Benito Santiago

Benito Santiago Rivera (born March 9, 1965), is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball catcher, who played for twenty seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Although he played for ten different teams, perhaps his greatest success came with his first team, the San Diego Padres. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Santiago was considered the premier catcher in the National League (NL).\n', '

Santiago was signed as an amateur free agent by the San Diego Padres on September 1, 1982. After playing four seasons in the minor leagues, he made his Major League debut with the Padres on September 14, 1986 at the age of 21. The next year, Santiago established a Major League record for a rookie by hitting safely in 34 straight games. It was also the longest hitting streak by a catcher in major league history. He ended the season with what would be career-highs in hits (164), doubles (33) and ba…