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Santiago more than survives

Determined not to let '98 crash end career, catcher has starred at age 37.

By KEVIN KELLY, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published October 17, 2002

He has reintroduced himself into the public's consciousness with a few swings and an infectious enthusiasm this postseason.

But although Benito Santiago still resembles the flashy catcher from 1987, the one who threw baserunners out from his knees, swung a vicious bat and won Rookie of the Year honors with the Padres, he is a different man now.

A career that almost ended after a car crash has been reborn, presenting the 37-year-old Giants catcher with his first opportunity to play in a World Series.

"What I went through," said Santiago, who Monday was named Most Valuable Player of the National League Championship Series, "it was not easy."

It has been nearly five years since he lay in a hospital bed with a broken hip and a mangled right knee.

The news release from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department said witnesses saw the yellow Ferrari speeding when it hit a dip in the road and went into a spin.

Santiago was driving. Francisco Arroyo was in the passenger seat.

The sports car smashed into a tree and seriously injured both men.

Arroyo lost a leg as a result of injuries sustained in the crash. Santiago nearly lost a career.

"I never gave up," Santiago said of the Jan. 4, 1998, crash. "The doctors at the hospital told me maybe that I wouldn't come back and play, but I didn't take it that way. I was always positive and I just told them that I'm going to prove them wrong, that I'm going to go home and learn how to do the right things and to come back."

He did.

The comeback began with 16 games in the minors and 15 more with the Blue Jays in 1998 and continued with stints with the Cubs in 1999 and Reds in 2000.

Without a contract and finding little interest in an aging catcher, Santiago got a call from the Giants in 2001 and signed midway through spring training.

He won the starting job and made this year's All-Star team, 10 years after his last appearance.

"Things are working out great," said Santiago, who makes his offseason home in Pembroke Pines.

His 17 years of experience have helped the Giants in myriad ways.

"The thing I've learned about him is just how competitive he is and how bad he wants to win," Giants third baseman David Bell said. "He's a tough guy and someone that we all like to play with. He's just a great teammate."

In the 125 games Santiago was behind the plate during the regular season, pitchers went 58-25 with a 3.48 ERA that ranked third among catchers in the majors.

"He just brings so much energy to each ballgame that I think a pitcher can kind of see he's going to do whatever he can do to try to win a ballgame, to try to get you to stay in a game and try to get you to do your job," pitcher Russ Ortiz said. "Everybody, in a sense, can kind of follow his lead."

Santiago has followed Barry Bonds' lead on offense since the All-Star break.

Manager Dusty Baker, in an attempt to help boost offensive production, moved Santiago to the No. 5 spot in the batting order behind Bonds.

He hit .278 with 16 homers and 74 RBIs during the regular season, but Santiago's real contributions have been during the playoffs when teams have pitched around Bonds.

"Benito doesn't take it personal when they walk Barry and get upset and lose his head and try and hit a home run," Baker said. "I explained to him in that situation, all you need is a single or a double, and then you've done the damage because usually somebody is in scoring position."

Twice in the NLCS Santiago homered when the Cardinals walked Bonds, including a two-run shot in the eighth inning of Game 4 that broke a tie and helped San Francisco to a 4-3 win.

"It seems like since Dusty put me behind this man, the concentration on me is on a high level and I'm really focused on what I'm doing," said Santiago, who has hit .268 with two homers and 11 RBIs this postseason.

"Like I said before, I don't like to see that guy go to first base like that because this is the best hitter we have. I would like to see him swing the bat so we can put some more RBIs up there."

But as long as teams continue to walk Bonds in favor of pitching to Santiago, he will be the one with the opportunity to reap the benefits That's fine with someone who this season rediscovered his youth.

"I'm 26," Santiago joked recently. "That's the way I feel. This is baseball and I just try to go out and have some fun."

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