Juan Berenguer

Juan Bautista Berenguer
(El Gasolino, Señor Smoke)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 215 lb.

• Debut August 17, 1978
• Final Game October 4, 1992
• Born November 30, 1954 in Aguadulce, Coclé, Panama

BR page

Biographical Information

Juan Berenguer played for the Panamanian national team in the 1973 Amateur World Series. He was a part of two World Series winning squads, the 1984 Detroit Tigers and the 1987 Minnesota Twins. He was plagued by control problems much of his early career. Armed with a mid-90s heater, he saw his greatest success upon arrival with those '87 Twins, later becoming the star of his own music video, "The Berenguer Boogie".

After his major league career ended following the 1992 season, Juan starred for the Minneapolis Loons of the independent North Central League and Prairie League. In 1994, he went 3-1 with a 1.48 ERA and 21 saves, and in 1995, he went 2-3 with a 0.82 ERA, 2 walks to 32 strikeouts in 33 innings and 9 saves while being named the league's top reliever. The Minneapolis Loons club disbanded after these two seasons.

In addition to being known as "Señor Smoke" and "El Gasolino", teammates often called Juan "Pancho Villa". His brother, José, was a teammate on the Panamanian national team.

Notable Achievements

• 1978 Pitcher of the Year International League Tidewater Tides
• Won two World Series with the Detroit Tigers (1984; he did not play in the World Series) and the Minnesota Twins (1987)

Further Reading

• Juan Berenguer (as told to George Vass): "The Game I'll Never Forget", Baseball Digest, August 1992, pp. 47-48. [1]
• Jason Lenard: "Juan Berenguer", in Mark Pattison and David Raglin, ed.: Detroit Tigers 1984: What A Start! What A Finish!, SABR Publications, Phoenix, AZ, 2012, pp. 45-49. ISBN 1933599448

Related Sites

• Juan Berenguer at the SABR Bio Project