Benito Santiago
Puerto Rico's Benito Santiago stole 21 bases and hit in 34 consecutive games with the Padres in 1987, winning Rookie of the Year honors. But it was his strong throwing arm behind the plate that helped him to four All-Star nods and kept him in demand as he bounced around to six teams after leaving the Padres. He proved to be a clutch hitter in the post-season, hitting .333 for the Reds in the 1995 NLDS and providing several big hits for the Giants in the 2002 playoffs.
| Career Batting Stats |
| G |
AB |
H |
R |
HR |
RBI |
SB |
AVG |
SLG |
OBP |
OPS |
OPS+ |
| 1978 |
6951 |
1830 |
755 |
217 |
920 |
91 |
.263 |
.415 |
.307 |
.722 |
98.1 |
|
Benito Santiago Teammates
Best Season: 1987
Though his rookie campaign has proved to be his best, Santiago has not had a disappointing career. His 34-game hit streak in '87 provided the late season boost that gave him such strong numbers it's hard to choose another season as his finest. In addition, nagging injuries prevented Santiago from playing in 140 games in all but two seasons.
Bump and Run
Santiago drew a two-game suspension when the Giants needed it least - in the heat of the 2002 NL Wild-Card race, for which the Giants were battling against their rival Dodgers. Santiago was thrown out of a 4-1 loss September 16 in San Diego after arguing with plate umpire Mark Hirshbeck. Also tossed were manager Dusty Baker and pitching coach Dave Righetti. Hirshbeck said the 37-year-old catcher bumped him in the midst of a heated argument. Santiago took umbrage with that description. "I don't think I bumped him. His allegation is that," Santiago said. "We can't do anything about that except to fight it. It doesn't sound fair to me. This is ridiculous. This is a man's sport, you don't get sensitive in this game. I don't have a bad history with the umpires." Santiago served a one-game suspension and the Giants held off the Dodgers for the wild-card.
Born
Benito (Rivera) Santiago was born on March 9, 1965, in Ponce
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Major League Debut
9 14,
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1986
Rafael Palmeiro
Barry Bonds
Fred McGriff
Barry Larkin
Bobby Bonilla
Ruben Sierra
Mark McGwire
Greg Maddux
David Cone
Similar Players
Bill Freehan, Sherm Lollar, Terry Steinbach, Del Crandall
Related Players
Orel Hershiser stopped Santiago's 34-game hitting streak on October 3, 1987. The streak had helped the Padres to nine straight wins... In 1996, the Padres' John Flaherty hit in 27 straight games, the second longest streak by a catcher in baseball history... When Santiago caught Charlie Hough with the Marlins, he was charged with nine passed balls, halting a streak of 272 games without a passed ball... In 1996, Santiago hit the first grand slam ever allowed by Greg Maddux, who had surrendered just two regular-season grand slams through 2002.
Post-Season Appearances
1995 National League Championship Series
1995 National League Divisional Series
2002 National League Championship Series
2002 National League Divisional Series
2002 World Series
2003 National League Divisional Series
Awards and Honors
1987 NL Rookie of the Year
1988 NL Gold Glove
1989 NL Gold Glove
1990 NL Gold Glove
2002 NL NLCS MVP
Feats
His 34-game hitting streak as a rookie in 1987 is a National League record and also a major league record for catchers... On September 15-16, 1996, Santiago hit home runs in four consecutive at-bats at Wrigley Field for the Phillies.
Injuries and Explanation for Missed Playing Time
In January 1998, Santiago crashed his Ferrari going 60 MPH in a 35 MPH zone in Florida while in Spring Training with the Blue Jays. Santiago suffered a fractured vertebra in his back, blunt head trauma and cuts to his head and face. "It's been a remarkable recovery," said Chuck Malkus, a spokesman at Broward General Medical Center. "Considering the type of accident he's been in, he's doing extremely well. He's a lucky guy." Despite his quick recovery, Santiago played in just 15 games in 1998.
Hitting Streaks
34 games (1987)
Transactions
Santiago had played for seven teams and changed clubs eight times through 2003, yet had never been traded. He was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the expansion draft in 1993, and signed as a free agent by the Reds in 1995 and 2000, Phillies in 1996, Blue Jays in 1997, Cubs in 1999, the Giants in 2001 and 2002, and by the Royals in 2003. But following the 2003 season, he was finally involved in his first trade when he was dealt by the Royals to the Pirates for minor leaguer Leo Nunez and cash.
All-Star Selections
1989 NL
1990 NL
1991 NL
1992 NL
2002 NL
Learn More about Benito Santiago
Search Amazon.com for Books about Benito Santiago ⇒
Search for Benito Santiago at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒