One of the hardest throwers in the game, Benitez believed he could pump his blazing heater past any hitter at any time. The stocky Dominican right-hander seemed born unto a closer's role, a job that allowed him to concentrate and then unleash the fury of his fastball into a violent inning-long exhibition of power pitching. But though he owned the raw stuff to overpower batters, Benitez struggled to master the mental side of the game and picked the worst moments to suffer meltdowns on the mound.
Working as a setup man for Baltimore in 1997, Benitez allowed just 49 hits while striking out 106 in 73 1/3 innings. But despite his abundant talent, he infuriated the Orioles with his bouts of ill-timed wildness and even worse-timed gopher balls. At times he seemed less concerned with getting batters out than with how hard he could throw, often turning around after pitches to see if he had hit triple digits on the radar gun results posted on the Camden Yards scoreboard.
In the eighth inning of a May 19th, 1998 game at Yankee Stadium Benitez incited an ugly brawl by drilling first baseman Tino Martinez square in the back after center fielder Bernie Williams slugged a three-run, upper-deck homer to erase 5-4 Orioles' lead. Convinced his immaturity and lapses in concentration would keep him from reaching his full potential, the Orioles dealt Benitez to the Mets after the season. He took over as New York's closer in July after John Franco sprained a tendon in his left hand and racked up 22 saves in little more than half a season, fanning an astonishing 128 batters in just 78 innings and allowing just 40 base hits. In 2000, he collected a club-record 41 saves in 47 opportunities.
For all his success during the regular season, however, Benitez struggled egregiously during the post-season. He allowed three game-winning hits in the Orioles' six-game loss to Cleveland in the 1997 ALDS, including a three-run homer in the eighth inning of Game Two by Marquis Grissom and a pennant-winning home run by slap-hitting shortstop Tony Fernandez in the 11th inning of Game Six.
The pattern continued during Benitez' tenure with the Mets, most notably during New York's Division Series matchup with San Francisco, when he surrendered a game-tying three-run blast to J.T. Snow in the ninth inning of Game Two. The Mets rallied to win that game in extra innings, but weren't so fortunate when Benitez blew another ninth-inning lead in Game One of the World Series against the crosstown rival Yankees. The Bombers won the game in the 12th and took the series in five games. In just 28 1/3 career post-season innings, Benitez had surrendered seven home runs, a record for a relief pitcher. (AGL)
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FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
»October 5, 1997: The Orioles close out the Mariners with a 3-1 victory in the 4th, and final, game of their playoff series. Seattle is held to two hits by Mike Mussina, Armando Benitez, and Randy Myers, while Jeff Reboulet and Geronimo Berroa hit home runs for Baltimore.
»May 19, 1998:
The Yankees defeat the Orioles, 9–5, in a game marked by a brawl which results in five ejections. Players involved will be suspended for a total of 18 games. The melee begins when Baltimore relief P Armando Benitez hits Tino Martinez in the back with a pitch following an 8th–inning home run by Bernie Williams.
»October 5, 2000: The Mets even their series with the Giants at one game apiece by winning a 10-inning thriller, 5-4. Jay Payton's single drives home the winning run in the top of the 10th after J.T. Snow's pinch-hit 3-run home run ties the game in the bottom of the 9th. Edgardo Alfonzo hit a 2-run homer for NY in the top half of the frame. Al Leiter pitches 8+ innings for the Mets. Armando Benitez gives up the tying homer, but gets the win in relief.
»October 21, 2000: The Yankees defeat the Mets, 4-3 in 12 innings in Game one of the World Series. The longest game in World Series history (4 hours, 51 minutes) is ended on Jose Vizcaino' single which drives home Tino Martinez. It is Vizcaino's 4th hit of the night. The Mets lead, 3-2, going into the 9th, but Armando Benitez surrenders the tying run on a sacrifice fly by Chuck Knoblauch. The victory is the Yankees 13th in a row in Series play for a new record. Todd Pratt of the Mets ties a Series mark by being hit by pitches two times.
»July 14, 2001: Mets manager Bobby Valentine wins his 1,000th career game as pitchers Glendon Rusch and Armando Benitez combine to defeat Boston on a 1–hitter. When Rusch is unable to cover 1B, Trot Nixon's 1st inning bunt single is Boston's only hit in the 2–0 game.
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