Héctor Benítez
Venezuelan baseball player / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Héctor Benítez (November 1, 1918 – June 17, 2011) was a Venezuelan professional baseball player. Listed at 5' 7" (1.73 m), 160 lb. (73 k), he batted and threw left handed.[1][2]
Héctor Benítez | |
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Center fielder | |
Born: (1918-11-01)November 1, 1918 Caracas, Venezuela | |
Died: June 17, 2011(2011-06-17) (aged 92) Caracas, Venezuela | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
Teams | |
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Career highlights and awards | |
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Member of the Venezuelan | |
Baseball Hall of Fame | |
Induction | 2008 |
Born in Caracas, Benítez spent 21 years in Venezuelan baseball, playing in three different leagues as well as for his national team in international tournaments. A solid line-drive hitter and an aggressive base runner, he excelled as a speedy center fielder with a strong arm who gained notoriety for his spectacular diving and shoestring catches.[3]
A Most Valuable Player and Venezuelan Hall of Famer, he was the first ballplayer born in Venezuela to make a Caribbean Series All-Star Team[4] and also became the first to ever hit three home runs in a single game in Venezuelan baseball history.[1]
Redondo, as he was dubbed by teammates and fans alike, made his professional debut in the First Division of Baseball of Venezuela, playing for five teams in eight seasons spanning 1938–1945. He then moved to the Cervecería Caracas club in 1946, to become a founding member of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League in its inaugural season.[5]