Benito Santiago
| Benito Santiago | |||
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| Catcher | |||
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Born: March 9, 1965 Ponce, Puerto Rico |
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| MLB debut | |||
| September 14, 1986, for the San Diego Padres | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| April 11, 2005, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .263 | ||
| Home runs | 217 | ||
| Runs batted in | 920 | ||
| Teams | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Benito Santiago Rivera (born March 9, 1965) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player. He played for twenty seasons as a catcher in Major League Baseball for ten different teams, although his greatest success came with his first team, the San Diego Padres. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Santiago was considered the premier catcher in the National League.
Santiago was signed as an amateur free agent by the San Diego Padres on September 1, 1982. After playing four seasons in the minor leagues, he made his Major League debut with the Padres on September 14, 1986 at the age of 21. The next year, Santiago established a Major League record for a rookie by hitting safely in 34 straight games. It was also the longest hitting streak by a catcher in major league history. He ended the season with what would be career-highs in hits (164), doubles (33) and batting average (.300). Santiago was the unanimous selection for the 1987 National League Rookie of the Year Award. Although he struggled defensively, leading the league in errors and passed balls, his hitting performance earned him the 1987 Silver Slugger Award which is awarded annually to the best offensive player at each position.
While Santiago initially made an impression with his offensive statistics, he soon became known for his defensive prowess, most notably for his strong throwing arm. Santiago was known for his ability to throw out would be base stealers from a kneeling position. In 1988, he led National League catchers in assists and in baserunners caught stealing with a 45% average when the league average was 30%. Although he still led the league's catchers with 12 errors, it was an improvement over the 22 he had committed the previous season. Santiago was awarded the first of three consecutive Gold Glove Awards in 1988. Santiago also claimed his second successive Silver Slugger Award as the Padres improved to finish in third place in the National League Western Division.
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