Editing Benito Santiago (section)

==Baseball career==

===Early years===
Santiago was signed as an [[amateur]] [[free agent]] by the San Diego Padres on September 1, 1982.<ref name="Benito Santiago statistics"/> After playing four seasons in the [[Minor League Baseball|minor leagues]], he made his Major League debut with the Padres on September 14, [[1986 San Diego Padres season|1986]] at the age of 21.<ref name="Benito Santiago statistics"/> The next year, Santiago established a Major League record for a rookie by hitting safely in 34 straight games.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/31/sports/braves-romp-and-halt-garciaparra-s-streak.html|title=Braves Romp and Halt Garciaparra's Streak |date=August 31, 1997|work=The New York Times |access-date=January 2, 2010}}</ref> It was also the longest [[hitting streak]] by a catcher in major league history.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1066558/index.htm |title=Benito Finito At 34 Games |publisher=sportsillustrated.cnn.com |access-date=October 22, 2011 |date=October 12, 1987 |archive-date=April 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423224426/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1066558/index.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> He ended the season with what would be career-highs in hits (164), doubles (33) and [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] (.300).<ref name="Benito Santiago statistics"/> Santiago was the unanimous selection for the 1987 National League [[MLB Rookie of the Year award|Rookie of the Year Award]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1987.shtml#NLroy |title=1987 National League Rookie of the Year Award voting results |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=October 19, 2011}}</ref> Although he struggled defensively, leading the league in [[Error (baseball)|errors]] and [[passed ball]]s, his hitting performance earned him the 1987 [[Silver Slugger Award]] which is awarded annually to the best [[Batting (baseball)|offensive]] player at each [[Baseball positions|position]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1987-fielding-leaders.shtml |title=1987 National League Fielding Leaders |website=Baseball Reference |access-date=October 19, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/silver_slugger_nl.shtml#1987 |title=1987 Silver Slugger Award Winners |website=Baseball Reference |access-date=October 19, 2011 }}</ref>

[[File:Benito Santiago Padres.jpg|thumb|left|Santiago with the [[San Diego Padres]]]]
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.<ref name="Mavbe They Ought To Call Him 'Shotgun' Santiago">{{cite magazine |author=Reinman |first=T.R. |date=December 1988 |title=Mavbe They Ought To Call Him 'Shotgun' Santiago |magazine=Baseball Digest}}</ref> Santiago was known for his ability to throw out would be [[Stolen base|base stealers]] from a kneeling position.<ref name="San Diego Padres Hall of Fame"/><ref name="Mavbe They Ought To Call Him 'Shotgun' Santiago"/> In [[1988 San Diego Padres season|1988]], he led National League catchers in [[Assist (baseball)|assists]] and in baserunners [[caught stealing]] with a 45% average when the league average was 30%.<ref name="Mavbe They Ought To Call Him 'Shotgun' Santiago"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1988-fielding-leaders.shtml |title=1988 National League Fielding Leaders |website=Baseball Reference |access-date=October 19, 2011 }}</ref> 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 Award]]s in 1988.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/gold_glove_nl.shtml#1988 |title=1988 National League Gold Glove Award winners |website=Baseball Reference |access-date=October 19, 2011 }}</ref> Santiago also claimed his second successive Silver Slugger Award as the Padres improved to finish in third place in the [[National League West|National League Western Division]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/silver_slugger_nl.shtml#1988 |title=1988 Silver Slugger Award Winners |website=Baseball Reference |access-date=October 19, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1988.shtml |title=1988 National League Team Statistics and Standings |website=Baseball Reference |access-date=October 19, 2011 }}</ref>

Although he was hitting for only a .236 average at mid-season in 1989, his defensive reputation earned him the starting catcher's role in the [[1989 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1989 All-Star Game]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.cgi?id=santibe01&t=b&year=1989 |title=1989 Benito Santiago Batting Log |website=Baseball Reference |access-date=October 19, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ALS/ALS198907110.shtml |title=1989 All-Star Game |website=Baseball Reference |access-date=October 19, 2011 }}</ref> He was awarded the 1989 National League Gold Glove Award for catchers, as the Padres climbed to second place in the season's final standings.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/gold_glove_nl.shtml#1989 |title=1989 National League Gold Glove Award winners |website=Baseball Reference |access-date=October 19, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1989.shtml |title=1989 National League Team Statistics and Standings |website=Baseball Reference |access-date=October 19, 2011 }}</ref>

Santiago rebounded in [[1990 San Diego Padres season|1990]] and was hitting for a .317 batting average with 9 home runs in mid-June when he was hit by a pitch and had to miss six weeks of the season.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.cgi?id=santibe01&t=b&year=1990 |title=1990 Benito Santiago Batting Log |website=Baseball Reference |access-date=October 19, 2011 }}</ref> He finished the season with a .270 average along with 11 home runs and 53 [[runs batted in]] to earn his third Silver Slugger Award.<ref name="Benito Santiago statistics"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/silver_slugger_nl.shtml#1990 |title=1990 Silver Slugger Award Winners |website=Baseball Reference |access-date=October 19, 2011 }}</ref> He was also named as a reserve player for the National League team in the [[1990 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1990 All-Star Game]] and won his third consecutive Gold Glove Award.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NLS/NLS199007100.shtml |title=1990 All-Star Game |website=Baseball Reference |access-date=October 19, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/gold_glove_nl.shtml#1990 |title=1990 National League Gold Glove winners |website=Baseball Reference |access-date=October 19, 2011 }}</ref>

Before the [[1991 San Diego Padres season|1991]] season, Santiago asked for a four-year contract worth $11 million, but lost his arbitration case and was awarded a one-year contract worth $1.65 million.<ref name="Santiago Benched">{{cite news |title=Santiago Benched |agency=Associated Press |work=Portsmouth Daily Times |page=3 |date=June 1, 1991 |access-date=October 19, 2011 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=okRGAAAAIBAJ&pg=6744,3597880&dq=benito+santiago&hl=en}}</ref> A disgruntled Santiago announced that he would leave the Padres when he became eligible for free agency after the 1992 season.<ref name="Santiago Benched"/> He was also disillusioned when the Padres traded away players such as [[Joe Carter]] and [[Jack Clark (baseball)|Jack Clark]].<ref name="Santiago apparently through in San Diego">{{cite news |title=Santiago apparently through in San Diego |agency=Associated Press |work=Gainesville Sun |page=4 |date=September 22, 1992 |access-date=October 19, 2011 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=e0FWAAAAIBAJ&pg=6691,6951069&dq=benito+santiago&hl=en}}</ref> In June, Padres manager [[Greg Riddoch]] benched Santiago for his lack of hustle on the playing field.<ref name="Santiago Benched"/> Despite the difficulties, Santiago led the league's catchers with 100 assists and posted a career-high 87 runs batted in.<ref name="Benito Santiago statistics"/>

Santiago returned to arbitration before the 1992 season, this time winning a $3.3 million one-year contract that made him the highest paid catcher in professional baseball.<ref>{{cite news |date=February 6, 1992 |title=Padres' Santiago Awarded $3.3 Million |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-palm-beach-post-padres-santiago-awa/163723205/ |access-date=2025-01-23 |work=Palm Beach Post |page=3C |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> In September 1992, the Padres announced that they would not seek to re-sign Santiago, in what was seen as a cost-cutting measure.<ref name="Santiago apparently through in San Diego"/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1137399/index.htm |title=Penny Pinchin' Padres |publisher=sportsillustrated.cnn.com |access-date=October 22, 2011 |date=March 29, 1993 |archive-date=April 19, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130419014821/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1137399/index.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:SDP1992R09SANTIAGO.jpg|thumb|San Diego Padres 1992 #09 Benito Santiago road jersey]]
From 1991 to 1994, Santiago wore a jersey with the [[uniform number (Major League Baseball)|uniform number]] 09, making him one of the only major professional sports players to have ever worn a jersey with a [[leading zero]] as part of his uniform number.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://chicago.sbnation.com/2010/6/9/1509573/cubs-select-benito-santiago-jr-mlb-draft |title=Cubs Select Benito Santiago Jr. |last=Yellon |first=Al |date=2010-06-09 |website=SB Nation Chicago |access-date=2019-05-20}}</ref>

===Decline and trades===
On December 16, 1992, Santiago signed with the newly established franchise [[Miami Marlins|Florida Marlins]] and hit the first [[home run]] in team history. Despite hitting for a .273 average in [[1994 Florida Marlins season|1994]], he was granted free agency after the season as the Marlins were ready to promote their young catching prospect, [[Charles Johnson (catcher)|Charles Johnson]].<ref name="Benito Santiago statistics"/> On April 17, [[1995 Cincinnati Reds season|1995]], the [[Cincinnati Reds]] signed him and he briefly recovered his form [[Batting average (baseball)|batting]] .286.<ref name="Benito Santiago statistics"/> On January 30, [[1996 Philadelphia Phillies season|1996]], he joined the [[Philadelphia Phillies|Phillies]], where he became the first player to hit a [[Grand slam (baseball)|grand slam]] off [[Greg Maddux]] in the regular season after Maddux had been pitching for nearly ten years.<ref>{{cite news |title=Santiago tags Maddux with first grand slam |agency=Associated Press |work=The Tuscaloosa News |page=4 |date=May 4, 1996 |access-date=October 19, 2011 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oT0dAAAAIBAJ&pg=6843,518115&dq=benito+santiago&hl=en}}</ref> Santiago also hit a home run in four consecutive [[at bat]]s in the same season. Santiago ended the season with a career-high 30 home runs, along with 85 runs batted in, for the last place Phillies.<ref name="Benito Santiago statistics"/>

Santiago then signed a contract to play for the [[Toronto Blue Jays|Blue Jays]] ({{Baseball year|1997}}–{{Baseball year|1998}}) where he lost almost the entire 1998 season to a serious injury sustained in a car crash in [[Florida]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Santiago expects to play after crash |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |page=7 |date=January 6, 1998 |access-date=October 19, 2011 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IrFRAAAAIBAJ&pg=6511,3976144&dq=benito+santiago&hl=en}}</ref> A free agent again, he played 89 games for the [[Chicago Cubs|Cubs]] in 1999 and played for Cincinnati in 2000.<ref name="Benito Santiago statistics"/>

===Resurgence with the Giants===
Santiago arrived in [[San Francisco Giants|San Francisco]] on March 17, [[2001 San Francisco Giants season|2001]]. He played in 133 games and helped the Giants finish in second place, two games behind the [[2001 Arizona Diamondbacks season|Arizona Diamondbacks]] in the National League West.<ref name="Benito Santiago statistics"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/2001.shtml |title=2001 National League Team Statistics and Standings |website=Baseball Reference |access-date=October 19, 2011 }}</ref> He shared the 2001 [[Willie Mac Award]] with [[Mark Gardner (baseball)|Mark Gardner]], which recognized the spirit and leadership of each.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/awards/willie_mac_award.shtml |title=Willie Mac Award Winners |publisher=Baseball Almanac |access-date=October 26, 2011 }}</ref> Santiago had another good year in [[2002 San Francisco Giants season|2002]], appearing in 126 games and finishing third among National League catchers with a .995 [[fielding percentage]].<ref name="Benito Santiago statistics"/> He earned his fifth All-Star berth and ended the season with a .278 batting average with 74 runs batted in as the Giants once again finished second to the Diamondbacks and claimed the National League [[Major League Baseball wild card|wild card]] berth.<ref name="Benito Santiago statistics"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SFG/2002.shtml |title=2002 San Francisco Giants season |website=Baseball Reference |access-date=October 19, 2011 }}</ref>

The Giants defeated the [[2002 Atlanta Braves season|Atlanta Braves]] in the first round of the play-offs then met the [[2002 St. Louis Cardinals season|St. Louis Cardinals]] in the [[2002 National League Championship Series]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/2002_NLDS1.shtml |title=2002 League Division Series |website=Baseball Reference |access-date=October 19, 2011 }}</ref> Santiago hit two home runs in the series along with 6 runs batted in, and was awarded the [[League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award]] as the Giants defeated the Cardinals in five games.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/2002_NLCS.shtml |title=2002 League Championship Series |website=Baseball Reference |access-date=October 19, 2011 }}</ref> In the [[2002 World Series]] against the [[2002 Anaheim Angels season|Anaheim Angels]], Santiago delivered 5 runs batted in as the Giants were defeated in a seven-game series.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/santibe01.shtml#batting_postseason::none |title=Benito Santiago post-season batting statistics |access-date=October 19, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/2002_WS.shtml |title=2002 World Series |website=Baseball Reference |access-date=October 19, 2011 }}</ref>

In [[2003 San Francisco Giants season|2003]], the 38-year-old Santiago continued to perform well, hitting fifth in the [[batting order (baseball)|batting order]] behind [[Barry Bonds]], he appeared in 108 games while posting a .279 batting average with 56 runs batted in.<ref name="Benito Santiago statistics"/><ref>{{cite magazine |author=Peters |first=Nick |date=September 2003 |title=Armed Behind The Plate |magazine=Baseball Digest}}</ref>

===Later years===
On December 11, 2003, Santiago, again a free agent, signed with the [[Kansas City Royals]]. By June 18, he was hitting .274 with six home runs and 23 [[Run batted in|RBI]] when he was [[Hit by pitch|hit by a pitch]] from [[Geoff Geary]] that broke his hand. After the 2004 season, the Royals traded him to the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] for [[Leo Núñez]], a minor league [[pitcher]]. The Pirates let Santiago go after a mere 23 at-bats in favor of giving playing time to young [[David Ross (catcher)|David Ross]]. Santiago signed with the [[New York Mets]] to a minor-league contract, but he appeared in only a handful of games. He opted out of his Triple-A contract, but did not play in the major leagues in 2006.

He was inducted into the [[San Diego Padres Hall of Fame]] on August 8, 2015.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lin |first=Dennis |title=Santiago, Templeton elected to Padres HOF |date=July 9, 2015 |newspaper=The San Diego Union-Tribune |url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/jul/09/padres-santiago-templeton-elected-hall-of-fame/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711123759/http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/jul/09/padres-santiago-templeton-elected-hall-of-fame/ |archive-date=July 11, 2015 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref>