Armando Benitez Armando BenÃtez Position Relief Pitcher Team San Francisco Giants Years of Experience 11 years Age 33 Height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Weight 245 lb (111 kg) Bats Right Throws Right College N/A 2006 Salary $4,771,206 Place of Birth Ramón Santana, Dominican Republic Selection Signed as undrafted free agent in 1990 Drafted by Baltimore Orioles Major League Debut July 28, 1994 Armando Germán BenÃtez (born November 3, 1972) in Ramón Santana, Dominican Republic), is a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball for the San Francisco Giants. He is known for his lively fastball, which occasionally reaches 100 MPH, and his crafty splitter. BenÃtez was signed in 1990 by the Baltimore Orioles as a free agent. Coming up through the Orioles' farm system, he made his debut in 1994. While with the Orioles, he initially struggled, collecting a 5.66 ERA in 1995 and faltering in the postseason frequently. Nevertheless, he started to show some of his future potential in 1998, earning a 3.82 ERA and 22 saves in 71 games.
Before the 1999 season, BenÃtez was traded to the New York Mets for Charles Johnson. During his first four seasons in New York, he became one of the Major Leagues' elite closers, saving 139 games. Unfortunately, he is not known to be a clutch player and blew his first World Series save opportunity. Regardless, several playoff contenders were in demand for his services. Midway through 2003, BenÃtez was traded to the New York Yankees, who intended to use him as a setup man for Mariano Rivera. BenÃtez had a 1.93 ERA in nine games before being traded again to the Seattle Mariners, where he finished the season.
In 2004, BenÃtez once again became a closer, taking a pay cut to join the Florida Marlins for one year. His season with the Marlins ended up being his best season to date; he saved 47 games in 51 chances and compiled a 1.29 ERA. In fact, after giving up a solo home run in his first game of the season, he did not allow another earned run until June 5, after an impressive streak of 30 scoreless innings. After the season, BenÃtez elected to become a free agent, signing a three-year contract with the San Francisco Giants that was worth a reported US$21 million. POKEMON ROCKS!!!!! :) :)
