Wives” Jordana Lenz. Lenz is a young and trashy stalker who went to the Milwaukee Brewers team hotel during the 2011 NLDS whole Morgan and the Brewers were in town to play the Diamondbacks. She practically chased him into the elevator! She complains that once Morgan got to a good team he dumped her. The thinking here is that T. Plush can do much better than Lenz.

Chuck Knoblauch

Chuck Knoblauch of the Minnesota Twins bats during a game against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California in 1994. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

The best part of last night’s episode was the arrival at Scottsdale Airport of Cheri Knoblauch, the current wife of Chuck Knoblauch. Cheri was picked up by her good friend Chantel Kendall and they instantly plotted how there were gonna harass nemesis Anna Benson. Anna has been a bitch to Chantel and Cheri has come to town to save the day. It seems that Cheri and Anna know each other from the 1990’s when Kris Benson pitched for the Pirates and Cheri was dating his teammate Brian Giles. You just know that sparks will fly when they get together, and I was not disappointed last night. In a future episode Anna will supposedly attack Cheri with 12 inch dildo!

Chuck Knoblauch of the New York Yankees turns a double play at second base (forcing out Miguel Tejada) during a game against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California in 1998. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Knoblauch was a good ballplayer and a former World Champion with the Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees. I can’t imagine that he is too thrilled to have his wife on this show, but who knows? Maybe they need the cash!

Brian Giles

Brian Giles of the Pittsburgh Pirates bats against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park in Francisco, California on August 7, 2003. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Brian Giles won a big court decision against his ex-girlfriend Cheri Olvera (Knoblauch), who had sued him for more than $10 million in 2008. Giles allegedly abused Olvera and the jury also awarded Giles the return of the $107,000 engagement ring he purchased for their canceled 2007 wedding. During the trial Giles testified that he didn’t strike his girlfriend at a bar in Phoenix in 2006 – testimony that contradicted witness statements to Phoenix police. But wait- it gets better.

Brian Giles #24 of the San Diego Padres bats against the San Francisco Giants during the game at AT&T Park on April 22, 2009 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Giles suggested in his testimony that the 2006 incident was a case of Olvera being drunk. He said Olvera “often falls when she’s intoxicated” and wearing high heels. Giles’ attorneys tried to portray the case as part of a pattern by Olvera to pursue rich men for money to satisfy her lavish lifestyle. Olvera testified she was currently engaged to Chuck Knoblauch. Olvera also testified that while living with Giles, she had someone to help her shop, an occasional driver, housekeepers and a woman to blow-dry her hair for $100 each time. AWESOME!

Brian Giles of the San Diego Padres bats against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California on May 2, 2006. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

Well, there you have it. The men behind the women. I hope you enjoyed this run down of the active and in-active roster players who have laced’ em up with the “Wives.” Next Wednesday night- VH1. Don’t miss it!