Joaquín Benoit
Encyclopedia
Joaquín Antonio Benoit Peña (born July 26, 1977, in Santiago
, Dominican Republic
) is a Dominican professional baseball
relief pitcher
with the Detroit Tigers
of Major League Baseball
in the United States. He is 6'3" and weighs 220 pounds.
, he had been with the Major League club full-time since midway through the 2003 season. Benoit's seven years with the Texas Rangers made him the second-longest tenured member of the team after Michael Young
.
Originally a starter
, Benoit was moved to the bullpen
part-time in the 2003 season. Since then, he had served in various relief roles, making spot starts as necessary.
Benoit holds the Major League record for having recorded the longest save in history. He relieved Todd Van Poppel
at the start of the third inning of a game against the Baltimore Orioles
on September 3, 2002.
In 2006, Benoit ranked in the top-10 American League
relievers in strikeout
s, innings pitched, and percentage of inherited runners who scored.
On January 27, 2009, Benoit underwent surgery to fix a torn rotator cuff
, and missed the 2009 season.
by the Tampa Bay Rays
for the 2010 season. He was called up to the Rays and debuted with the team April 29, 2010. He put together an incredible campaign and established himself as one of the game's premier setup men. Benoit finished with a 1.34 ERA and 0.68 WHIP, allowing just 30 hits, 11 walks and nine earned runs in 60 1/3 innings while fanning 75 batters. His strong season resulted in his winning the Tony Conigliaro Award
.
. The deal was worth 16.5 million dollars with performance bonuses up to $1 million annually.
Benoit didn't quite replicate his outstanding 2010 season but had a solid year nonetheless, finishing with a 4–3 record, 2.95 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. He struck out 63 hitters in 61 innings, allowing just 47 hits and 20 earned runs.
Benoit came on in relief in the decisive Game 5 of the American League Divisional Series against New York and recorded five crucial outs. He tight-roped out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam, giving up just one run thanks to key strikeouts of Alex Rodriguez
and Nick Swisher
.
, a mid 80s slider
, and a low 80s changeup
.
Santiago de los Caballeros
Santiago de los Caballeros is a city in the Dominican Republic. Founded in 1495 during the first wave of European colonization of the New World, today Santiago is the second largest metropolis in the Dominican Republic, located in the north-central region of the Republic known as Cibao valley...
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
) is a Dominican professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
with the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
in the United States. He is 6'3" and weighs 220 pounds.
Texas Rangers
Signing with the Rangers at the age of 16, Benoit had been with the organization for his entire professional career. Except rehab assignments after stints on the disabled listDisabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
, he had been with the Major League club full-time since midway through the 2003 season. Benoit's seven years with the Texas Rangers made him the second-longest tenured member of the team after Michael Young
Michael Young (baseball player)
Michael Brian Young is a Major League Baseball All Star designated hitter and utility infielder for the Texas Rangers....
.
Originally a starter
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
, Benoit was moved to the bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
part-time in the 2003 season. Since then, he had served in various relief roles, making spot starts as necessary.
Benoit holds the Major League record for having recorded the longest save in history. He relieved Todd Van Poppel
Todd Van Poppel
Todd Matthew Van Poppel is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Oakland Athletics , Detroit Tigers , Texas Rangers , Pittsburgh Pirates , Chicago Cubs , and Cincinnati Reds...
at the start of the third inning of a game against the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
on September 3, 2002.
In 2006, Benoit ranked in the top-10 American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
relievers in strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s, innings pitched, and percentage of inherited runners who scored.
On January 27, 2009, Benoit underwent surgery to fix a torn rotator cuff
Rotator cuff
In anatomy, the rotator cuff is the group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the shoulder. The four muscles of the rotator cuff, along with the teres major muscle, the coracobrachialis muscle and the deltoid, make up the seven scapulohumeral muscles of the human body.-Function:The...
, and missed the 2009 season.
Tampa Bay Rays
Benoit was signed to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring trainingSpring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
by the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
for the 2010 season. He was called up to the Rays and debuted with the team April 29, 2010. He put together an incredible campaign and established himself as one of the game's premier setup men. Benoit finished with a 1.34 ERA and 0.68 WHIP, allowing just 30 hits, 11 walks and nine earned runs in 60 1/3 innings while fanning 75 batters. His strong season resulted in his winning the Tony Conigliaro Award
Tony Conigliaro Award
The Tony Conigliaro Award is a national award instituted in 1990 by the Boston Red Sox to honor the memory of their former star Tony Conigliaro. It is given annually to a Major League Baseball player who best overcomes an obstacle and adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination and...
.
Detroit Tigers
On November 19, 2010, Benoit signed a three-year contract with the Detroit TigersDetroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
. The deal was worth 16.5 million dollars with performance bonuses up to $1 million annually.
Benoit didn't quite replicate his outstanding 2010 season but had a solid year nonetheless, finishing with a 4–3 record, 2.95 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. He struck out 63 hitters in 61 innings, allowing just 47 hits and 20 earned runs.
Benoit came on in relief in the decisive Game 5 of the American League Divisional Series against New York and recorded five crucial outs. He tight-roped out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam, giving up just one run thanks to key strikeouts of Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...
and Nick Swisher
Nick Swisher
Nicholas Thompson "Nick" Swisher is an outfielder for the New York Yankees. Swisher is a switch hitter who throws left-handed....
.
Repertoire
Benoit features three pitches on most nights. He throws mid 90s fastballFastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
, a mid 80s slider
Slider
In baseball, a slider is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball....
, and a low 80s changeup
Changeup
A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball. Other names include change-of-pace, Bugs Bunny change-up, the dreaded equalizer, and simply change. The changeup is sometimes called an off-speed pitch, although that term can also be used simply to mean any pitch that is slower than a fastball...
.