Castle Park’s Gil Gets a Big Bonus to Sign With Texas Rangers

Benji Gil, a first-team All-American from Castle Park High and the 19th player taken in major league baseball’s June draft, signed with the Texas Rangers on Friday.

Gil, who did not use an agent but instead relied on an older brother to negotiate, said he received a signing bonus of $312,000 plus $70,000 to go toward a college education.

A dominating pitcher in high school, Gil impressed scouts more with his defensive and batting abilities. The Rangers drafted Gil as a shortstop. He will report Monday to the Rangers’ Pioneer League team in Butte, Mont.

Gil completed his senior season at Castle Park with a .443 batting average, seven home runs, 25 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. On the mound, he led the county with a 0.53 earned-run average and compiled a 9-3 record.

He also was named San Diego Section Player of the Year.

“When I was playing high school ball, I really didn’t know what was going to happen,” Gil said when asked about his signing bonus. “I really didn’t know what the average bonus was going to be, but, from what attorneys say, I got a lot more than anyone else drafted in the same range.”

Gil said his brother, Gilbert, has no experience negotiating contracts.

“He’s just smart,” Gil said.

Now Gil must rely on his own athletic shrewdness to make it onto the Rangers’ roster.

“They said they would be willing to move me up as fast as I progress,” he said. “I hope to be there in three years.”

Since he was drafted in early June, Gil has been playing on a Palomino League team based in the South Bay and another team in Tijuana.

GOLF

After two rounds at the 92nd Southern California Golf Assn. Amateur Championship at the 6,482-yard Bel-Air Country Club, Pat Duncan of Rancho Santa Fe is at par, 140, and five strokes behind leader Bob Clark of Murrieta.

Mark Strickland of El Cajon on Friday fell in the quarterfinals of the 1991 U.S. Amateur Public Links championship at Otter Creek Gold Course in Columbia, Ind., as defending champion Michaels Combs advanced to the semifinals with a 5 and 4 victory.

Combs, from Kennewick, Wash., went on to beat Mark Takahama of Kahului, Hawaii, 5 and 4, in the next round.