Benito Santiago
Benito Santiago Rivera (born March 9, 1965) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player. He played for 20 seasons as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 to 2005, most prominently as a member of the San Diego Padres where he was a four-time Silver Slugger Award winner as well as a three-time Gold Glove Award winner.[1] The five-time All-Star was considered the premier catcher in the National League (NL) during his tenure with the Padres.[2] In 2015, Santiago was inducted into the San Diego Padres Hall of Fame.[3]
For his son, the Puerto Rican basketball player and former baseball player, see Benito Santiago Jr.Benito Santiago
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Baseball career[edit]
Early years[edit]
Santiago was signed as an amateur free agent by the San Diego Padres on September 1, 1982.[1] 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.[1] The next year, Santiago established a Major League record for a rookie by hitting safely in 34 straight games.[4] It was also the longest hitting streak by a catcher in major league history.[5] He ended the season with what would be career-highs in hits (164), doubles (33) and batting average (.300).[1] Santiago was the unanimous selection for the 1987 National League Rookie of the Year Award.[6] 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.[7][8]
Career statistics[edit]
In a 20-year major league career, Santiago played in 1,978 games, accumulating 1,830 hits in 6,951 at bats for a .261 career batting average along with 217 home runs, 920 runs batted in and an on-base percentage of .307.[1] He ended his career with a .987 fielding percentage.[1]
A five-time All-Star, Santiago was known for his strong defensive skills, leading National League catchers three times in assists, once in fielding percentage and once in baserunners caught stealing.[1] As 2010 began, Santiago was tied for eighth on the all-time list of games caught with Brad Ausmus, with 1,917.[38]
Steroid allegations[edit]
In 2003, Santiago was named by FBI investigators as one of the athletes alleged to have received anabolic steroids. He was linked to performance enhancers in the book Game of Shadows.[39]
On December 13, 2007, Santiago was named in the Mitchell Report. "At the end of the 2003 season, Mike Murphy, a Giants clubhouse attendant, was cleaning out Santiago's locker when he found a sealed package of syringes," the report read. "Murphy brought the syringes to the training room, handed them to [Stan] Conte, and told Conte that he had found them in Santiago's locker. Conte responded that he "would take care of it." Murphy recalled that the Giants’ assistant athletic trainer Dave Groeschner also was present in the training room during this conversation."
Personal life[edit]
Santiago has a son named Benito Santiago Jr., who is a Puerto Rican professional basketball player who currently plays for the Vaqueros de Bayamón in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN), the top tier basketball league in Puerto Rico.[40]