A. Benson Files for Divorce After 7 Years

Kris Benson believes the Mets traded him to the O's because of his provocative wife, Anna, above. (By James A. Finley -- Associated Press)

Anna Benson wants a divorce from Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kris Benson , who still thinks the New York Mets traded him because of his impulsive wife.

Anna Benson, an actress and model who has posed topless, filed for divorce in Atlanta yesterday. The petition for divorce claims the marriage is "irretrievably broken."

The couple has been married for seven years.

Kris Benson initially protested the deal that sent him to the Orioles. But now he thinks the Mets did him a favor.

"I was a little upset because I enjoyed my time in New York and I feel like they had a good team coming into the season," Benson said recently. "But now that I realize the opportunity I have, it's going to be a good career move for me."

The right-hander was traded to the Orioles in January for pitchers Jorge Julio and John Maine . There was speculation that the deal was perpetuated by the behavior of Anna, who has her own Web site and publicly discussed intimate details of their sex life.

Mets GM Omar Minaya contended that Anna Benson was not a factor in the trade. Kris Benson isn't buying it.

"New York is just a world of its own. I knew that coming in, but you learn that a little more when you get put in the spotlight like that in a negative and undeserving way," Kris Benson said. "It was a little frustrating at the time because people kind of believe what they read. For her it's been a little tough, because they kind of portray her in a negative light."

Anna Benson wore a provocative dress at the team Christmas party, and there was talk that she was considering posing nude for Playboy. Kris Benson bristles at the memory.

"We learned a lot from the whole situation," he said.

-- From News Services