Marvin Benard | |
---|---|
Outfielder | |
Born: Bluefields, Nicaragua | January 20, 1970|
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
MLB debut | |
September 5, 1995, for the San Francisco Giants | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 27, 2003, for the San Francisco Giants | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .271 |
Home runs | 54 |
Runs batted in | 260 |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
Marvin Larry Benard (born January 20,1970) is a Nicaraguan professional baseball manager and former outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants. He has also managed the Nicaraguan national team as well as Gigantes de Rivas in the 2024 Caribbean Series
Benard moved to Los Angeles with his mother and father when he was 12. [1] After a stellar prep career at Bell High School,he attended El Camino College (Torrance,CA) freshman year. After his Head Coach Tom Hicks stepped down,Benard transferred to L.A. Harbor Junior College in Wilmington,Calif.,then Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston,Idaho.
His son,Isaac,was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 23rd round of the 2016 Amateur Draft and was a member of the Princeton Rays in the Appalachian League,where he hit .255 with 3 home runs and 3 stolen bases in 110 at-bats. [2]
He is the cousin of actor,Maurice Benard. [3]
Benard played with the San Francisco Giants from 1995 to 2003. He was a starter from 1999–2001,and played most of the 1996 season due to an injury to Glenallen Hill. He won the 1999 Willie Mac Award for his spirit and leadership. Despite a disappointing postseason performance in 2000,Marvin had one of the most memorable hits of series,driving in Ellis Burks with an RBI single in Game 3 of the 2000 National League Division Series.
Benard had above-average power for a leadoff hitter. A notorious first-pitch hitter prone to striking out,Benard had good bat speed and could steal bases,though he was caught stealing 29% of the time over the course of his career. He played all three outfield positions,mostly as a center fielder. As a pinch hitter,he had a career .267 batting average. Benard hit the final San Francisco Giants home run in the history of Candlestick Park,which came in the first inning of the Giants' eventual 9-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. [4]
After becoming a free agent after the 2003 season,Benard agreed to a minor-league contract with the Chicago White Sox but was released before the season began and signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. He was released after one season with the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs,hitting .211 with four homers and 18 RBI in 33 games.
On April 11,2010,Benard admitted to using steroids during the 2002 season in which the Giants reached the World Series. [5]
Benard was employed as a hitting coach for the San Diego Padres' short-season Class A Northwest League affiliate,the Tri-City Dust Devils,for the 2015 season. In 2016 he managed the Nicaragua national baseball team. [6] He is currently employed as a color commentator for the Giants' Spanish-language radio broadcasts,working road games alongside Erwin Higueros. [7]
Benard managed Gigantes de Rivas,champions of the 2023–24 Nicaraguan Professional Baseball League,at the 2024 Caribbean Series (taking over from Germán Mesa). He drew criticism after making comments criticizing the heart of his team,saying "I'm going to get in trouble for saying this... the Nicaraguan baseball player is a conformist. I try to motivate them,but they can't get it out of their heads." [8] The Nicaraguan team finished the tournament in last place with a 0–6 record,being eliminated in the first round. [9]
Luis Emilio Gonzalez,nicknamed "Gonzo",is an American former baseball outfielder who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for seven teams. Gonzalez spent his best years with the Arizona Diamondbacks and was one of the most popular players in the organization's history. His game-winning hit in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series against New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera clinched the Diamondbacks' first and only World Series championship to date. Gonzalez was a five-time All-Star and won a Silver Slugger Award in 2001. In addition to good power,Gonzalez was known as an exceptional gap hitter. His 596 career doubles currently rank 19th on the all-time MLB list.
Manuel Julián Javier Liranzo,is a Dominican former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an second baseman from 1960 to 1972,most prominently as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals where,he became a two-time All-Star player,and was a member of two World Series winning teams. He played his final season with the Cincinnati Reds.
Stanley Julián Antonio Javier [hah-ve-ERR] is a Dominican former professional baseball outfielder,who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1984 to 2001. A switch-hitter with good production from both sides of the plate,he also had a strong arm with the ability to play all three outfield positions exceptionally well. Javier is the son of former major league player Julián Javier,and was named after his father's teammate and close friend,Stan Musial.
Charles Joseph Hiller was an American Major League Baseball second baseman. In the 1962 World Series,he became the first National League player to hit a grand slam in a World Series.
Ronald Ray Fairly was an American professional baseball player and television sports presenter. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman and right fielder from 1958 to 1978,most prominently as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers where,he was a two-time All-Star player and was a member of three World Series winning teams.
Jason Jerome Ellison is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He attended Lewis-Clark State in Lewiston,Idaho,and made his major league debut on May 9,2003. As of the 2015 season,he was an area scout for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim based in Issaquah,Washington.
Manuel Rafael Mota Geronimo,more commonly known as Manny Mota,is a Dominican former Major League Baseball outfielder who played 20 seasons for the San Francisco Giants,Pittsburgh Pirates and Montreal Expos,as well as being a pinch hitting specialist with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He retired as a player at the age of 44.
Carl Reginald Smith is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder and afterwards served as a coach and front office executive. He also played in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for two seasons at the end of his playing career. During a seventeen-year MLB career (1966–1982),Smith appeared in 1,987 games,hit 314 home runs with 1,092 RBI and batted .287. He was a switch-hitter who threw right-handed. In his prime,he had one of the strongest throwing arms of any outfielder in the MLB. Smith played at least seventy games in thirteen different seasons,and in every one of those thirteen seasons,his team had a winning record.
Michael John Morse is an American former professional baseball outfielder,first baseman and shortstop. Morse was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the third round of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners,Washington Nationals,Baltimore Orioles,Miami Marlins,Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants between 2005 and 2017. In 2018,he began a second career as a baseball broadcaster.
Michael Vaughn Hatcher is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder,third baseman and first baseman from 1979 through 1990,most notably as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers when he replaced an injured Kirk Gibson in the 1988 World Series and hit .368 (7/19) with two home runs and five RBI to help the Dodgers win the world championship.
Cody Joseph Ross,nicknamed "Toy Cannon" and "Ross the Boss," is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 12 seasons;with the Detroit Tigers (2003),Los Angeles Dodgers (2005–2006),Cincinnati Reds (2006),Florida Marlins (2006–2010),San Francisco Giants (2010–2011),Boston Red Sox (2012),Arizona Diamondbacks (2013–2014) and Oakland Athletics (2015). Ross won a World Series with the San Francisco Giants in 2010. He is one of the few Major League players to bat right-handed and throw left-handed.
David Alejandro Green Casaya was a Nicaraguan professional baseball player who was an outfielder and first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). Between 1981 and 1987,he spent parts of six seasons in the MLB. He was a member of the St. Louis Cardinals for five of those years,and he also spent one season with the San Francisco Giants.
Raymond Lee Walls Jr. was an American professional baseball player,an outfielder who appeared in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1952 and 1964 as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates,Chicago Cubs,Cincinnati Reds,Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers. He also played the 1965 season in Japan,for the Hankyu Braves. The native of San Diego threw and batted right-handed,stood 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall,and weighed 205 pounds (93 kg). Walls wore eyeglasses on the field during his active career —a rarity for players of his era —and was nicknamed "Captain Midnight" because of his eyewear.
The 1981 Montreal Expos season was the 13th season in franchise history. They made it to the postseason for the first time in franchise history. Their playoff run ended in the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers,with Rick Monday hitting a ninth-inning solo home run in game 5,subsequently referred to as "Blue Monday" by Expos fans. This was the closest the Expos ever got to a World Series appearance while in Montreal. This was also their last time winning a playoff series until 2019,which they won the Wild Card game. In addition,their 31-year playoff drought after this season is currently the longest in the Divisional era.
Denis Phipps is a Dominican former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds in 2012.
Joc Russell Pederson is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers,Chicago Cubs,Atlanta Braves,and San Francisco Giants. He is a two-time World Series champion and a two-time All-Star. Internationally,Pederson represents the Israel national baseball team in international competition.
O'Koyea Dickson is an American professional former baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2017 season,and the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in 2018.
Allen Lorenz "A. J." Pollock is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks,Los Angeles Dodgers,Chicago White Sox,Seattle Mariners,and San Francisco Giants.
Webster Julian Rivas is a Dominican professional baseball catcher and first baseman for the Leones de Yucatán of the Mexican League. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres. He signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as an international free agent in 2010.
The Gigantes de Rivas are a professional baseball team based in Rivas,Nicaragua. They compete in the Nicaraguan Professional Baseball League (LBPN). The team plays at the Estadio Yamil Ríos Ugarte. Established in 2013,the club has won the LBPN title four times in 2014,2016,2021 and 2024. The Gigantes also won the 2016 Latin American Series,becoming the first Nicaraguan team to win the Latin American Series.