Manuel Benavides

Manuel Benavides Muñoz

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 7", Weight 154 lb.
• Born November 2, 1967 in Songo - La Maya, Santiago de Cuba Cuba

BR Register page

Biographical Information

Manuel Benavides played for 16 seasons in the Cuban Serie Nacional. He led the 1995 Series Selectivas with 9 stolen bases, while playing for the Orientales. In the 1995 World Port Tournament, he played for a Cuban "B" squad (never making the Cuban national team for a major event). He went 15 for 33 with five doubles, eight runs and four RBI in 7 games. He was fourth in the event in runs, tied for second in doubles (behind Jeffrey Cranston), was third in hits, third in total bases, placed sixth in average, eighth in slugging and seventh in OBP.

Benavides hit eight triples for the 2001-2002 Santiago de Cuba Wasps, tying Danny Miranda and Yulieski Gourriel for the Serie Nacional lead. He again starred in a World Port Tournament in 2003, going 16 for 32 with two doubles, three walks, six runs, one steal and three RBI in nine contests; one teammate was Ariel Benavides. Manuel led the tournament in average (.091 ahead of anyone else), slugging (.022 ahead of Evert-Jan 't Hoen), OBP (.076 ahead of the runner-up), tied for third in runs, tied Raily Legito and 't Hoen for the most total bases and led in hits.

In the 2004-2005 championship, Santiago de Cuba was tied 3 games to 3 with La Habana. In Benavides' last game, he stepped up against Yadier Pedroso with a scoreless game in the fifth. He doubled in Reutilio Hurtado; Santiago de Cuba would win, 2-1, to take the pennant.

Overall, in his 16 seasons, he hit .304/.364/.406 with 229 doubles, 63 triples and 195 steals (caught 142 times) in 6,090 plate appearances. Primarily an infielder, he fielded .962. As of 2010, he was tied for 10th in Cuban history in triples (with Antonio Pacheco) and was 9th in times caught stealing.

Sources

• 2005 Guia Official de Beisbol
• Harry Wedemeijer's international tournament stats