1. Life and Early Professional Career
Bienvenido "Ben" Rivera Santana began his professional baseball journey in the mid-1980s before making his debut in the major leagues.
1.1. Early Life and Career Beginnings
Born on January 11, 1969, in the Dominican Republic, Santana signed his first professional contract with the Atlanta Braves in 1986. He made his Major League Baseball debut on April 9, 1992.
1.2. Major League Baseball (MLB) Career
After his debut with the Atlanta Braves, Santana was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies during the 1992 season. He played three seasons in MLB, from 1992 to 1994, split between the Braves and the Phillies. He was a key member of the 1993 Philadelphia Phillies team that won the National League Championship.
2. Asian Professional Baseball Career
Ben Santana's career is particularly noted for his extensive tenure across three major professional baseball leagues in Asia, making him a pioneer in this regard.
2.1. Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL)
Santana first joined the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) in Taiwan in 1997, playing for the Chinatrust Whales. During this period, he transitioned to a full-time relief pitcher role and performed exceptionally as a closer, earning positive recognition for his performance. His registration name in Taiwan during his time with the Chinatrust Whales was 班尼BānníChinese. He later returned to the CPBL in 2004, joining the Macoto Cobras, where his registration name was 李維拉LǐwéilāChinese.
2.2. Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB)
Following his successful stint in Taiwan, Santana's performance caught the attention of the Hanshin Tigers in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), and he signed with them for the 1998 season. He quickly established himself as a dominant closer for the Tigers, utilizing a powerful fastball that often exceeded 93 mph (150 km/h). In his inaugural NPB season in 1998, he set a new club record for the Hanshin Tigers by recording 27 saves. He continued his role as the team's closer in 1999 and maintained good performance. However, he showed some defensive weaknesses, particularly with his pitching from the set position when runners were on base, and his handling of bunt plays. These issues reportedly led to disagreements with Hanshin Tigers manager Katsuya Nomura regarding his deployment. Later in the 1999 season, he suffered a right elbow injury and returned to the Dominican Republic for treatment. While undergoing treatment, the Hanshin Tigers decided to release him from his contract, ending his tenure with the team.
2.3. KBO League (KBO)
In 2001, Santana moved to South Korea to play for the Samsung Lions in the KBO League. His signing was notably influenced by a recommendation from Sun Dong-yeol, a renowned former closer who had also played in NPB's Central League. With his move to the KBO League, Santana made history as the first player to have played professionally in all three major Asian baseball leagues: the CPBL (Taiwan), NPB (Japan), and KBO (South Korea). He was primarily utilized as a closer for the Samsung Lions and had a strong start to the season, recording 6 wins and 21 saves by June. However, he faced challenges due to being overworked, frequently being asked to pitch for more than one inning per appearance. This overwork led to a decline in his pitching velocity and exacerbated a pre-existing lower back condition. Consequently, he was released by the team midway through the season.
3. Later Career and Retirement
After his demanding period in the KBO League, Santana continued to play professional baseball for a few more years before officially retiring.
Following his recovery from injuries, he played in the Mexican League in 2002. In 2004, he made a return to the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL), rejoining the Macoto Cobras seven years after his initial stint in the league. His final season as a professional player was in 2005, when he again played in the Mexican League before ultimately retiring from playing.
4. Post-Playing Career
After concluding his playing career, Ben Santana transitioned into a scouting role within professional baseball. In 2010, he was appointed as a scout for the Hanshin Tigers, covering Central and South America, the same Japanese team he had played for previously.
5. Playing Style and Attributes
Ben Santana was primarily known for his powerful fastball, which was a key weapon in his arsenal, often reaching speeds exceeding 93 mph (150 km/h). When he first joined the Hanshin Tigers, there were reports that his primary secondary pitch was a "sickle-like slider," but in practice, his pitching style was predominantly fastball-driven.
A notable rumor surrounding Santana during his time with the Hanshin Tigers was the claim that he was ambidextrous and could pitch effectively with his left arm, supposedly reaching speeds of 81 mph (130 km/h). However, he never demonstrated this ability in an official game. Despite his strengths, Santana had specific areas of weakness, including his effectiveness pitching from the set position when runners were on base and his struggles with handling bunt plays.
6. Career Statistics and Achievements
Ben Santana's career spanned various leagues, accumulating significant statistics and notable milestones.
6.1. Professional Pitching Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | CG | SHO | BB | W | L | SV | HLD | W-L% | BF | IP | H | HR | BB | IBB | HBP | SO | WP | BK | R | ER | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | ATL | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -- | .000 | 78 | 15.1 | 21 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 4.70 | 2.22 |
| PHI | 20 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | -- | .700 | 409 | 102.0 | 78 | 8 | 32 | 2 | 2 | 66 | 5 | 0 | 32 | 32 | 2.82 | 1.08 | |
| '92 Total | 28 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 0 | -- | .636 | 487 | 117.1 | 99 | 9 | 45 | 4 | 4 | 77 | 5 | 0 | 40 | 40 | 3.07 | 1.23 | |
| 1993 | 30 | 28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 9 | 0 | -- | .591 | 742 | 163.0 | 175 | 16 | 85 | 4 | 6 | 123 | 13 | 0 | 99 | 91 | 5.02 | 1.60 | |
| 1994 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | -- | .429 | 176 | 38.0 | 40 | 7 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 29 | 29 | 6.87 | 1.63 | |
| 1997 | Whales | 49 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 19 | 0 | .500 | 355 | 86.0 | 59 | 2 | 37 | 2 | 9 | 112 | 9 | 1 | 29 | 24 | 2.51 | 1.12 |
| 1998 | Hanshin | 44 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 27 | -- | .400 | 220 | 53.0 | 44 | 2 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 2.38 | 1.16 |
| 1999 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 | -- | .500 | 98 | 25.1 | 15 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0.71 | 0.83 | |
| 2001 | Samsung | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | 6 | 3 | 21 | 0 | .667 | 248 | 58.1 | 52 | 7 | 33 | 2 | 0 | 63 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 17 | 2.62 | 1.46 |
| 2004 | Macoto | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | .667 | 89 | 23.1 | 15 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1.54 | 0.99 |
| MLB: 3 years | 67 | 49 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 17 | 0 | -- | .575 | 1405 | 318.1 | 314 | 32 | 152 | 8 | 11 | 219 | 21 | 0 | 168 | 160 | 4.52 | 1.46 | |
| CPBL: 2 years | 65 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 23 | 0 | .538 | 444 | 109.1 | 74 | 3 | 45 | 4 | 9 | 138 | 10 | 2 | 33 | 28 | 2.30 | 1.09 | |
| NPB: 2 years | 73 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 39 | -- | .429 | 318 | 78.1 | 59 | 2 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 74 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 16 | 1.84 | 1.06 | |
| KBO: 1 year | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | 6 | 3 | 21 | 0 | .667 | 248 | 58.1 | 52 | 7 | 33 | 2 | 0 | 63 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 17 | 2.62 | 1.46 | |
6.2. Jersey Numbers
Throughout his professional career, Ben Santana wore several jersey numbers:
- 51 (1992, Atlanta Braves)
- 34 (mid-1992-1994 with Philadelphia Phillies; 1997 with Chinatrust Whales)
- 49 (1998-1999, Hanshin Tigers)
- 14 (2001, Samsung Lions)
- 36 (2004, Macoto Cobras)
6.3. Major Records and Milestones
- First appearance in Nippon Professional Baseball: April 5, 1998, against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars at Yokohama Stadium.
- Set a new team record for Hanshin Tigers with 27 saves in 1998.
- First player to compete in all three major Asian professional baseball leagues: Chinese Professional Baseball League (Taiwan), Nippon Professional Baseball (Japan), and KBO League (South Korea).
7. Assessment and Legacy
Ben Santana's career was marked by significant contributions as a closer across multiple international leagues, though it was also punctuated by challenges and specific incidents.
7.1. Positive Contributions
Santana proved to be an effective and reliable closer in various leagues. His performance with the Hanshin Tigers in 1998, where he set a new team record of 27 saves, underscored his ability to dominate in high-pressure situations. Similarly, his strong start with the Samsung Lions in the KBO League in 2001, recording 21 saves by June, demonstrated his impact on team success. Furthermore, his membership in the 1993 National League Champion Philadelphia Phillies highlights his contribution to a major team achievement in MLB. His unique achievement of being the first player to compete in the professional leagues of Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea cemented his legacy as a trailblazer in international baseball.
7.2. Challenges and Notable Incidents
Despite his successes, Santana faced several challenges throughout his career. His tenure with the Hanshin Tigers in 1999 was affected by defensive weaknesses, particularly his struggles pitching from the set position with runners on base and his difficulties handling bunt plays. These issues led to reported conflicts with manager Katsuya Nomura regarding his on-field role. He also dealt with significant injuries, including a right elbow injury during his time with the Hanshin Tigers that led to his release, and a worsening lower back condition during his stint with the Samsung Lions. The latter was exacerbated by what was perceived as overwork, as he was frequently required to pitch for more than one inning, ultimately contributing to his release from the KBO team.